The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-06-12
AppetiteS of Great Men .


Appetites Of Great Men.
Addison said that when he Daheld
fashionable table set out in ell its
magniiicence, he fancied that he saw
gouts, dropsies. fevers, and lethsrgies,
with other innumerable distempers ly-
ing in ambuscade among the dishes. 1t
is queer that every animal but man
keeps to one dish-her5s being the food
OF this species. fish of that. and flesh
of q third while man falls upon every
thing that cemes in his way. Accord
ing TO history, great men especially
seem to have been great caters. Charles
V, for instance. was an enormous eater;
he would be awakened at daylight to
partake of his favori,e dish Of fowl
seethed III milk and dressed with sugar
aud spices; then he would so to sleep
again. At midday be dined. partaking
Of twenty different dishes. He took
two suppcrs, one At twilight, and an
other at midnight, after meat consum-
ing large quantities Of sweetmeats aud
pastry. washing the whole down with
vast draughts Of beer and wine. He
hastened his death by his gluttony. and
died before he was sixty years of age.
Philip III. was inordinatcly fond OF pas
try, and often made himself seriously Ill
by indulging his appetite so as to re-
quire the prompt aud active services OF
his physician in order to save his life.
There is no doubt but that the turn
pike road to some peoples hearts lies
through their mouths. Frederick the
Great was au illustration Of this fact
True, he vas Il Soldier, and could dine
upon u bit Of bread and cup of choco-
late la war time, but yet he loved good
eating and drinking, and is known to
have hastened his death by refusing to
conform to the proper rules Of diet.
Frederick ate every day ten or twelve
dishes for bis dinner, each aud all
highly seasoned. But . few days be-
fore mis- death he ate for hls breakfast a
plate Of sYeetmeats and sour cream,
followed by straw berries, cherries and
cold meat. No wonder that he died of
dropsy Our readers will naturally
recall In this connection the parallel Of
the English king who died of eating
too many lampreys, and also the case
of King John, who is said to have died
of q surieit of peaches and new ale.
Some writers upon digestion has said
that as houses we'll stored with provis-
ions are likely TO be filled with mice. 50
the bodies of those that crowd their
siomachs are full sf disease. Others
90 further than this. and declare that
g.uttony is the source of oil infirmities
and the fountain Of ali diseases Giut-
tony and drunkenness are about OH =
par. aud about equally destructive,
making both the body aud the pocket
too smart.
Napoleon was u voruclous eater, and
his gluttony is said 10 have been the
cause Of his losing the battle OF Leip-
sic. He partook of shoulder of NUT
ton stuffed with onions before coming
TO the field literally gorgirg himself So
as to be incapable of clear minded and
vigorous action. He ate very fast, the
state dinners at the Tuillcries lasting
but about half an hour; but Napoleon
was no lover Of wine Macaulay, the
historian. tells us how when Peter the
Great visited England. the immense
quantities Of meat which devoured,
the pints OF brandy which he swal
lowed. and which it is said he careful
ly distilled with his own hands. was the
one topic Of conversation At court. But
great as was Peter in his gluttony. he
might have found more than his match
ip the Reman Emperor Maximin. who
could cat. any day of the week. forty
pounds Of meat. and drink six gallons
of wine. that is to say. ii We can be-
li-ye the historians There is no doubt
that the Roman emperors were not only
great glutsons, bat epicures as we'll,
and that they racked their brains to
invent novelties 10 satisfy the cravings
Of their stomSchs. Elaxabalus loved 20
ssp upon peacocks' tongues and night
ingales, and fed his lions on pheasapts
aud parrots.
II is the sau,e with eating as with
drinking every inordinste cup Is un-
blessed. and the ingredient is a devil "
Every u.ou'hful taken after satisfied
hunger oniy adds labor TO tired di-
gcstiou. The misfortune Is" saws
John Knox. "that when man has
foand honey. he enters npon the feast
with All appetite 50 voracious that be
usually destroys his own delight by ex
c,ss and safety" Mohammed. though
the founder Of a sensual religion. which
promises sensual paradise. was hun
self Au sh.'ominGs nisn, Observing with
out preten>e the simple dist of All Arab
and solder Tue iu,ct,i!ci,ou of ire
by the rvl,glna he taught. Mas only en-
farc~d hv his owu example, while lac
snbsisted .rnecallv upon spar'ax al
iowsnc,s ot h,rl-y hfe,a sometimes
varied by milk std honey. tat h,s ordi-
nary fond was dates ard water. II has
l., eu said that the pleasut's It the pal
ate deal With u ike ESyptiAa thieves
- he strange these " bou they embrace
Those who prolong their meals and
force their appeti;e-, soon ou'si' their
pleasures, ana Aphorically speak
ing. leave their health uader the
table
Ir WAS 81. loa;. ST, who s4ii .