Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-10-30

g. stem unfo!ded themselves to the eyes Ut the !
world, modern refinement hath laid the ban OF
her annihilating power on the brave banquets OF
the knights Of lance and ladye-loye. Wretched
communion. that of the noble venison pasties(4)
and savory srlcins of the feudal hall, for the
sandwiches and ragouts of modern fa0te d,hofe;
and their foaming stoups of claret and huge black
jacks of rich ale, for the sparkling potlons OF FASH
iOnable |. c. or our miserable decoctions OF gen
tan and cocculus indicus Even our Christmas
that annual saturnalia of juvenile lun-oears
no comparison TO the registering conciaves that
erst, in times gone by, did make the old hall rug
again to merriment. We have no more - oiu
blue coated serving men" to prepare inc ieas',
and we read the accounts given by Irving aud
Scott of Christmas festivities, with SIN tlat
such are no longer orthodox. Then,
"'rwas Christmas 5roAched the ms htest aie'
twas Christmas told the merIiesi tale;
Christmas banquet Oft could cheer
The poor q MS heart for halt a>eM'
There is aYfact put BY Shakespeare into the
mouth o Petruchio. which perhaps may be over
looked BIZ that veteran Iacitus Of the Annals de
cuisine. DR.. 0tcbiner, aud which we shall quote:
81 tell thee tlste, twas burnt and dried away
Aud expire Sly am forbid TO touch II;
For il en;5enders choI,r. planteth anger,
And better 'tNer. that both OF MS d'i fast,
Nor, as some say, t; THIS the only place In which
Shak spcare has given hint to the fraternity OF
Cde; for the celebrated sentence in one OF Mac
beth's soloquies,
"lf 'twere done. when Ills done, then 'twere well
II were done quickly
has been By many construed as sage maxim TO
the lovers of beefsteaks. for bringing to the most
deectable state Of edibility. their tavone ''cut"
1t is said that the famous " Beetsteak Club OF
London, have placed it as motto over their
kitchen door!
Reader, did you ever pcruse Charles Lambs
81 dissertation upon roast pig? If not; get thee to
the to the Circulating Library as soon As
thou hast marketed take no heed for thy break
last-it is vulgar meal, unworthy what Leigh
Hunt calls ga glorious human creature" Dim
ner alone should claim thy sovereign devotion,
yet shall we not murmur, even if you do give
some attention to the senatorial cloth. Too great
| an indulgence at this latter meal, however has
always been rife in procrcatiOns Of incubi and
6ite deuiis
Their Maesties. the potentates Of Europe,
have their magnificent yachts and pleasure boats
There are the sondolas of Venice the New York
packets, and the North River steamboats,; but
what all of them to you, We delcateIy pro-
| portioned, We trinity built S!oops aud sChOcners,
who skim along this broad Potomac as " things
of life'' vuIgarly ycleped oyster boats? They
bear to We the same relation even as might bowl
of Spartan black broth to tur cen of turtle soup
| from my Lord Mayors table. D! that had the
time or room to - discourse sweet music" OF your
"gui,quiginti spores" as Pliny hath It, We
tribe Of testaceous, mudaceo us aquatics! y!
that had the tongue of Cicero, or we're even
gifted with the nasal eloquence of thy dusky band
OF nocturnal eulogists, who perambulate our
streets with your dainty carcasses snugly enscon-
Lced in a, tin -elysiumi6l peuriug thine immortal
lic." But, having none of these, must wave
your apoheosis for the present. Look into the
archives of The pudding fraternity; search the
genealogical history of the pie family from the
days of Adam, and tell us o. antiquarian in pas
try, where will YOU fnd one member of the stock
worthy place beside the glorious oyster pie!(7)
The mineraOgist may tell you that this stone or
that earth is the most fiable substance in nature
yet believe him not; FOR of all fryaJic substances
the most soft and yielding have yet found is an
oyster fritter.' Impotence is bv many thought
a characteristic Of man alone; think not, for
what throweth its sayury odor into thy nostris
with more unblushing effrontery than bowl of
oyster sauce?
Our lacquey who. from frequent visits to the
printing Office with our productions, has become
somewhat acquainted with the arcana of that
mysterious establishment, and is at this moment
looking over our shoulder, hath reminded as that
we have already given an undue length to our ar.
tiCle. Therefore for not giving dissertation up
on the thousand other comestible etceteras to be
found in the world,w shall make---no apology.
~ That sage body Of municipal legislators
(thc Aldermen have become proverbial fer en-
joying themse ves as if "ncrease of appetite |
did grow by what it fed on
~ Do not be malicious enough, dear reader, !
to suppose that it is because we have not the |
whcreWitAal to do so.
To show the extravaganza Of the Roman gour-
mands, it is oaly necessary to cite the case of
Lucius Anxius, who once sold pair of pigeons
for 400 denarl or 81 dollars.
(5) There isa story of celebrated spendthrift
in England, wlo, after having spent an immense
fortune in gratifying his appetite. was reduced to
such state OF penury as to be forced to impor-
tune gentleman for guinea. He obtained it,
and when sought for, to relieve his distress more
eftectually was found in garnet, roasting an or
foIo,I