Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-08-23
DlNED BY THE GAR.
4 French GeItleman'S Unceremoaious Meal
With Peter the Great.

French GeEtleman's UnceremoaiOus Meal
With Peter the Great.
At Leipsio newspaper for the fashion
able world appeared IL the Year l7C1, and
IN one of its issues published letter from
a NJ. de Launaye, state counselor, canon
at Liege and dean at Sainte Croix, in
which the writer gave an account of din
ner with Peter the Great.
lon Friday" the writer say s,"I came to
Spa. The czGr was just III tent, and
took the liberty to offer him a basin of
cherries and figs from my garden, which
was very agreeable to him. He attacked
the fruit directly, and most likely uumind-
ful of the fact that he had taken twenty
one glasses of water to himself in the
morning, and before one was aware of IL
twelve whole figs and about six pounds of
cherries had been consumed by him.
line day following he conferred the
honor on me OF an invitation to dinner.
1t would not be half right to omit giving
q description of this remarkable meal, al
though [ have been told that his majesty
usually dimes this way.
"ihe table was set for eight persons.
but they understood the secret of placing
twelve persons at it. The czar SAT- at tn
head, IN his nightcep and without necktie.
The remainder OF us sat along the table,
yet good foot away from it. Two
soldiers of the garrison brought in large
bowl, In whioh there was nothing hut
same earthen dishes filled with bouillon,
Through the distance from the table such
diffusion and awkwar dDess arose that in
stretching out the arm so far to reach for
q spoonful of soup one appeared to be
fencing.
"When one had she bouilIion consumed
and asked for more, without much ado
one helped himself from his neighbours
dish like his majesty himself, who dove
into the dish of the chancellor with a
spoon. The admiral of the galleys seemed
TO have no appetite, for he amused him
self chewing his nails. Then came a fell
low who brought SIX bottles of wine to the
table. lie did not stand them up but
rolled them like a handful of tenpins.
The car took one of them and poured
out glass of it for every guest.
"My place was next to the chancellor,
When he noticed that l ate my p1eat with
out salt--for, alas! there was only one
salt-celier on the table, and, in fact, entire
ly on the other end next to the car
he said to me very civiily: If you wish
salt, my worthy sir, reach for it without
ceremony In order not TO act ike a
simpleton / stretched out my arm to the
place of the car and supplied myself in
this manner with salt for the whole meal.
Now came the second course. A
soldier, who accidentally passed the kite
hen, was bUrdened with a dish, and as
he had no time 50 take his bat off ne tried
to shake it off. But the car gave him the
sign to come as he was. The second
course consisted of two legs of veal and
four young chickens. His majesty took
the largest chicken in his bare hand, held
it examlnlngly under his nose, and, Civ
ing me the wink that he found it delici-
GUS, was SO gracious as to throw it onmy
plate.
''The dish, with the meat in it, was,
moreover, pushed from one end of the
table to the other without an accid emit.
The dessert consisted OF plate of bis
cults, after which we arose from the table.
The car went to the window. There he
found pair of candle-snuffers, with
which he, as full of tHilow and ruts as they
were, cleaned his nails.
81 had to force myself to conjure up
the saddest ideas in my mind to keep
from laughing aloud at the table. Forum
ately the time came to read my brevi8ry,
so l came away in good manner"