82 EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL 



In George Wither' s Britains Remembrancer , published 

 in London, in 1628, containing a Narrative of the Plague, 

 present mischiefs, and judgment to come, we find the 

 following lines : 



" For if the heart and liver of a fish 

 (Burnt by young Tobit in a chafendish) 

 A spirit from his chamber could expeD, 

 They hoped these might purge ill ayres, as well." 6 



Soles were considered most delicious food among the 

 Greek gastronomes. We shall make no apology for 

 quoting again from a recent writer on this subject. 7 He 

 says, " No fish in the ancient world was better known, or 

 in a higher repute than this. It was the subject of a 

 Greek myth, evrpofog and rjdve, nutritious and delicate, 

 were the epithets currently applied to it, and one Greek in 

 particular describes the species as the best of flat-fish ; 

 the highest praise, since these were considered quite the 

 pisci nobili of the market, and equivalent to saying they 

 were best of the best. Soles were served then, as now- 

 a-days, fried, afovTtQ, when their size admitted it : 



* The cook produced an ample dish 

 Of frizzled soles, those best of fish, 

 Embrowned, and wafting through the room, 

 All sputtering still a rich perfume.' 



" They were also served in a savoury sauce under the 

 name of Citharus. Archestratus orders some for an 



6 Page 46. 



7 Frazer's Magazine, December, 1853. 



