The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-07-25
From tie Nsss- York .adrertissr.7

lished in France on the subject of Cook
cry. "AmoHgst French writers, (say
the Reviewers) the science of eating
has always held much more distin-
guished rank than with US, and makes
no light figure in all the branches Of
their literature Voltaire has declared,
that the fate of nations very often de-
ponds on the good or bad digestion of
Prime Minister; and in most Of the
French novels the pleasures of eating
are dwelt upon; and, even in the most
pathetick parts, the heroines often des-
cant on them much in the tone which
we should expect in the daughter Of a
London Alderman"
C Amongst many choice collections Off Com
plete Cooks, - Closets opened,n &c. which we
have examined, in the hopes OF discovering
some choice morsel for the regale of our read
ers, we found the following curious account of
Triumphs and Trophies in Cookery, to be
used at Festival Times" 1t is pre6xed to the
" Accomplished Cook Of Robert May, 1664,r
gentleman of great eminence in his time, who
received his culinary education at the court of
France, as appears by a biographical memoir
which accompanies his book. After giving d.
rections for preparation in paste Of AN arti-
fetal ship, and castle with battlements, port
cullisses, drawbridges, &c. with guns, and a
tram OF gunpowder to communicate with them,
!" paste stag is to be made, and placed on
the table between them, all to be gilt, and or
namented with flags, &C.; his body is to be
hlled with claret wine, and a broad arrow
stuck In it; and on each side of the stag two
PIES are to be served. the one filled carefully
with hTe frogs, and the other with lac birds;
the whole to be garnished round with egg
shells deprived of their meat, and filed with
rose water. The trains are to be let off, and
the ship and castle are daintily to FIRE at each
other IN mimick battle but, before this, it is
to be SO ordered that some of the ladies may
pluck the arrow out of the stag, and then will
the claret wine follow as blood running out of
wound. This done, to sweeten the stencil
OF the powder, let the ladies take the egg
shells full OF sweet waters, and throw them at
each other. All danger being seemingly over
by this time, you may suppose they will de-
sire to see what is in the pies, when lifting
trst the lid off one pie, out slip some frogs
which makes the ladies to skip an6 shriek;
next after, the other pie, whence comes out
the birds, who, by natural instinct, flying at
the light, will put out the candles so that,
what with the flying birds and skipping frogs,
the one above, the other beneath, will cause
much delight and pleasure to the whole COM
pany. At length, the candles are lighted,
and banquet brought in; the musick sounds
and every one with much delight and content,
rehearses his actions in the former passages.,'
Such were formerly the delights of the no.
biity, before good housekeeping adentirely
left old England--for tastes, however. are SO
degenerate, that few, we fear, would now
have courage to assist at one of these triumphs
Those who are half sufocAted at the explo-
sion of few ounces of powder, at the storm
ing of castle at Drury Lane, would scarcely
escape alive from the representation of two of
these Trophies of Cookery The smoke of the
gmpowder, the claret like blood from wound
running all over the table, the hopping about
the room of a pie full of frogs, the natural in
stlnct Of the birds so amusing by putting out
the candles, and the eggs and rose water
whlrllng about, must have been an admirable
whet to the appetite, particularly to those who
had the fortune to be in the good graces of
some fair lady, and to have four or five eggs
full OF rose water flying in their faces.
The Gazette de Lyon, of April 10,
publishes the following fact; it happen
ed at Chenas, not far from Lyons A
rich widow, without children, had prom4
ised to make her will in favour of her
niece. The aunt fell sick, and the niece,
as much through attachment as interest,
lavished upon her the tenderest and
most assiduous cares however, the aunt
died without making will. The niece
was in despair for the loss of her friend
and her hopes. She went around, told
her story, and asked what could be done.
Her perfdious counsellors engaged her
to play the old trick of hiding the death,
and placing herself in bed, calling for
notary, and witnesses, and debating
convenient testament. She did her part
well, and it succeeded wonderfully, in
room that was partially darkened. The
young girl, sunk in pillow and curtains,
pronounced with feeble and broken
voice, the last will and testament of the
aunt; the notary wrote, and the victory
was nearly sure, when one of the wit
nesses, who knew little more than the
others, maliciously declared he would
sign no such act; for that the pretended
testatrix had been dead for several hours,
and he would not be the accomplice of
a like deception. The unhappy niece,
COMPOUNDED and overwhelmed, could not
support the idea of the consequent
shame and punishment of her guilt, and
she Snddnnlu oxrirnd Chn ...n.. E....,o. Il