The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-06-05
ASPARAGUS.
Ancient and Modern History of the
Plant.
From the Dispatch

a
At five TO ten cents bunch in the
market it may be said that here IN
Pittsburgh asparagus Is in every ones
mouth. Why, then, should II lot re-
ccivc little attention from the news
paper press during the short season
when ii graces the dinner table! a
learned writer of France, DR.. Noirot,
has thus honored it lately in Il Partisan
journal, and it is always proper to follow
the Partisan fashions.
1t may not he generally known that
asparagus was dainty especially priced
| by the Ancient Greeks, and it Is not I'M
possible that it may have been grown
on Olympus aud been served at the ban
! duets of the gods with ambrosia sauce.
| 1t is supposed that the MUSES. on He'll
con had beds of asparagus which they
watered from Asanippe and HipPocrene
| Bnt this is only conjectural. IL Is Ger,
tain that the Greek philosophers and
heroes fed on asparagus, and Eplcurus
was particularly devoted to 1t. Inc
Athenian, cultivated it as devoutly rs
they did the arts and letters.
Among the ancient Romans, with
whom the art of cooking was something
almost as sacred AS the priesthood, aspar-
agus was precious vegetable, and APP
iclus taught how to cook it in his famous
cookery books. Julius Caesar loved II,
and we may mention that Napoleon L.
and Napoleon III. rcsembled nm IN
having the same love for 1t Perhaps
President Grants Cpsarism has also this
characteristic. 1t is quite certain that
the plant is quite tayorite ut the
White House table. To return to an
cicnt Rome; Pliny speaks OF asparagus
in hi, writings rs a very choice dish. II
WAS much liked by Heliogabalus, the
cruel monster but good liver, among
whose celebrated events IN lie was the
invention of famous pie made OF pea
cocks brains and phoaSant' tongues
When Lcntulus was COnSecratcd a priest
of Mars. L,ucms Cecilius Metelus gave
BANQUET. the bill Of fare Of which has
been preserved in history. Among thr
guests were the NcStal Virgins, and
among the choice viands asparagus hS-
ured most honorablv. In the museum OF
utensils unearthed in Pompcil Is II KNIFE
that was used in cutting asparagus plants
which is model tor such knlves unit"
this day. The mode of eating the cook
ed vegetable was that Of the present time:
with the fingers, which preceded forks n
Roman table furniture Juvcnal cele-
brates the succulent plant in hi. writings.
and Cato the Censor, preferred 1t to cab
bago. in the cultivation Of which he was
dcvotee.
To come down TO more recent times,
William the Silent used to open his
mouth with alacrity before dish OF
asparagus. His descendent, King Will
liam Ill, of England, brought to that
country the Dutch method of cutting
and eating it, and he taught 1t to Dean
Swift. who of course impaired 1t 10
/ Stella and Vanessa, and so 1t became
the fashion among all except the ia
/ cobites. If any reader doubts tins
statement about William and Swift, We
refer him 70 Macaulav's History, vol.
| XII. page 1888. William was not the
only modern monarch whose love for
asparagus became historical. Louis
/ xiv. Of France fairly dotted on it, and
| his favorite. Madame de Pompadour, in
vented a mode of cooking and serving II
that still figures on the menus of France
( rs "AsDsrqes a la Ponipa6o1tr,' and is re-
/ garded as the most precious legacy the
/ lady left to her country. French me-
moirs mention that Fontenelle, who lived
nearly century, in his old age retained
his relish for asparagus. He liked it
served with oil, while his friend Cardinal
Dubois liked it with sauce. One day
when the Cardinal was coming to dine
with him. he ordered one-half of the AS
paragus to be served IN oil and other half
In sauce Just before the dinner hour
news came of the sudden death of the
/ Cardinal. Instantly Fontenelle called
out loudly SO his cook AL the aspara-
Gus in OIL The incident and the phrase
! live in history.
A. for the qualities Of asparagus, every
one knows how good it is But in past
( times it was regarded as medicament,
/ and il was prescribed Tor many maladieS.
But let each reader ask his physician
about that. 1t is acknowledged, how
ever, to be excellent for affections of the
heart; but whether sentimental or NOR
bid affections, we prefer not to express
an opinion, beyond saying that the sight
or the fragrance of steaminG dish of
II Is sure To touch the the heart,