244 OITII COMMON FBTJITS. 



in bond. It was prophesied by Mr. M'Culloch, that were 

 this duty reduced the import would soon be more than 

 tripled ; and after the revision of the tariff, fixing the 

 rate of customs paid on these fruits at the low sum of 

 only 7s. per cwt., our consumption of figs had risen by 

 1862 to 95,414 cwt., valued at 123,728. 



But the indifference of the British public to fresh figs 

 is far from being shared by the nations of the Continent, 

 and throughout the south of Europe they are eaten with 

 avidity by all classes during five months of the year, not 

 only at the dessert, but in some places forming part of 

 the dinner as well, being introduced along with the melon 

 after soup ; showing a taste in accordance with that of 

 the ancients, among whom, as Soyer informs us, figs were 

 served at aristocratic tables with salt, pepper, vinegar, and 

 some aromatics. The same great culinary authority also 

 observes that the Greek love for this fruit amounted to 

 a sort of gastronomic furor which knew no bounds, and 

 that the wise Plato himself ceased to be a philosopher 

 when presented with a basket of figs. Zeno the Stoic is 

 said to have lived exclusively upon them, and by the 

 Pythagoreans, too, they were highly esteemed ; but we 

 need not entertain the discreditable suspicion that the 

 partiality of sages like these was prompted only by a 

 desire to please their palates, since the authors of anti- 

 quity have left on record their opinion that the fig being 

 so easy of digestion as to tax very lightly the powers of 

 the stomach, it was a food of all others peculiarly fit for 

 the studious, since, by adopting such diet, the greater 

 amount of vital force was left to supply the needs of the 

 active brain. That nevertheless it was not a " caviare " 

 unappreciated by the multitude is shown by Cato's recom- 

 mendation to employers to diminish the amount of food 

 supplied to agricultural labourers whenever ripe figs were 

 in season, since, whatever else might be given them, they 

 would be sure to take their share of this fruit. To de- 

 scend from Plato to the poultry-yard, Bosc affirms that 

 all birds and beasts have a passion for figs, whether fresh 

 or dried ; and indeed, with regard to domestic fowls, the 

 taste of the fruit would seem to have a like effect upon 



