to write ; but, what is worse, I have never confidered whether any one would read. Nay, I have been so very bad as to design to print; but then a wicked thought came across me with “ Who will “ buy?" For, if I tell you the title, you will be of my mind, that the very name will destroy it: “ The Art “ of Cookery, in Imitation of Horace's Art of Poetry; * with some familiar Letters to Dr. Lister and others, s occafioned principally by the title of a Book, pub“ lished by the Doctor, concerning the Soups and “ Sauces of the Ancients.” To this a Beau will cry, “ Phough! what have Ilto do with Kitchen-stuff>» To which I answer, “ Buy it, and give it to your “ Servants.” For I hope to live to see the day when every Mistress of a family, and every Steward, shall call up

their children and servants with, “ Come Miss Betty, how much have you got of your Art of

Cookery?” “ Where did you leave off, Miss Isabel :" - Miss Kitty., are you no farther than King Henry " and the Miller ?". “ Yes, Madam; I am come to

His name shall be enroll'd " In Estcourt's Book, whose gridiron 's fram'd of gold." " Pray, Mother, is that our Master Estcourt?” “ Well,

child, if you mind this, you shall not be put to your " Asembly Catechism next Saturday." What a glorious Gght it will be, and how becoming a great family, to see the Butler out-learning the Steward, and the painful Scullery-maid exerting her memory far beyond the muinping House-keeper! I am told that, if a Book is any thing useful, the Printers have a way of pirating

on

on one another, and printing other persons' copies ; which is very barbarous. And then shall I be forced to come out with, “ The True Art of Cookery is only

to be had at Mr. Pindar's, a Patten-maker's, under “ St. Dunstan's Church, with the Author's Seal at the

Title-page, being Three Sauce-pans, in a Bend “ Proper, on a Cook's Apron, Argent. Beware of “ Counterfeits." And be forced to put out Advertisements, with “ Strops for Razors, and the best Spectacles,

are to be had only at the Archimedes, &c.”

I design proposals, which I must get delivered to the Cooks' Company, for the making an order that every apprentice shall have the “ Art of Cookery” when he is.bound, which he shall say by heart before he is made free; and then he shall have Dr. Lister's Book of 66 Soups and Sauces” delivered to him for his future practice. But you know better what I am to do than I. For the kindness you may shew me, I shall always endeavour to make what returns lay in my power. I am yours, &c.

DEAR SIR,
ICA

CANNOT but recommend to your perusal a late

exquisite Comedy, called “ The Lawyer's Fortune ; “ or, Love in a hollow tree;" which piece has its peculiar emblishments, and is a Poem carefully framed

according

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according to the nicest rules of the “ Art of Cookery ;** for the Play opens with a scene of good Housewifry, where Favourite the House-keeper makes this complaint to Lady Bonona.

“ FAV. The last mutton killed was lean, Madam. “ Should not some fat fheep be bought in ?

“ Bon. What say you, Let-acre, to it?

“ LET. This is the worst time of the year for sheep. " The fresh grass makes them fall away, and they

begin to taste of the wool; they must be fpared “ a while, and Favourite must cast to spend fome falt

meat and fish. I hope we thall have some fat calves fhortly.”

What can be more agreeable than this to the “ Art “ of Cookery,” where our Author says,

“ But though my edge be not too nicely set, “ Yet I another's appetite may whet; “ May teach hin when to buy, when season past, “ What's Itale, what's choice, what's plentiful,

66 what waste, “ And lead him through the various maze of taste.

In the Second Act, Valentine, Mrs. Bonona's son, the consummate chara&ter of the Play, having in the First A& lost his Hawk, and consequently his way, benighted and lojt, and seeing a light in a diftant boufe, comes 10 the thrifty widow Furiofa's, (which is exa&tly according to the rule, “ A Prince, who in a Forest rides

astray!") where he finds the old gentlewoman carding, the fair Florida her daughter working on a parchment,

a

whilf the mail is spinning. Peg reaches a chair ; fack is called for; and in the mean time the good old gentlewoman complains fo of rogues, that he can scarce keep a goose or a turkey in safety, for them. Then Florida enters, with a little white bottle about a pint, and an old-fashioned glass, fills and gives ber mother; pe drinks to Valentine, be to Florida, me to him again, be to Furiosa, who sets it down on the table. After a small time, the old Lady cries, “Well, it is my bed-time; “ but my daughter will shew you the way to yours : “ for I know you would willingly be in it.” This was extremely kind! Now, upon her retirement (see the great judgement of the Poet!), the being an old gentlewoman that went to bed, he suits the following regale according to the age of the person. Had boys been put to bed, it had been proper to have “ laid the goose to “ the fire :” but here it is otherwise ; for, after some intermediate discourse, he is invited to a repast; when he modestly excuses himself with, "Truly, Madam, I “ have no stomach to any meat, but to comply with you.

You have, Madam, entertained me with all " that is desirable already.” The Lady tells him, “ cold “ Supper is better than none;" so be fits at the table, offers to eat, but cannot. I am sure, Horace could not have prepared himself more exactly; for (according to the rule, “ A Widow has cold Pye"), though Valentine, being love-fick, could not eat, yet it was his fault, and nor the Poet's. But, when Valentine is to return the civility, and to invite Madam Furiosa, and Madam Florida, with other good company, to his

mother

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niother the hospitable Lady Bonona's (who, by tlie bye, had called for two bottles of wine for Latitar her Attorney), then affluence and dainties are to appear (according to this Verse “ Mangoes, Potargo, Cham“pignons, Caveare"); and Mrs. Favourite the housekeeper makes these most important enquiries.

“ Fav. Misfress, shall I put any Mushrooms, Mangoes, or Bamboons, into the Sallad ? “ Bon. Yes, I pr’ythee, the best thou haft.

“ Fav. Shall I ufe Ketchup or Anchovies in the 6 Gravy?

“ Bon. What you will.”.

But, however magnificent the Dinner might be, yet Mrs. Bonona, as the manner of some persons is, makes her excuse for it, with, “ Well, Gentlemen, can ye “ spare a little time to take a short dinner? I pro« mise you, it shall not be long.” It is very probable, though the Author does not make any of the guests give a relation of it, that Valentine, being a great sportsman, might furnish the table with game and wild-fowl. There was at least one Pheasant in the House, which Valentine told his mother of the morning before. “ Madain, I had a good flight of a Pheasant“ cock, that, after my Hawk seized, made head as if " he would have fought; but my Hawk plumed him “ presently." Now it is not reasonable to suppose that, Vally lying abroad that night, the old gentlewoman under that concern would have any stomach to it for her own supper. However, to see the fate of things, there is nothing permanent; for one Mrs.