OF SALLETS 141 



kitchen garden (for that was still the good woman's Province) 

 was never reputed a tolerable Housewife . . . she was never 

 surprised, had all at hand and could in a trice set forth an 

 handsome sallet." Indeed, it required much skill and judg- 

 ment to mingle the ingredients of " a brave sallet " as it 

 must be done, " not only so as to agree with the Humours of 

 those who eat them but so that nothing should be suffered 

 to domineer, so should none of them lose their Gust, Savour, 

 or Vertue. These must be in correct proportions, the cool 

 and refreshing to extinguish thirst, attemper the Blood, 

 repress Vapours, the Hot, Dry, Aromatic Cordial and friendly 

 to the Brain, the bitter and mordaunt, the mild and insipid, 

 animated with the piquant and brisk. In the composure 

 every Plant must bear its part and they must fall into their 

 places like the Notes in Music, and there must be nothing 

 harsh nor grating. And tho' admitting some discords (to 

 distinguish and illustrate the rest), striking in the more 

 sprightly and sometimes gentler Notes, reconcile all Dis- 

 sonancies and melt them into an agreeable composition." 



As Evelyn says, it takes a wise person to be a sallet- 

 gatherer; " I can by no means approve of the extravagant 

 Fancy of some, who tell us that a Fool is as fit to be the 

 gatherer of Sallets as a wise man. Because say they one 

 can hardly choose amiss provided the Plants be green, young 

 and tender. Sad experience shows how many fatal mis- 

 takes have been made by those who took hemlock for aconite, 

 cow weed for Chervil, Dog's Mercury for Spinach, whose 

 dire effects have been many times sudden death and the 

 cause of mortal accidents to those who have eaten them 

 unwittingly, and even if not poisonous, some of these wild 

 and unknown Plants may annoy the Head and Brain. It 

 is not surprising, therefore, that divers Popes and Emperors 

 had learned Physicians for their ' Master-Cooks/ ' Those 

 who were foolish enough to raise salad herbs out of season 

 on hot-beds the old herbalists condemned. " These forward 

 Plants and Roots are but for the wanton Palate, and being 

 unnaturally raised cannot but produce malignant and ill 

 effects. We prefer the honest industrious Country Man's 



