THE COOKERY OF THE PHEASANT 253 



like Junot or Murat, they might have preferred a bon 

 petit plat canaille. There was no longer a zealous 

 gourmand like Cambacerfes, the grand chancellor, who 

 officially and vicariously entertained with carte blanche 

 from his master. The best Parisian cooks went a- 

 begging, and were snapped up by wealthy English- 

 men, or occasionally transported to Russia. When the 

 Sovereigns were entertained by the members of aristo- 

 cratic White's at Devonshire House, Talleyrand and 

 the French connoisseurs were en pays de connaissance, 

 for the salmis and coulis of English pheasants had 

 been dressed by illustrious French artists. The price 

 per head for the banqueting was absurd and ruinous ; 

 but it was far surpassed, by the way, by a bet de- 

 cided shortly afterwards at the same club, which is 

 mentioned specially in the magnificent volumes 

 brought out by Mr. Algernon Bourke. The member 

 who devised the most costly dish was to escape scot 

 free at a feast of the most extravagant combinations. 

 Lord Alvanley, who was triply famous as a wit, a bold 

 rider in the shires and a bon vivant, won with a col- 

 lection of rare and elegant extracts, in which the 

 oysters of pheasants figured conspicuously. 



The Parisian restaurants had engaged the highest 

 talent and set the fashion of intelligent experiment 

 and research to the provinces and the other capitals. 



