THE POULTRY KIND. 139 



came to Athens, from Lacedaemon and Thessaly, 

 purely to satisfy their curiosity. 



It was probably first introduced into the West 

 merely on account of its beauty ; but mankind, 

 from contemplating its figure, soon came to think 

 of serving it up for a different entertainment. 

 Aufidius Hurco stands charged by Pliny with 

 being the first who fatted up the peacock for the 

 feasts of the luxurious. Whatever there may be 

 of delicacy in the flesh of a young peacock, it is 

 certain an old one is very indifferent eating ; 

 nevertheless, there is no mention made of choosing 

 the youngest ; it is probable they were killed in- 

 discriminately, the beauty of the feathers in some 

 measure stimulating the appetite. Hortensius 

 the orator was the first who served them up at an 

 entertainment at Rome ; and from that time they 

 were considered as one of the greatest ornaments 

 of every feast. Whether the Roman method of 

 cookery, which was much higher than ours, might 

 not have rendered them more palatable than we 

 find them at present, I cannot tell ; but certain 

 it is, they talk of the peacock as being the first 

 of viands. 



Its fame for delicacy, however, did not continue 

 very long ; for we find, in the times of Francis 

 the First, that it was a custom to serve up pea- 

 cocks to the tables of the great, with an intention 

 not to be eaten, but only to be seen. Their man- 

 ner was to strip off the skin, and then preparing 

 the body with the warmest spices, they covered 

 it up again in its former skin, with all its plumage 

 in full display, and no way injured by the prepa- 



