254 THE COOKERY OF THE PHEASANT 



The cooks who graduated in their kitchens dissemi- 

 nated science all over Europe. But the Parisian 

 magasins de comestibles were still more characteristic. 

 In London there were houses, like the old Ship and 

 Turtle in Leadenhall Street, lately transmogrified and 

 restored, which were unrivalled for solid speciali- 

 ties. The turtles in the cellars and tanks of that 

 establishment were a sight to see, and we fancy 

 nothing in Ascension or the Bahamas could equal it. 

 But there was no attempt at ornamental advertising, 

 and there was no display in the windows to indicate 

 the gastronomic luxuries within ; whereas the artisti- 

 cally grouped trophies of game in the windows of 

 Chevet or Potel, in which the pheasants hung glitter- 

 ing like golden stars in the radiance of their gorgeous 

 plumage, doubtless suggested subjects for La Gour- 

 mandise of Eugfene Sue, and might have tempted an 

 anchorite to give generous orders. 



But these magazines of game are but the ante- 

 chambers of the kitchen, and although a catalogue 

 raisonne of receipts may be rather dull, we must go 

 on to say something of actual cookery. There is 

 nothing better to a man of fairly healthy appetite 

 than its simplest form, and naturally we begin with 

 roasting. Felix Graham after all made no great dis- 

 covery when in ' Orley Farm' he^ told the worthy 



