[B] See Plate XXVIII., p. 378, for the triclinium.

[C] Cup, or crater, used by the Greeks and Romans at their repasts, made either of gold, silver, or earthenware (terra cotta).—Hamilton, “Herculaneum.”

[D] See Plate XXX., No. 4.

[E] The following descriptions of various banquets and bills of fare are here introduced, in the anticipation that in after years they may prove interesting, and induce, for the future, culinary artists to enlarge and preserve those magiric archives.

[F] For the general illustration of the banquet, see the “Illustrated London News,” of November 2nd, 1850.

[G] See page 406.

[H] While thus hastily enumerating some modern banquets, we cannot refrain mentioning that illusive feast of the most effeminate of Assyrian kings, the plan of which seems to have been imparted by the magiric genius himself to our celebrated tragedian Charles Kean. Every night, Sardanapalus, the sensual king of the too joyous Ninevites, rising from his tomb, with his twenty-six centuries of renown, seats himself at table, in order to unveil to us long buried splendours, and confirm our belief in those sumptuous orgies of which history preserves to us but uncertain details.

The admirable works of Botta, Flandin, Layard, and Bonomi, have allowed the ingenious major domo who presides at these Assyrian feasts of the 19th century, to invest them with that couleur locale which would formerly have been sought in vain; and, should the shade of the voluptuous prince wander amidst the guests seated at his table, it may still recognise the cup from which he imbibed intoxication and forgetfulness of his tragic destiny. Altogether, this scenic representation appears to us the realisation of an extraordinary dream, and we have been tempted to place this fictitious repast of Sardanapalus amongst the modern banquets here called to remembrance.

[I] Since the above was written, my researches have been rewarded by success, and I have given a complete description of it in this work.—See page 269.

[J] No less than £52,000, if Pliny really means the grand sesterce, which everything leads us to believe.

[K] Smallage, a species of parsley, known by the name of celery, is diuretic and aperitive. The celery, as cultivated now, is derived from the smallage.

[L] It is a question whether they could compete in quality with those caught in the Severn at the present day.

[M] This paper did not resemble our own of the present day; it was a kind of papyrus, which perfectly resisted all moisture.

[N] Pie of meat and flour.

[O] See Plate No. XXVII., No. 4., a plain bottle, with a long neck.

[P] A pound of honey to three pounds of water.

[Q] We are not aware that any of our dramatic authors ever gave such proof of generosity after a triumph as did the poet, Ion. Crowned at Athens, after the representation of a tragedy, he made a present to each Athenian of a vase filled with wine of Chios.—“Athen.,” I., 5.

[R] Fat meat, according to the vulgate.

[S] Dinner given by the Earl of Warwick, at the installation of an Archbishop of York, in the year 1470.

[T] Imperial, a gold coin, current in Russia. The Imperial of ten roubles (1755) was worth nearly £2 2s. 0d.

[U] This lemon-tree wood was a species more precious and more beautiful than that which we now possess.

[V] A grand banquet was held by the Royal Agricultural Society, at Exeter, on July 20th, 1850, for description of which see end of volume.

[W] Apicius composed the oenogarum (or rather eleogarum, for wine is not mentioned in his recipe) in the following manner: bruise, in a mortar, pepper, alisander, coriander, and rue; then add some garum, honey, and a little oil.[IX_119]

[X] The word Ox—Bos—is a general term applied equally by sacred and profane writers to the bull, ox, and cow.—Valla, lib. iv., cap. 42. It would appear that the castration of bulls originated with the Greeks, though they and the Romans, their imitators, saw only in this operation the facility of subduing them, and accustoming them to the yoke.—Geoponics, Columella, Pliny, &c.

[Y] We saw, in 1836, while at Colne Castle, about one ton weight taken out of the water in a few hours.

[Z] A sort of wine, much esteemed.