THE ART OF COOKERY; IN IMITATION OF HORACE'S ART OF POETRY. WITH SOME LETTERS TO DR. LISTER' AND OTHERS, OCCASIONED PRINCIPALLY BY The Title of a Book published by the Doctor, being the Works of EPICIUS THE SOUPS AND SAUCES OF THE ANCIENTS. WITH An Extract of the greatest Curiosities contained in that Book, HUMBLY INSCRIBED TO THE HONOURABLE BEEF-STEAK CLUB. FIRST PRINTED IN 1708. ' Of Dr. Lister's book only 120 copies were printed in 1705. It was reprinted at Amsterdam, in 1709, by Theod. Jans. Almeloveen, under the title of Apicii Cœlii de Opsoniis & Condimentis, sive Arte Coquinaria, Libri Decem, Cum Annotationibus Martini Lister, è Medicis Domesticis Serenissimæ Majestatis Reginæ Annæ, & Notis selectioribus, variisque Lectionibus integris, Humelbergii, Barthii, Rerensi, A Van der Linden, & aliorum, ut & variarum Lectionum Libello. Editio Secunda. Dr. Askew had a copy of each edition, N. THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER. IT is now-a-days the hard fate of such as pretend to be authors, that they are not permitted to be masters of their ovn works; for, if such papers (however imperfect) as may be called a copy of them, either by a servant or any other means, come to the hands of a bookseller, he never considers whether it be for the person's reputation to come into the world, whether it is agreeable to his sentiments, whether to his style or correctness, or whether he has for some time looked over it; nor doth he care what name or character he puts to it, so he imagines he may get by it. It was the fate of the following poem to be so used, and printed with as much imperfection and as many mistakes, as a bookseller that has common sense could imagine should pass upon the town, especially in an age so polite and critical as the present. These following letters and poem were at the press some time before the other paper pretending to the same title was crept out; and they had else, as the learned say, groaned under the press till such time as the sheets had one by one been perused and corrected, not only by the author, but his friends; whose judgment, as he is sensible he wants, so is he proud to own that they sometimes condescend to afford him. For many faults, that at first seem small, yet create unpardonable errours. The number of the verse turns upon the harshness of a syllable; and the laying a stress upon improper words will make the most correct piece ridiculous. False concord, tenses, and grammar, nonsense, impropriety, and confusion, may go down with some persons; but it should not be in the power of a bookseller to lampoon an author, and tell him, “You did write all this: I have got it; and you shall stand to the scandal, and I will have the benefit." Yet this is the present case, notwithstanding there are above threescore faults of this nature; verses transposed, some added, others altered, or rather that should have been altered, and near forty omitted. The author does not value himself upon the whole; but, if he shows his esteem for Horace, and can by any means provoke persons to read so useful a treatise, if he shows his aversion to the introduction of luxury, which may tend to the corruption of manners, and declares his love to the old British hospitality, charity, and valour, when the arms of the family, the old pikes, muskets, and halberts, hung up in the hall over the long table, and the marrow-bones lay on the floor, and Chevy Chace and The old Courtier of the Queen's were placed over the carved mantle-piece, and the beef and brown bread were carried every day to the poor; he desires little farther, than that the reader would for the future give all such booksellers as are before spoken of no manner of encouragement. POEMS OF WILLIAM KING. THE ART OF COOKERY, &c. THE happiness of hearing now and then from you extremely delights me; for, I must confess, most of my other friends are so much taken up with politics or speculations, that either their hopes or fears give them little leisure to peruse such parts of learning as lay remote, and are fit only for the closets of the curious. How blest are you at London, where you have new books of all sorts! whilst we, at a greater distance, being destitute of such improvements, must content ourselves with the old store, and thumb the classics as if we were never to get higher than our Tully or our Virgil. You tantalize me only, when you tell me of the edition of a book by the ingenious Dr. Lister, which you say is a treatise De Condimentis & Opsonis Veterum, Of the Sauces and Soups of the Ancients, as I take it. Give me leave to use an expression, which, though vulgar, yet upon this occasion is just and proper: You have made my mouth water, but have not sent me wherewithal to satisfy my appetite. he might transgress in using something not common to the ancients. Dispatch it, therefore, to us with all speed; for I expect wonders from it. Let me tell you; I hope, in the first place, it will, in some measure, remove the barbarity of our present education: for what hopes can there be of any progress in learning, whilst our gentlemen suffer their sons at Westminster, Eaton, and Winchester, to eat nothing but salt with their mutton, and vinegar with their roast-beef, upon holidays? what extensiveness can there be in their souls; especially when, upon their going thence to the university, their knowledge in culinary matters is seldom enlarged, and their diet continues very much the same; and as to sauces, they are in profound ignorance? It were to be wished, therefore, that every family had a French tutor; for, besides his being groom, gardener, butler, and valet, you would see that he is endued with a greater accomplishment; for, according to our ancient author, Quot Galli, totidem coqui, As many Frenchmen as you have, so many cooks you may depend upon; which is very useful, where there is a numerous issue. And I doubt not but, with such tutors, and good housekeepers to provide cake and sweet-meats, together with the tender care of an indulgent mother, to see that the children eat and drink every thing that they call for; I doubt not, I say, but we may have a warlike and frugal gentry, a temperate and austere clergy, and such persons of quality, in all stations, as may best undergo the fatigues of our I have raised a thousand notions to myself, only from the title. Where could such a treasure lay hid? What manuscripts have been collated? Un-fleet and armies. der what emperor was it written? Might it not have been in the reign of Heliogabalus, who, though vicious and in some things fantastical, yet was not incurious in the grand affair of eating? Pardon me, sir, if I break-off abruptly; for I am going to monsieur D'Avaux, a person famous for easing the tooth-ach by avulsion. He has promised to show me how to strike a lancet into the jugular of a carp, so as the blood may issue thence with the greatest effusion, and then will instantly perform the operation of stewing it in its own blood, Consider, dear sir, in what uncertainties we must remain at present. You know my neighbour Mr. Greatrix is a learned antiquary. I showed him your letter; which threw him into such a dubious-in the presence of myself and several more virtuosi. ness, and indeed perplexity of mind, that the next day he durst not put any catchup in his fish-sauce, nor have his beloved pepper, oil, and lemon, with his partridge, lest, before he had seen Dr. Lister's book, But, let him use what claret he will in the performance, I will secure enough to drink your health and the rest of your friends. I remain, sir, &c. |