ing after they are flowered, give occafion to the admirable remark of some perfons' folly, when to avoid the danger of the fryingpan they leap into the fire. My friend faid that the mention of eels put him in mind of the concluding remark of the annotator, "That they who amongst the Sybarites would fish "for eels or fell them should be free from all taxes." I was glad to hear of the word Conclude, and told him nothing could be more acceptable to me than the mention of the Sybarites, of whom I fhortly intend a hiftory, fhewing how they defervedly banished cocks for waking them in a morning, and fmiths for being ufeful; how one cried out because one of the rofeleaves he lay on was rumpled; how they taught their horfes to dance; and fo their enemies coming against them with guitars and harpficords fet them fo upon their round O's and minuets, that the form of their battle was broken, and three hundred thousand of them flain, as Gouldman, Lyttelton, and feveral other good authors, affirm. I told my friend I had much overstayed my hour; but if at any time he would find Dick Humelbergius, Cafpar Barthius, and another friend, with himself, I would invite him to dinner of a few but choice difhes to cover the table at once, which except they would think of any thing better fhould be a falacacaby, a dish of fenugreek, a wild sheep's head and appurtenance, with a fuitable

electuary, a ragout of capons'-ftones, and fome dormice faufages.

If, as friends do with one another at a venison-pasty, you should fend for a plate, you know you may command it; for what is mine is your's, as being entirely your, &c.

IN IMITATION OF

HORACE'S ART OF POETRY.

WITH SOME LETTERS TO DR. LISTER AND OTHERS,

Occafioned principally by the Title of a Book published by the Doctor, being the Works of Apicius Cælius concerning the Soups and Sauces of the Ancients; with an Extract of the greatest Curiofities contained in that Book *.

Humbly infcribed

TO THE HON. BEEF STEAK CLUB.

Firf printed in 1768.

TO DR. LISTER.

INGENIOUS Lifter! were a picture drawn

With Cynthia's face but with a neck like Brawn,
With wings of turkey and with feet of calf,
Tho' drawn by Kneller it would make you laugh.
Such is, good Sir! the figure of a feaft

By fome rich farmer's wife and fifter drest,

* Of Dr. Lifter's book only 120 copies were printed in 1705. It was reprinted at Amfterdam in 1709 by Theod. Janf. Almeloveen, under the title of Apicii Cælii de Opfoniis et Condimentis, five Arte Coquinaria, Libri Decem. Cum Annotationibus Martini Lifter, e Medicis Domefticis Sereniffimæ Majeftatis Reginæ Annæ, et Notis felectioribus, variifque Lectio nibus integris, Humelbergii, Barthii, Reinefii, A Van Der Linden, et aliorum, ut et variarum Lectionum Libello. Editio Secunda. Dr. Askew had a copy of each edition.

Volume I.

H

Which were it not for plenty and for steam
Might be refembled to a fick man's dream,
Where all ideas huddling run so fast,
That fyllabubs come first and foups the last.
Not but that Cooks and poets still were free
To ufe their pow'r in nice variety

Hence mack'rel feem delightful to the eyes
Tho' drefs'd with incoherent goofeberries:

10

Crabs, falmon, lobsters, are with fennel spread, 15
Who never touch'd that herb till they were dead:
Yet no man lards falt pork with orangepeel,
Or garnishes his lamb with spitchcock'd eel.
A Cook perhaps has mighty things profest,
Then fent up but two dishes nicely dreft:
What fignify Scotcht-collops to a feast ?

20

25

Or you can make whipp'd cream; pray what relief
Will that be to a failor who wants heef,.
Who lately shipwreck'd never can have ease
Till reeftablish'd in his pork and peafe?
When once begun, let industry ne'er ccafe
Till it has render'd all things of one piece:
At your deffert bright pewter comes too late,
When your first course was all ferv'd up in plate.

Moft knowing Sir! the greatest part of Cooks 30
Searching for truth are cozen'd by its looks.
One would have all things little, hence has try'd
Turkey-poults fresh from the egg in butter fry'd:
Others to fhew the largenefs of their foul
Prepare you muttons fwol'd and oxen whole.

35

To vary the fame things fome think is art:
By larding of hogs-feet, and bacon-tart,
The taste is now to that perfection brought
That care when wanting skill creates the fault.
In Covent Garden did a tailor dwell

40

}

45

Who might deferve a place in his own hell:
Give him a single coat to make he'd do 't;
A veft or breeches fingly; but the brute
Could ne'er contrive all three to make a fuit!
Rather than frame a fupper like fuch clothes
I'd have fine eyes and teeth without my nose.
You that from pliant paste would fabricks raise,
Expecting thence to gain immortal praise,
Your knuckles try, and let your finews know
Their pow'r to knead and give the form to dough:
Chufe your materials right, your feas’ning fix,
And with your fruit refplendent fugar mix;
From thence of course the figure will arife,
And elegance adorn the furface of your pies.
Beauty from order springs: the judging eye
Will tell you if one fingle plate is awry :
The Cook muft ftill regard the present time;
T'omit what 's just in season is a crime:
Your infant peafe t' asparagus prefer,
Which to the fupper you may best defer.

Be cautious how you change old bills of fare;

Such alterations fhould at least be rare;

Yet credit to the artist will accrue

55

60

Who in known things still makes th' appearance new.