COOKERY OF THE GROUSE 277 



of condiments, and, moreover, the phrase 'sorte/-les 

 du papier' at the end of the article implies that the 

 wrapping is exhypothesi intact. Perhaps somebody who 

 has a hearth and wood-ashes at his or her disposal 

 will try the method. 



Turning to modern and straightforward cookery, I 

 observe that some critics, while speaking very amiably of 

 my efforts in alien art on the partridge, have been pleased 

 to speak compassionately of my preference of plain roast 

 bird as ' very English.' I hope that nothing worse will 

 ever be said of any taste of mine; and that, as accord- 

 ing to a famous axiom, 'it is permissible to Dorians to 

 speak Doric,' so it may be permissible to Englishmen to 

 eat English food. At any rate, though I have just given 

 some and shall hope to give several other receipts for 

 more elaborate dealing, I must repeat and emphasise 

 the same preference here. A plainly and perfectly 

 roasted grouse, with the accompaniments above re 

 ferred to (or others, such as chipped or ribboned 

 potatoes), is so good that he can in no other way be 

 improved, though of course he may be varied. Some 

 extreme grouse-eaters even declare that you ought to 

 eat nothing at all but grouse at the same meal ; and 

 though I cannot go with them there, I am thoroughly 

 of the mind of a certain wise and gracious hostess who 

 once said to me, ' I have given you very few things 



