Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-07-17
ANCESTRAL APPETITES.
Table Feats of Some Famous Feeders
Of Eygone Days.

o. Ey9one DAYS.
a generation holding critical views
on mans intelligent. or unwise.
choice OF parents is net likely TO in
dulge In ancestor wor nip Eut there
are ut least one or two thingi in which
our ancestors were truly greater than
we OF the present day can ever aspire
to be. Take them. for :astance. at tn
BILE. III ancient books on table eti
Quette are to be taken seriously. and
there Is no reason why they should
not be. the ancestor was I'm the habit
OF gnawing bones la CHEN and OF
lisposing OF them by The simple means
Of throwing tac:n under the table or
over his shoulder. lie worked hard
with his hands in the dishes. when n
succulent but slippery morsel refused
TO come To him by means of knife and
fork. lie used his table napkin for
unspeakable purposes and his fork in
utter forgetfulness as comb or tooth
brush. In one sense therefore. he did
not know how 20 eat Meanwhile. in
another he was truly great for the
quantities OF food which he caused TO
| disappear at a single meal were moth
| ing short OF marvellous
The records preserved of the ances-
tors feats OF the fork (and the finger,
are woefully thin. but now and again
one OF these very human documents
In the form OF n menu Is unearthed
and tells its own story. Such Is the
following list OF dishes served I'm 1884
To- worthy citizen OF Valencia on the
occasion of his taking unto himself n
wife. Across the space OF close upon
the six centuries the cranes and LAM
preys. the peacocks and boar's head OF
the feast made fine display This Is
the order In which the fourteenth cen
fury wedding breakfast was served:
MENU.
Roast crane. vcnison, larnprcy
Peacock. pheasant. guinea fowl. osprey,
snipe. pike.
Baked ponegranates. burnt almonds. veg
ctables, fish.
| Eel pie and toast
Galantine or sprats and cheese cakes.
Peacock. crane. pheasant
Crayhsh. boar's head and savouries.
Figs, medlars and waters
Wines.
Saint Jangon. Brannc. Burgundy and
| Hook.
The Italians also were famous feed
ers and seem TO have distinguished
themselves In particular during the
early days OF the renaissance. The
Bourbons valiantly followed suit. ono
of the most distinguished successes be-
Ing scored by Louis XIV, OF whom an
eyewitness wrote: Il often saw him
eat four plates OF soup. n whole pleas
ant guinea fowl, large dish OF
salad. several slices OF mutton with
garlic sauce, two large slices OF ham, a
dish OF cake and dessert" The threats
of his physicians finally reduced his
majesty TO such meager fare as two
plates OF pigeon broth and three roast
fowls. According TO Arenberg, the
great king was later in life subject to
attacks OF Indigestion.
The little suppers in the reign of the
next Louis, though on a slightly less
gigantic scale. are still sufficiently i'm
pressive. The Marquise d'Artenay. for
Instance. put before her guests after
they came from the theater and before
they went on to a dance this collation.:
Pigeon soup. with lentils and carrots.
Chicken broth.
| Patties OF fowl. veal capon, pheasants-
guinea fowl.
| Sweetbread and roast poulets
Baked starlings, wood pigeons. wild duck
and snipe.
| Cakes Sweets. Fruit.
1t seems pity no record is preserved
or what happened ut the dance follow
ing this supper party.