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butter with eggs in the bell. You cannot imagine how much more you will have of their flavour, and how much easier they will fit upon your ftomach. The worthy person who recommended it to me made many profelytes; and I have the vanity to think that I have not been altogether unfuccefsful.

I have in this Poem ufed a plain, eafy, familiar style, as most fit for precept; neither have I been too exact an Imitator of Horace, as he himself directs. I have not confulted any of his Tranflators; neither Mr. Oldham, whofe copiousness runs into Paraphrafe; nor Ben Jonfon, who is admirable for his close following of the original; nor yet the Lord Rofcommon, fo excellent for the beauty of his language, and his penetration into the very defign and foul of that Author. I confidered that I went upon a new undertaking; and though I do not value myself upon it fo much as Lucretius did, yet I dare fay it is more innocent and inoffenfive.

Sometimes, when Horace's rules come too thick and fententious, I have fo far taken liberty as to pass over fome of them; for I confider the nature and temper of Cooks, who are not of the most patient difpofition, as their under-fervants too often experience. I wish I might prevail with them to moderate their paflions, which will be the greater conqueft, feeing a continual heat is added to their native fire.

Amidst the variety of directions that Horace gives us in his "Art of Poetry," which is one of the most accurate pieces that he or any other Author has written, there is a fecret connexion in reality, though he doth

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not exprefs it too plainly; and therefore this Imitation of it has many breaks in it. If fuch as shall condefcend to read this Poem would at the fame time confult Horace's original Latin, or fome of the aforementioned Tranflators, they would find at leaft this benefit, that they would recollect thofe excellent inftructions which he delivers to us in fuch elegant language.

I could with the Mafter and Wardens of the Cooks' Company would order this Poem to be read with due confideration; for it is not lightly to be run over, feeing it contains many useful inftructions for human life. It is true, that fome of thefe rules may feem more principally to respect the Steward, Clerk of the Kitchen, Caterer, or perhaps the Butler. But the Cook being the principal perfon, without whom all the reft will be little regarded, they are directed to him; and the Wotk being defigned for the univerfal good, it will accomplish fome part of its intent, if those fort of people will improve by it.

It may happen, in this as in all works of Art, that there may be fome terms not obvious to common Readers; but they are not many. The Reader may not have a juft idea of a fwoled mutton, which is a sheep roafted in its wool, to fave the labour of fleaing. Bacon and filbert-tarts are fomething unusual; but, fince Sprout-tarts and pistachio-tarts are much the fame thing, and to be seen in Dr. Salmon's "Family Dictionary," thofe perfons who have a defire for them may easily find the way to make them. As for grout, it is an old Danifh difh; and it is claimed as an honour to the an

cient Family of Leigh, to carry a difh of it up to the coronation. A dwarf-pye was prepared for King James the Firft, when Jeffery his dwarf rofe out of one armed with a fword and buckler; and is fo recorded in hiftory, that there are few but know it. Though marinated fish, hippocraes, and ambigues, are known to all that deal in Cookery; yet terrenes are not fo ufuak, being a filver veffel filled with the moft coftly dainties after the manner of an oglio. A furprize is likewise a difh not fo very common; which, promifing little from its first appearance, when open abounds with all forts of variety; which I cannot better resemble than to the Fifth Act of one of our modern Comedies. Left Monteth, Vinegar, Talieffin, and Bofu, fhould be taken for dishes of rarities; it may be known, that Monteth was a gentleman with a fcalloped coat, that Vinegar keeps the ring at Lincoln's-inn-fields, Talieffin was one of the most ancient Bards amongst the Britons, and Boffu one of the moft certain inftructors in criticism that this latter age has produced.

I hope it will not be taken ill by the Wits, that I call my Cooks by the title of ingenious; for I cannot imagine why Cooks may not be as well read as any other perfons. I am fure their apprentices, of late years, have had very great opportunities of improvement; and men of the first pretences to literature have been very liberal, and fent-in their contributions very largely. They have been very serviceable both to pit and oven; and for thefe twelve months paft, whilft Dr. Wotton with his "Modern Learning" was defending

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pye-cruft from fcorching, his dear Friend Dr. Bentley, with his "Phalaris," has been finging of capons. Not that this was occafioned by any fuperfluity or tedioufnefs of their writings, or mutual commendations; but it was found out by fome worthy patriots, to make the labours of the two Doctors, as far as poffible, to become ufeful to the publick.

Indeed, Cookery has an influence upon men's actions even in the highest stations of human life. The great Philofopher Pythagoras, in his "Golden Verfes," fhew's Aimfelf to be extremely nice in eating, when he makes it one of his chief principles of morality to abstain from beans. The nobleft foundations of honour, justice, and integrity, were found to lie hid in turnips; as appears in that great Dictator, Cincinnatus, who went from the plough to the command of the Roman army; and, having brought home victory, retired to his cottage for, when the Samnite ambassadors came thither to him with a large bribe, and found him dreffing turnips for his repaft, they immediately returned with this fentence, "That it was impoffible to prevail 66 upon him that could be contented with such a supper.” In short, there are no honorary appellations but what may be made ufe of to Cooks; for I find throughout the whole race of Charlemaigne, that the Great Cook of the Palace was one of the prime ministers of state, and conductor of armies: fo true is that maxim of Paulus Emilius, after his glorious expedition into Greece, when he was to entertain the Roman people, that there was equal skill required to bring an army

"into the field, and to set forth a magnificent enter"tainment; fince the one was as far as poffible to

annoy your enemy, and the other to pleasure your "friend." In fhort, as for all perfons that have not a due regard for the learned, industrious, moral, upright, and warlike profeffion of Cookery, may they live as the ancient inhabitants of Puerte Ventura, one of the Canary Islands, where, they being fo barbarous as to make the most contemptible perfon to be their butcher, they had likewife their meat ferved up raw, because they had no fire to drefs it; and I take this to be a condition bad enough of all confcience!

As this fmall effay finds acceptance, I fhall be encouraged to purfue a great defign I have in hand, of publishing a Bibliotheca Culinaria, or the "Cook's "Complete Library," which shall begin with a tranflation, or at least an Epitome, of Athenæus, who treats of all things belonging to a Grecian Feaft. He fhall be published, with all his comments, useful gloffes, and indexes, of a vast copiousness, with cuts of the baftingladles, dripping-pans, and drudging-boxes, &c. lately dug up at Rome, out of an old fubterranean fkullery... I defign to have all Authors in all languages upon that fubject; therefore pray confult what Oriental Manufcripts you have. I remember Erpenius, in his Notes upon Locman's Fables (whom I take to be the fame perfon with Æfop), gives us an admirable receipt for making the four milk, that is, the bonny clabber, of the Arabians. I should be glad to know how Mahomet afed to have his shoulder of mutton dreffed. I have

heard

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