140 On Cookery in general, 



threatened destruction to the progress of the art. English pud- 

 ding and beefsteaks found their way into France, and, but for 

 the providential interference of Mezelier, Richant, Robert, and 

 other great names, which all cook$ should for ever revere, her 

 sons would have fed on dishes hardly worthy the early ages of 

 the Roman republic. 



As the troubles which preceded the Revolution advanced, 

 cookery receded, and the dreadful scenes of that bloody drama 

 so bewildered the cooks, that it would appear the executive 

 government had found it necessary to turn cooks themselves, 

 and intolerably bad ones they were ; — but, " fortunately, the 

 eighth of Brumaire pulled down the five Directors, together 

 with their saucepans." 



In the scramble that took place, Bonaparte picked up the 

 crown, and Talleyrand the stew-pan. It was the Prince de 

 Talleyrand who rekindled the sacred flame in France. The 

 first clouds of smoke, which announced the resurrection of the 

 science of cookery in the capital, appeared from the kitchen of 

 an ancient bishop. " History will never forget that great man, 

 who aspired to all kinds of glory, and would have been, if he 

 had wished, as great a cook as he was a statesman." 



The garlic and onions of the republicans began now to give 

 way to the piquantes beauties of Beauvilliers and Balaine. 

 Grisnod de la Reyniere produced the Almanack des Gourmands^ 

 and the joyous disciples of Epicurus hailed, with exultation, 

 the revival of gastric science. 



The alteration this grand event effected in the manners and 

 language of Europe is hardly to be conceived. Gastronomy 

 arose — and, with all the refinements of a fine art, produced a 

 race unknown before, — eaters and drinkers, with taste and 

 genius. To this were all the nobler qualities of the mind 

 applied : — Gastronomy became a fashionable word in the 

 fashionable world \ and a dandy, who would have fainted at 

 such a subject in former times, could now discourse on it 

 as if inspired ! 



" But what is this gastronomy?" said a country cousin to 

 us one day, — iC what is this gastronomy we hear so much 

 about ; I cannot find it in Johnson ?" To have answered, that 

 is was like Scotch broth, or soup maigre, would have settled the 



