USES TO WHICH [Chap. 



polite, are, when cookery is talked off, the most 

 rude people in the world; and, while sitting 

 within the smell of one of their own kitchens 

 (for not to smell it, you must get out of the 

 house, be it as big as it may); while sitting 

 within the smell of one of these, which is a sort 

 of mixture^ between fragrance and a stink ; and, 

 while I think of it, there is a place of this sort 

 in Cockspur-street, where the kitchen is under 

 the causeway, having some little gratings in the 

 causeway, for the escape of the fumes ; I am 

 sure, that, to fifty different persons, or, at least, 

 fifty different times, in walking over those grat- 

 ings, 1 have said to some one or more that were 

 with me, " which of two things that one cou^d 

 name does that smell most like?'' The French, 

 even within the smell of one of their kitchens, 

 will talk of English cookery, as if it were taken 

 for granted (which is the most insolent thing 

 in the world), that we know not how to pre- 

 pare the victuals for our own eating. The very 

 lowest of them behave in this same manner. 

 Mr. CuRWEN, in his book about the uses of milk, 

 and the keeping of cows, says, that, when he was 

 somewhere in the North of France, he happened 

 to see a decent leg of mutton hanging up for 

 sale ; and that, not having had a real good meal 

 of victuals during several weeks, he snapped at 

 the joint, bought it at any price (and he would 



