The Washington herald., 1910-11-04
GENESIS OF THE BREAKFAST.
Historians Differ ss to Chief in-
gradients OF Morning Meal.


Prom the Richmond Times Dispatch.
II we are to beiieve the epicures VINO
have investigated the matter. the pres
ent tendency toward light breakfasts is
distinctly atavistic. 1t appears that THE
hearty breakfast which Is still some
what Of an American institution. is a
comparatively modern affair, while the
frugal and light breakfast is fairly pre-
historic. II is matter OF grave doubt
whether or not our ancestors in the
palaeolithic and neolithic ages break
fasted-if they did not. perhaps we may
so explain their savage tendency TO
lambaste. one another with the granite
primeval Men who have not break
tasted are usually far from amiable.
a correspondent of the Boston Herald
points out that the Roman morning
meal consisted of a grape or two, few
raisins, date. an olive, and some
cereal that closely resembled our mod
ern bareback. These simple and nat
ural ingredients suggest the menu upon
which oar Eden-dwelling forefathers
must have subsisted In the matter OF
the morning meal the Romans showed
the Homeric simplicity Of the Greeks.
De Quincy thus commented on the Ro-
man morning meal:
No such discovery as breakfast had
then been made. Breakfast was not in
vented for many centuries after mat.
breakfast was not even suspected. No
prophecy. no type OF breakfast had been
published. In fact, it took AS much time
and research to arrive al that great dis
coveTy as at the Copernican system.
Turn your eyes 10 a Christian
breakfast-hot rolls. eggs, coffee, beef
bat down. down rebellious visions: we
need say no more. You, reader, like my
self, will breathe malediction on the
classical era, and thank your stars for
making you a romanticist"
De Quincy wrote this in 1893 Yet but
seventy-one years later the Roman break
last IS coming into vogue again The
diet cranks are substituting for a heavy
! breakfast d simple collation. OF nuts and
grasses. very similar 10 the morning meal
Of prlmeval men. Very generally the
light breakfast is becoming established
everywhere. The HYGIENE" breakfast of
little fruit and a little toast is very
popular among those who believe that
such a repast is unlikely TO impede the
machinery Of the brain
In old England il was frequently the
case that breakfast was abolished By
families for different reasons. Cotton,
Tor instance. declares In his writings
that my diet is always one glass OF
ale so soon as | am dressed. and no
more ill dinner " There are some gem
tlemen to-day who think that a morn
ing toddy is all that is needed until noon.
Yiator declared that tobacco was his only
breakfast, smoking a pipe at that
on the other hand. there are many
people Of the same period who were
rather doughty trenchmen Lord Percy
and his lady, when visiting in Kent,
seemed 70 have believed in substantial
breakfasts, for the menu set before
them at that meal is recorded as "a loaf
OF bread in tTencheTs. two manchets. a
quart of beer. a quart OF wine. two
pieces Of salt FISH. six bacoHn'd herring.
four white herring, and dish OF sprats e"
Except in Lent. or IN fast days, they
very often added half a chine Of mutton.
Nor did the children go hungry-or thirs-
ty-for IL is chronicled 1hat my Lady
Margaret and Mr.. Ingram Percy" the
son and daughter OF Lord Percy we're
provided a manchet. one quart Of beer
and J-ree mutton bones brOied There
were some, too. after the fashion OF
fat old Nick Wood, who could clean up a
pantry In the morning and hardly leave a
grease spot.
Breakfast. indeed, may be reduced 20
a minimum shadow or It's former self,
but it is so universal an institution that
there is no need TO fear its ultimate
abolition Even the higher cost OF liv-
ing cannot compel US 10 do without the
ma ffrffref toast