MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. 
with water, coffee is thought to as~ 
sist the digestion; but many find it 
on the contrary heating and preju- 
dicial. 
To such a pitch is luxury carried 
by some, that their cooks regularly 
take medicines, in order to preserve 
the fineness of their palate, and of 
their sauces. 
Fromage, or cheese, is alax term 
at Paris for any substance com- 
pressed. ‘Thus a fromage d’ Italie is 
a Bologna sausage, a fromage glace 
is a kind of ice, &c. Animals killed 
by electricity are found to be sin- 
gularly tender. 
The French have only one term, 
confitures, for pickles and confec- 
tions. The best preserved fruit at 
Paris is that of the julian, or green 
plumb, here called those of queen 
Claude, but in the time of the revo- 
jution they were cried through the 
streets, prunes de la citoyenne 
Claude. 
The master and mistress of the 
house generally sit opposite to each 
other, at the middle of the table, 
not as with us, at the head and foot. 
They can thus converse with all the 
guests, and see that a proper atten- 
tion is paid to each, 
‘distributed on the right and left 
alternately ; and if there be few or 
no ladies, it is passed from hand to 
hand, so that the nearest are the last 
served. In some houses glasses of 
sugar and water are presented two 
hours after the dinner, in order to 
assist the digestion ; but it must be 
drank by mouthfuls and slowly, 
otherwise the intention will be de- 
feated. Three or four hours after 
dinner, the guests escape one by 
one, and in silence; for to take 
Jeave would be thought as impolite 
as not to make the ceremopial visit, 
‘ 
The soup is- 
1013 
of tacit acknowledgment, within a 
week after the dinner. Healths 
are rarely drank, but it is usual to 
clash the glasses as a token of inti- 
mate good will. Twelfth cake, and 
the king and queen of the bean now 
re-appear. Qn the birth-day of the 
master the servants often exhibit 
little fire-works. 
The author of the Almanach des 
Gourmands has wisely added a chap. 
ter upon indigestion, from which 
there are not a few sudden deaths at 
Paris. A beautiful lady died sud- 
denly after a copious breakfast of 
oysters and new bread. This 4rbiter 
elegantiarum advises slow mastica. 
tion; and he well observes the di- 
versity and caprice of the stomach, 
which may be very strong in some 
respects, yet weak in regard to cer- 
tain foods. 
According to his decision, a great 
dinner is composed of four services : 
Ist. the soups, the hors-d’ euvres, 
relevés, and entries; 2d. the roast 
meats and sallads; 3d. the cold 
pastry and entremets; 4th. the de. 
sert.— lhe superiority of the French 
cookery is: thus visible even in 
the language; and I know not 
that any translation has been at- 
tempted. g 
Among the fruits of France the 
peaches are excellent and cheap. 
The smooth peach, which we call 
nectarine, is common, and is called 
brignolet ; but that called the teton 
de Venus, which ripens towards the 
end of August, is preferred. The 
pears are also excellent, especially 
the cresanne and bon chretien, The 
most excellent grape for the desert 
is what is called the chasselas de Fon- 
tainbleau, which over a golden ca- 
lour presents a rich bloom. The 
best apples are, the rainette, calvel, 
373 api, 
