VEGETABLES, 717 
Licenser of Plays) from Geldestone, says, “I am at present 
rather liable to be overset by any weariness, (and where can any 
be found that can match the effect of two oratorios ?) since 
living altogether on vegetables for the last three months; that 
is, I have given up meat. The truth is, mine is a wrong time 
of life to begin a change of that kind; it is either too early, or 
too late. But I have no doubt at all of the advantage of giving 
up meat. I find already much good from it in lightness, and 
airiness of head ; whereas I was always before clouded, and more 
or less morbid after meat. The loss of strength is to be expected. 
I shall keep on, and see if that also will turn, and change into 
strength. I have almost Utopian notions about vegetable diet, 
—begging pardon for making use of such a vile, Cheltenhamic 
phrase. Why do you not bring your children up to it’ To 
be sure, the chance is that after guarding their vegetable morals 
for years, they would be seduced by some roast partridge, with 
bread sauce, and become ungodly.” Again, in a letter to John 
Allen, from Bedford (1842): ‘‘I occasionally read sentences 
about the Virtues from the collection of Stobceus, and look into 
Sartor Resartus, which has fine things in it, and a little Dante, 
and a little Shakespeare. But the great secret of all is the not 
eating of meat. To that the world must come, Iam sure. Only 
it makes one grasshopper foolish.” Again (October 1841), 
when writing to Tennyson from Naseby, Fitzgerald said, “ Fits 
of exultation are not very common with me now, as—after 
leaving off beef—my life has become of an even grey paper 
character, needing no great excitement, and as pleased with 
Naseby as Naples.” 
As a palatable, and excellent “ Vegetable Curry”: Chop four 
onions, and four apples ; put them in a pan with a quarter of a 
pound of butter, and fry them a light brown ; then add a table- 
spoonful of genuine curry powder, a little stock, and some salt. 
Parboil six large potatoes whole, cut them up, and put them with 
the other ingredients ; let all stew gently for an hour, whilst the 
pot is covered. Likewise, vegetable marrow can be prepared 
capitally in imitation of apples, as a digestive accompaniment 
of roast duck, or goose. Take a large vegetable marrow, choosing 
the white sort, with lumps over the outside ; after having peeled 
it, and taken away the soft pulp and seeds, cut it in thin slices. 
Butter an enamelled pot, and put into it layers of the thinly 
sliced marrow, and of sugar (take for one good sized marrow a 
