144 Or Cookery in general. 



this occasion, that I did not expect any thing like it." <c Very 

 likely, Monsieur," replied Mr. Bull; •* but this is a dish for 

 every Englishman to be proud of; this dish has carried my 

 countrymen twice through France already, and I don't doubt 

 but it will a third time." Mr. Bull was not far oif in his pro- 

 phecy, as history records. 



Of the antiquity of the culinary art there is no doubt. Athe- 

 nseus affirms that the first kings of the earth were cooks ! 

 The Patriarchs were the same. The art is, in fact, as old 

 as King Cadmus ; Patroclus was famous for his Olla Podrida ; 

 and a Roman general received the Samnite ambassadors in the 

 room where he was boiling turnips for his dinner ; but who would 

 wish to dine with such fellows ? " Boeuf seignant, mouton 

 belant, pore pouri : tout n'en vaut rein s^l n'est bien cuit.' 



To make a just comparison between ancient and modern 

 systems, a few specimens of each should be set beside each 

 other. To do this let us go back in the history of the art to 

 anno 1630. We find Master John Murrel complaining of the 

 ignorance of his fraternity; and in a book dedicated most 

 appropriately to the daughter of the Lord Mayor, confessing 

 that tf Cookerie-books instruct how to marre, rather than make, 

 good meate," and then most profoundly and profitably correct- 

 ing former errors, he sets forth the most approved methods, 

 ■with the newest art of carving and serving, together with an 

 exact order for making kickshawes. Kickshawes ! what would 

 the Greek artist of Crockford's say to a delicacy made of 

 minced bullock's kidney ! what to a " rack of veal," or a 

 " farced leg of mutton !" or " an umble pie !" (failing of umbles, 

 made of lamb's head and purtenance;) or " achewit of stock- 

 fish !" or a " Fryday's pie," without either flesh or fish ! or a 

 fashionable cabinet dinner in the days we speak of, consisting 

 of a dish of marrow-bones, a leg of mutton, a dish of fowls, 

 three pullets, and a dozen larks, all in the same dish! But this 

 was the fare in the dark ages of alimentation, when, as Master 

 Murrel shrewdly observes, cookery was likely " to marre, 

 rather than make good meate." 



Cookery, in this country, had been greatly neglected, and it 

 was not till some four physicians thought the subject worthy 

 of their consideration, that public attention was directed to 



