Preface. ix 



Court of Cassation, and the magistrate of whom 

 lloger Collard said regenerated France had most 

 reason to be proud, expressed himself as follows to 

 three most distinguished men of science, Laplace, 

 Chaptal and Berthollet : " I regard the discovery of a 

 dish as a far more interesting event than the discovery 

 of a star, for we have always stars enough, but we can 

 never have too many dishes ; and I shall not regard 

 the sciences as sufficiently honoured or adequately 

 represented amongst us, until I see a cook in the 

 first class of the Institute." The Due d'Escar, grand 

 maitre d'hotel to Louis XVIII., who was a gastro- 

 nome of the first water, died inconsolable at not 

 having given his name to even one dish, whilst that 

 of Bechamel was decorated with glory for Veau d la 

 Bechamel, of which he was supposed to be, though 

 not really, the inventor. 



A late accomplished Earl of Dudley, speaking of a 

 learned Baron of the Exchequer, says "He was a 

 good man, sir, an excellent man ; he had the best 

 melted butter I ever tasted in my life :" and we read 

 that liqueurs were invented to stimulate the appetite 

 of Louis XIV., when flagging in old age, having 

 been prodigious in his youth. 



Ornaments for the dinner and supper table, otherwise 



