Mai, now librarian of the Vatican. The very catalogue of the numerous works which this extraordinary and indefatigable discoverer has rescued from palimpsests, is too long for insertion in our limits; but to establish the claims of Signor Mai to the lasting gratitude of the literary world, it is only necessary to point to one of these works-the long lost books of Cicero De Re Publica, parts of which have been recovered by his unweared exertions, from under some treatises of St. Augustine, and since published, as all the world are aware. The history of these extraordinary successes, Mr. Nares observes, will surely excite the emulation of scholars in other parts of Europe, where large collections of ancient MSS. are deposited, and not less in Britain, a country sufficiently rich in treasures of this kind. It will lead them to examine whether similar materials may not be found in other libraries, and to proceed in decyphering such as may deserve the labour. And he adds:

What then may we not hope from the further pursuit of a species of research which, within so short a period, has produced such truly valuable fruits? More extensive and more important remains of Livy, than Bruns discovered, may thus, perhaps, be found; and since very copious fragments of the sacred books have already been produced, it is far from being improbable, that some of the disputed texts, which have occasioned so much controversy, may, hereafter, be fixed and established, as originally written, by means of manuscripts of much greater antiquity than any which we now possess.

But they who would attempt discoveries of this nature, must first be well assured that they possess the qualifications of mind and body, indispensable to such undertakings. It will not be sufficient to bring to the task, sound learning, steady judgment, and acute sagacity, supported by invincible patience and perseverance; unless these mental qualities are seconded by great strength and acuteness of sight, and a force of constitution not easily impaired or subdued by sedentary toil. Without these qualities, the attempt to decypher palimpsests will be productive of little more than vexation and disappointment. To contend with Hercules, nothing less than the strength of Hercules is required; and to emulate the labours of Signor Mai, will be a vain endeavour, unless supported by all those qualifications which have combined to give him such distinguished success.'-p. 132.

On the next paper in the transactions before us, communicated by the Rev. H. J. Todd, and relating to a MS. by Sir John Harrington, the translator of Ariosto, we shall only have a single remark to make. This MS. (in the library of the Dean and Chapter of York), which is entitled, "A collection of Passages of State under Queen Elizabeth and King James," seems to contain only a few unimportant historical notices. But there is one remarkable passage in it, adduced by the reverend commentator, though scarcely decent enough to be copied into our pages, from those of the learned and royal society (p. 137) to which he belongs, which seems strongly to contradict the suspicious circumstances that have

sometimes been alleged against the reputation of the maiden queen.

The remaining papers in this half volume of Transactions, present nothing worthy of notice, or at least nothing interesting to the general reader. There are two most arid dissertations on Greek coins: an account, necessarily no more than a catalogue, of some Greek MSS. in a codex belonging to the patriarch of Jerusalem : an elementary paper on political economy, by Mr. Malthus: a copy of the Edict of Diocletian, fixing a maximum of prices throughout the Roman empire, with some introductory remarks by Colonel Leake and an account, in the shape of a catalogue raisonné, by that gentleman and the Right Hon. Charles York, of some Egyptian monuments in the British Museum, and other collections, very clearly illustrated by twenty plates of outline drawings, on stone. The Edict of Diocletian is certainly a most curious document: but its novelty has been completely anticipated by Colonel Leake's own publication of a translation of it, with an able explanatory commentary, of which we gave some account in the third volume of this journal*.

ART. IV. 1. The French Cook. By L. E. Ude. Eighth edition. 12mo. pp. 496. 12s. London: Ainsworth. 1827.

2. The Art of French Cooking. By A. B. Beauvilliers.

pp. 380. 7s. Longman & Co.

3. French Domestic Cookery. 12mo. pp. 418. 7s. Boys. 4. Domestic Cookery. By a Lady. A new edition.

7s. 6d. London: Murray. 1827.

12mo.

12mo. pp. 348.

Lady. 12mo. London:

5. Domestic Economy and Cookery. By a
By a Lady.
Longman & Co. pp. 692. 9s. 1827.

6. The Cook's Oracle. By W. Kitchener, M. D. A new edition. 12mo. Cadell & Co. pp. 492. 7s. 6d.

1827.

7. The Cook and Housewife's Manual. By Mrs. Margaret Dods. 12mo. Edinburgh Bell & Bradfute. pp. 366. 7s. 1826.

WE have now before us a pile of works on cookery, which, as they have been accumulating upon us ever since the year 1746, when our Review first started into existence, threaten to overwhelm desk, and table, and every other writing apparatus around us, unless we dispose of them some way or other. We had an idea of celebrating an auto da fé, but from this summary course we were deterred, having the fear of the County Fire Office before our eyes. A friend has suggested that we should send them to Lord Eldon, in order that he may amuse his retirement, and perfect himself and his lady in an art which they have too long neglected. We shall certainly present his lordship with a waggon load, or two, and as, we thank God! he will have no more papers to take home," we

樂

66

Monthly Review, vol. iii., p. 326.

wish him all manner of health and happiness, and earnestly hope that he will be a better cook than he has been a chancellor.

But even after disburthening ourselves thus much, more than enough will remain behind, though we were only to retain in our own hands the books published on cookery within the last twelve months. If things go on at this rate-if every bookseller is to have his own cookery book-our readers may, by the aid of a very powerful calculus, be enabled to guess at the portentous number of volumes on culinary matters, which will fall to be perused by the next generation. The evil appears to us so formidable, in perspective, that we hasten to interpose, while a reasonable hope exists of being able to read through (it is hopeless to eat through) the new cookery books: and as we are persuaded that many of our culinary statutes require repealing, at least as much as our criminal ones, we shall proceed to characterise the principal works devoted to the support of the doctrines of antagonist cooks. It is evident, from the numerous editions through which many of the works before us have passed (Ude's is in the eighth edition, Kitchener's has numbered as many, and the Domestic Cookery even more), that the sale of works on this savoury subject is enormous; and on this ground alone, we think, if on no other, cookery books are entitled to a verdict of" guilty, or not guilty, of poisoning." If we were disposed to be ingenious, we might propound a culinary theory, for which there is a great deal to be said. Cookery has, at least, thus much in common with poetry, that it is generally found to be natural or artificial, plain or fastidious, according to the taste of the time in literature; and that both arts are destined simultaneously to fulfil a certain great cycle, or revolution, beginning with simplicity-branching into fancy and luxuriancebecoming piquant and epigrammatic-and, finally, returning to their pristine plainness, modified, however, and improved, by the changes which both have undergone. The cookery of Chaucer's time, for instance, was somewhat gross; but the morceaux were solid and luxurious. The matériel of cookery was less substantial, and more florid, in the days of Lord Surrey, Wyat, and the rest of the Italian school of concetti-in the latter days of Henry VIII. and Elizabeth, the famous national dish, "roast beef," was introduced, mingled with foreign refinements, typifying the mingled vigour and efflorescence of the poetical spirit of the age with the Restoration came epigrammes d'agneau, and epigrams in verse; and the old English tastes in beef and poetry began to revive with Cowper, and have flourished and survived down to Byron; not unimproved, however, by a little admixture of the piquant flavour of continental criticism and sauces. In France, again, where poets and cooks have been subjected to unalterable laws, both arts have remained stationary, and both are faultless. In Spain, cookery sunk with literature; and in Italy, so famous once for cooks and poets, the science declined with Alfieri, and is now sunk into

utter decadence, though its confectionary, which seems to hold divided empire with music, is still unrivalled. We might add many instances in support of this theory, but we despise all approaches to levity, on this serious subject; in the discussion of which, though not professing to be disciples of Mr. Bentham, we are convinced there is much "utility." We ourselves have always looked upon a grouse pie with infinitely more respect than upon a cathedral of the purest Gothic: both are matters of taste, -but in point of" utility," there is, as that learned legislator will readily allow, no comparison.

Cookery, among all polite and literary nations, has always been a favourite subject. What people like in fact, they like in description. If we turn to any part of Homer, particularly the Odyssey, we shall find numberless passages relative to the modes of cookery known in that early age. Every thing-a religious ceremony, an embassy, a treaty, a meeting of the Gods, a funeral procession, -brings eating and drinking along with it. The poet always describes minutely, and at great length, the killing, flaying, frying, or broiling of the various parts of the animal. In the ninth Iliad, Patroclus, in person, performs a long operation of the culinary kind. In the first book, too, and at the end of the eleventh, where old Nestor cooks, there are long and elaborate descriptions of the culinary processes. In the 24th Iliad, Achilles insists upon Priam's eating even though Hector is then actually lying dead. In the Odyssey, again, the description of the court of Alcinousthe reception of Ulysses by Eumæus-and the general manners and conduct of the suitors, will furnish ample instances of the gormandizing tastes of those ancient days. Even the cannibalism of Polyphemus is described with a hideous minuteness; and in the Cyclops of Euripides, the same giant dwells with delight on the details of his Anthropophagous kitchen:

"To whom

But this great belly, first of deities,

Should I be bound to sacrifice? I well know
The wise man's only Jupiter is this:
To eat and drink during his little day.

I will not cheat my soul of its delights,

Or hesitate in dining upon you:

These are my hospitable gifts;-fierce fire,
And yon ancestral cauldron, which o'er-bubbling
Shall finely cook your miserable flesh.

-Creep in!-'

Shelley's Translation of the Cyclops.

In imitation of Homer, all the epic writers treat of the minutest mysteries of the cuisine; and all the lyric poets of old times, duly celebrate the feast. Socrates, and Plato, to say nothing of their own symposia, daily sat "at many good men's feasts;" Aristophanes is full of cookery: cooks are constant butts in Plautus and

Terence: Horace is the prince of Amphytrions; and Mecenas was
at once the patron of cooks and poets*. Mahomet, Boccaccio,
Chaucer, Rabelais, all loved and lauded good cheer. Even the
sage Montaigne applauds certain modes of cookery. Cervantes
revels in the details of feasting (see Camacho's Wedding, &c.). Lord
Bacon's tastes were rather medical than gastronomic; but his re-
commendations of "viperine broth" are highly gustatory. It is
needless, we suppose, to quote Shakspeare, or to remind our readers
of Falstaff, or Sir Epicure Mammon, or Justice Greedy, or Beau-
mont and Fletcher's Gastrologers, or the Gourmands, Magistrates,
and Aldermen, of the whole tribe of our early dramatic writers.
Moliere constantly ridiculed the physicians, those most inconsistent
enemies to all good cheer; but his own taste in this respect is
evident, from his only serious play. When he thought of tragedy,
he chose for his subject, "Le Festin de Pierre ;" and though he had
a ghost to introduce, he could not help bringing him in to supper.
Milton is a graver name; but his palate appears to have been as
exquisite as his ear; and though, from his subject, he had not so
much room for touching on cookery as his Greek and Roman
models, he panegyrizes Eve's skill in blending the materials she
had (Par. Lost, b. v.), in verses, that prove him to have had a
delicate perception of what the best cookery (i. e., French) ought
to be. În Paradise Regained, the devil spreads a splendid feast
in the wilderness, which is described in very magnificent verse.
"In ample space, under the broadest shade,
A table richly spread in royal mode,

With dishes piled, and meats of noblest sort
And savour; beasts of chase, or fowl of game,
In pastry built, or from the spit or boiled,
Gris-amber steamed: all fish from sea or shore
Freshet, or purling brook; of shell or fin,
And exquisitest name; for which was drained

Pontus, and Lucrine bay, and Africk coast," &c. &c.

This is certainly by no means a bad bill of fare. The sun, even in Milton's grand verse, "sups with the ocean."

Lesage delights in describing dinners and suppers, as do Fielding, Smollett, and all our own novelists. Defoe's best known hero (Robinson Crusoe) lives on a barren island; yet all his culinary operations are narrated with a gusto, which proves the pleasure the. author felt in dilating on the subject. We need say nothing, we suppose, of Addison, Steele, and the rest of the essayists. Dr. Johnson, the most rigid of them all, was, at once, a gourmand and

His taste, however, was rather questionable; for asses (see Galen) were frequently at his table-we mean as dishes. Pliny mentions dogs as being commonly eaten, and fat puppies were reckoned very delicate. Fricaseed hedgehogs were eaten in Greece.