Chap. 27,] THE GOOSE. 4.09 



them was the constant companion of the philosopher, Lacydes, 

 and would never leave him, either in public or when at the bath, 

 by night or by day. 



CHAP. 27. WHO FI2ST TAUGHT US TO USE THE LIVER OF THE 



GOOSE FOE FOOD. 



Our people, however, are more wise ; for they only esteem the 

 goose for the goodness of its liver.^'^ "When they are crammed, 

 this grows to a very large size, and on being taken from the 

 animal, is made still larger by being soaked in honeyed milk.''^ 

 And, indeed, it is not without good reason that it is matter of 

 debate who it was that first discovered so great a delicacy ; 

 whether, in fact, it was Scipio Metellus, a man of consular 

 dignit}^ or M. Seius, a contemporary of his, and a Eoman of 

 equestrian rank. However, a thing about which there is no 

 dispute, it was Messalinus Cotta, the son of the orator Messala, 

 who first discovered the art of roasting the webbed feet of the 

 goose, and of cooking them in a ragout with cocks' combs : for 

 I shall faithfully award each culinary palm to such as I shall 

 find deserving of it. It is a wonderful fact, in relation to 

 this bird, that it comes on foot all the way from the country 

 of the Morini^^ to Rome ; those that are tired are placed in 

 the front rank, while the rest, taught by a natural instinct to 

 move in a compact body, drive them on. 



A second income, too, is also to be derived from the feathers 

 of the white goose. In some places, this animal is plucked 

 twice a year, upon which the feathers quickly grow again. 

 Those are the softest which lie nearest to the body, and those 

 that come from Germany are the most esteemed : the geese 

 there are white, but of small size, and are called ganta.^ The 

 price paid for their feathers is five denarii per pound. It is 

 from this fruitful source that we have repeated charges brought 

 against the commanders of our auxiliaries, who are in the habit 

 of detaching whole cohorts from the posts where they ought 

 to be on guard, in pursuit of these birds : indeed, we have 

 come to such a pitch of eff'eminacy, that now-a-days, not even 



85 See B. viii. c. 87. Horace also mentions that they were fattened 

 with figs. 



86 " Lacte mulso." Perliaps honey, wine, and milk. 



87 In Gaul. SeeB. iv. c. 31. 



^ " Gans" is still the German name. Hence our viord " gander." 



