MEALS. 461 
once again, if the disposition to cold-taking yet declares itself, 
then only one daily meal should be had, consisting of twelve, 
or sixteen ounces of appropriate food.” 
According to Villa Novus, hys prescription, “the use of meat 
in a morning is to be disallowed as gross, hebetant, feral, alto- 
gether fitter for wild beasts than men; per contra, he com- 
mendeth herb diete for this meal as gentle, humane, active, 
conducing to contemplation; breaking the fast on eggs, and 
cooling salades, mallows, winter cresses, and those herbes.” 
Charles Lamb, in his essay on Popular Fallacies, insists that 
‘when advanced in years a man should not take his chief meal 
in solitude, for it to be properly nutritive” ; this he styles ‘‘ the 
solemn ceremony of manducation.” “There are,” as Health 
maintains, “some happily-disposed individuals who can dine 
alone, and not eat too fast, nor too much, nor too little; but 
with the majority of persons it is different. Towards due and 
easy nutrition the food should be masticated slowly, and the mind 
not be intensely exercised during the process.” Our forefathers 
took their meals seriously at times, inculeating such mannerisms 
as “Cease your chatter, and mind your platter,” or “ None 
but fools and fiddlers sing at their meat.’ We are certainly 
wiser in promoting social pleasantries at table, and in believing 
that “the chatted meal is half digested.” Everyone knows 
that violent bodily exercise is bad just after a meal, and mental 
exertion is equally so. In fact, the experience of all past 
generations has perpetuated the lesson that a man should not 
eat alone, nor think deeply at the time of a meal, but should 
talk, and be talked to, while he feeds. Most persons do not ponder 
profoundly while they talk, and such light talking is a natural 
accompaniment to eating, and drinking ; it needs no moralist 
to declare the evils of solitariness at meals. Most assuredly 
it is not good for man to eat and drink alone. Pleasantly, and 
gracefully enough, when a Russian dinner concludes, the hostess 
takes her stand at the table end, and the guests come up one 
by one to kiss her hand, while the children thank both father 
and mother for the good meal they have received. Milton wrote 
to the effect that “the interim of convenient rest before meat 
may both with profit, and delight be taken up in recreating, 
and composing the travailed spirits with the solemn, and divine 
Harmonies of musick, heard, or learned ; the like also would not 
be unexpedient after meat, to assist, and cherish nature in her 
