, 1875-08-08
FAMILIAR TALK.


The fastldious Byron declared that = }oyeY
should never SOC his mistress engaged in tho vul-
gar operation OF eating il he did not desire to be
totally diseuchanted; but it may more reason-
ably be sHd that If one wishes to preserve his
alteration Of d great hero, Let him never inquire
how gross are the appetltes which his demi-god
Statistics with the pleasures Of tho table. History
has placed Charles Y. among the exalted men of
the past, second to very few in might OF intellect
aud height OF achievement but Motley lays him
ion beneath our regard By whispering that he
was gluttonous enter. ''He breakfasted at S.
says the author OF the ''nias OF the Dutch Re-
puoiic, '*on fowl seethed in mifk and dressed
with sugar and spices. After this he went to
sleep again. He dined at u, partaking always
Of twenty dishes. He eupped twice; At first
eoon after yespers and the second time st mid
night OF O'Clock, which meal vas, perhaps, tho
most solid Of the four. After meat he ate
great quantity Of pastry aud sWeetmeats, and be
irrigated every repsst ty vast draughts Of beer
and VINE. His stomach. originally wonderful
one, succumbed after forty years Of such labor" /"
We are not accus:omed to pny peculiar honors
to Philip H., but it may be worth while to ro-
mark, whlls passing, that the SOB inherited from
the father = prediction for high living. We
that Philip 'looked habitual!y on the ground
when he conversed, Was chary OF speech, en-
barraesed, and even suffering in manner, This
vas ascribed partly to nabitual pains in
the stomach occasioned by his inordinate fond
ness for pastry"
Frederick the Great knew how to be abstemioua
when the necessities Of martial life constrained
him, bat the warrior died at last of too much
~
s. eats every day of ten or twelve dishes at din
ner, each highly seasoned besides, at breakfast
and supper, bread-and-butter covered with salt
ed tongue and pepper. We are at the last
scene." Another authority Informs us that Fred
erick was immode1ateiy fond Of eel pies pepper
ed to excess. The King waa afflicted With drop
sy some time before his death, which occurt Cd
Aug. II, 1856. ''On the 4th of july" again
whites M1rabeau s. when the doctor {tha famous
Zimmermann) SAW the King in the afternoon. all
had again changed for tue worse. He had ap-
piled himself to public business from, half-past
breakfast d plate OF sweetmeasa composed OF
sugar, "hite Of eggs, and some cream then
straw berries, cherries, and cold meat
Tue illustrious Napoleon was guilty OF vo-
racity, although he dispatched his meals With
the utmost laste. The state dinners at the
Iuilleries occupied only thirty-five minutes, yet
1t il limited that the Emperor consumed large
quantities Of food within the allotted lime. The
loss OF the battle of Leipsic has been attributed
to shoulder OF mutton stuffed with onions :.
with which Napo!eou gorged himself until brain
and body we're incapable OF aetion- But it must
be mentioned to the credit Of the Emperor that
be vas never addicted to wine.
Henry l. of England died Of surfeit Of LAM
preys. and it ia sald that King John brought him.
sof to the grave BY foasting too greediy upon
peaches and ale. William Ill was given to in
ordinate eating and drinking. His dipoer was
the great event Of his life, and he prolonged his
stay at the board for houra together. Charles II.
delighted in concretion Of eggs aud amber-gris,
and his death has by some Leen attributed to
poison administered in this favorite dish. Peter
the Great, that wonderful combination OF the
man aud the brute, IL to BE- ranked among uoted |
gou1mands. In his brief but vivid account OF |
that monarch's visit to England in 1888. Macau-
lay sa,s: 'Hls stately form, hid intellectual |
forehead his piercing black eyes. his Tartar nose
and mouth, h's gracious smile, his froHn black !
with all the stormy rage and bate OF ]
> barbarian tyrant. and, above all, strange
nervous convulsiou which sometimes trans |
formed his couptenance, during few moments,
into m object on which it was impossible to look
without terror, the immense quantities Of meat
WHICH le devout ed the pints OF brandy which he |
swallowed and which, it was SAID. he had care
fully distilled With hs Own hands, the TOOL who
jaboeEad q. his feet, tue mcuEey which g7inned
1T the back Of his char, we're, during sono
weeks, popular topics Of conversation"
1t 's not singular that the imperative CIsa7
s9oula nave been infected with the sensuousness
ot his age, and proved himself an epicure, albeit
one OF elegant or dainty manners. Curtius SAVE
of the Home OF Cmsars Gay: 'tNo sort OF luz
1ry aour1Hhed 30 much ns the coa1sest Of a!l-
he luxury of the table. The whole villa Ar
:anRements. and the whole Wills life hed nlti-
nate reference to dining. Not only was the
:ook graduate in gastronomy. but the master
himself often acted as the instructor of his
,ooks- The circumstance of the guest
aktng Al emetic after banquet to avoid tha
arha 0f ff7a id Fuu |