THE PIKE. 221 



a little slit towards the belly ; out of these take his guts, 

 and keep his liver, which you are to shred very small with 

 thyme, sweet marjoram, and a little winter savory ; to these 

 put some pickled oysters, and some anchovies, two or three, 

 both these last whole ; for the anchovies will melt, and the 

 oysters should not : to these you must add also a pound of 

 sweet butter, which you are to mix with the herbs that are 

 shred, and let them all be well salted : if the pike be more 

 than a yard long, then you may put into these herbs more 

 than a pound, or if he be less, then less butter will suffice : 

 these being thus mixed with a blade or two of mace, must 

 be put into the pike's belly, and then his belly so sewed up 

 as to keep all the butter in his belly, if it be possible ; if 

 not, then as much of it as you possibly can ; but take not 

 off the scales : then you are to thrust the spit through his 

 mouth out at his tail ; and then take four, or five, or six 

 split sticks or very thin laths, and a convenient quantity of 

 tape or filleting : these laths are to be tied round about the 

 pike's body from his head to his tail, and the tape tied 

 somewhat thick to prevent his breaking or falling off from 

 the spit : let him be roasted very leisurely, and often basted 

 with claret wine and anchovies and butter mixed together, 

 and also with what moisture falls from him into the pan : 

 when you have roasted him sufficiently, you are to hold 

 under him, when you unwind or cut the tape that ties him, 

 such a dish as you purpose to eat him out of; and let him 

 fall into it with the sauce that is roasted in his belly ; and 

 by this means the pike will be kept unbroken and com- 

 plete : then, to the sauce which was within, and also that 

 sauce in the pan, you are to add a fit quantity of the best 

 butter, and to squeeze the juice of three or four oranges : 



