The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-12
CuriOsitIes of DIet-Whst Food Fed tn,
Stomachs of G. reat Men.
From the CINCINNATI CommercIal.l

lfrOm the cincinnati COmmercaLl
The word gastronomy which expresses all the
attributes Of good living in their perfection, is
scarcely half century old, and is OF course due
10 the French, who compounded Il, with their
usual skill IN adaptation, from the Greek. From
the indscriminate aud vulgar gluttony of Vittel-
Illus and Heliogabslus, those Old heathens Of the
Decline and Fall TO the refined and delicate taste
of the epcurean Lucuus, there is a wide interval.
Vet, 10 human being is wholly without interest in
the science Of gastronomy, since there is none
but must eat TO live. They who reverse the rule
and only live to eat are not gOurmands in the true
sense, and lose the zest Of pleasure 10 the over.
taskinR Of the palate. One OF the mOstrefned and
philosophic or modern writer's laments with pa
1betic eaTnestness the dire necessities that com
pels us all TO pay tribute to the cupboard, in the
declaration: ~ can get rid of everything but
this perpetual stomach; he must eat, and can.
not make him respectable"
The most graphic and thoughtful Of modern his
toriaDs, far from despising such trifes the per-
sonal traits and foibles of great men, dwell upon
all such items with interest," as among the best re-
Violations OF character. When we read of the re-
former Luther, that he was full OF habit and a
hearty eater that he loved Rhine wine and Tor.
gan beer, we get at once an insight into the life
and spirit of the man, that is worth whole vol
umes in folio Of controversial theology.
Ch6rlemagne, the first Western emperor who
died in Sl4, although avery frugal liver, was ex-
tremey fond Of game. On ordinary occasions,
writes Capehgne, there we're but four plates n
his dinner table, besides piece of game which
The hunters brought 10 the emperor ready Spitted,
since they knew this was his fayOrite meat The
historian adds that this prince used rarely to drink
more than three times at bis repast.
Augustus Caesar was fond of brown bread, little
figs. SuetOnius relates that he drank habitualy
but three glasses at each meal, which shows him
10 have been of much more sober and simple
tastes than most of his successors.
Apicius, the celebrated Roman gourmand, whose
name has furnished proverbial phrase to the
literature Of detetics, was passionately fond of
HOLSTERS. Small blame TO him for that, since this
is the most delicate and delicious of shellfsh
next to the oyster, which must ever bear away
the palm. Having heard that the coast of Africa
yielded Holsters larger and more delicate than the
Italian, Apicius Immediately chartered a vessel,
and set sail to ascertain the fact and bear home
the prizes across the Mediterranean. A rich old
fellow was this Apicius, who spent on his table a
hundred million sesterces, (abOut 81 100000 of
our money } and one fine day, having cast up his
accounts, and found that if his debts we're paid
he should have left but ten million sesterces,
(sj00 OO0l he quietly swallowed poison, through
fear of dying Of hunger.
The Latin poet Martial, who died in the year
los of our era, had a special taste for the thrush
and the hare, preference which he himself de-
clared in this epigram: ." Inter aces tIrdus. 81
qliiS, me JUDGE ceTtet, Inter quadrHpedes gloria
The Emperor Alexander Severus was so fond
of rabbits that according to his biographer, Lam.
Iridius, he ate one at every meal.
Frederick, emperor of Germany, who died in
1888, was madly in love with melons, aud his i'm
moderate passion for them finally carried him to
the tomb as the consequence Of an indigestion.
The same accident, and from precisely the same
cause, put an end to the career OF the Emperor
Macmillan ii Of Germany.
Tasso, the Italian poet, had a marked predilec.
ton for sugared dishes well baked in the oven,
and all kinds of fruits and confectionery. He was
so fond of sugar that be always pat it in his
salad.
Henry " of France had passionate fsndness
foS melons and for oysters. He used TO eat i'm
moderately OF both; but it would appear that
the wine Of Arbois, Of which he made a great
use, saved him from the indigestion to which
the great indulgence in such ailments exposed
him.
Charles XII, king of Sweden, was certainly not
o difficult eater, since YOtaire records that slice
of bread and butter was his supreme choice in
matters of diet.
Crebnon, MS, the French novelist, who died in
I777, was an Unsuitable devOurer of oysters.
certain English gentleman named Rogerson,
gave great preference TO Ortolans-at least the
fnal act of his life seems to prove this. We are
assured that this disciple of Apicus expended, IN
she space Of. nine months the almost incredible
sum OF one hundred and fifty thousand pounds
sterling upon his table and culinary experiments.
In fact his whole fortune had been thus swallowed
up; and, seeing himself reduced 10 want, he en-
ployed a guinea the last that remained to him out
of his large fortune, 10 the preparation OF an or.
4Olan his favorite meat. Then, having tasted
with all the delectation Of a cOnsummate epicure
this ultimate dish, he quietly fell back and blew
his brains out
The French Marshal Hocoquincourt. who died
in 1868, had particular PenctdBt for sleeps
tails and kept all bis life cook who knew how
20 prepare a savory dish of this caudal mutton,
which the marshal dispensed TO his officers to put
them in good stomach for battle.
a Voltaire was eXtravagantly fond OF coffee,
yYwhich he drank to excess, as Dr. johnson did tea
lThe same characteristic was exhibited by the
I naturalist Button, who almost lived upon coffee.
Schiller, the great German poet, who died in
k1s05, was so extremely fond OF ham, that he ate
it nearly every day, and, notwithstanding tins re-
markabe taste, be drank but sparingly.
Frederick the Great, of Prussia, had notable
prediction for a dish called 'pOlentd;" this was
3 species Of barey-cake, reduced to powder, and
roasted. On this, aud a cup Of coffee, lin his
passion for which this prince fairly rivaled bis
friend Voltare.) he used to regale himself with
much gusto. Not a very great debauch for a
king, or a philosopher.
Napoleon was another great coffee drinker, and
would take sometimes twenty cups per day, with
out apparent injury. TWAS mis- only marked taste
in dietary matters, the other pleasures of the
table having been, in a measure, Indifferent TO
him. This caused his chamberlain, NJ Cussy, a
renowned eourmsnd. to lament that "the senti.
ment of the cuisine" was wholly wanting to the
emperor : and he cited this defect as evidence
thai even the greatest man cannot be perfect.