258 FARMING FOR LADIES, [chap. xii. 



roasted goose, he was more vigorous both in 

 body and mind, than with any other kind of 

 food ; but much both of flavour and nutriment 

 must depend on the mode in which the crea- 

 ture has been nurtured. In some parts of 

 Germany and France geese are fattened to 

 great weights, chiefly for the purpose of en- 

 larging their livers, which are made into pates 

 defoie gras, and sent all over Europe for the 

 tables of the rich. Toulouse and Strasbourg 

 are celebrated for them, and one of a moderate 

 size, fatted and seasoned as they are in those 

 towns, is not to be had in London for less 

 than ten to fifteen shillings, or a guinea. 

 They are, indeed, considered as epicurean de- 

 licacies of the highest order ; though we must 

 frankly confess that there are persons so want- 

 ing in taste as to consider them — 



" Too clear to buy, too fat to eat." 



The mode there usually adopted is to con- 

 fine the goose in a dark coop of such narrow 

 dimensions that she can neither turn round, 

 nor stand up quite upright ; and being thus 

 both deprived of light and motion, and abun- 

 dantly fed, she is necessarily induced to sleep, 

 which is considered a main point in the pro- 



