CELEBRITIES AS GOURMETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 19

CELEBRITIES AS GOURMETS.

LOVB OF MUTTON CAUSED XAIPOLEOX'S DEFEAT.

Napoleon, the world's greatest soldier, met with bis first defeat through his lore of mutton, losing the battle of Lelpslc through n fit of Indigestion caused by a surfeit of a succulent joint of lamb. Cleopatra, frail and fragile, like many thin people, ate heartily, and her guests wondered nt the Tarltlee of which they par- j took. There was everything there except mutton. Even the roast bee.f and plum pudding were not locking, for these delicacies were as popular in Thebes as was the broiled and salted goose, with the good brawn stout and strong barley wine to cheer the spirits and assist the digestion. George I. liked fish a trifle stale. He orflere<i tor his own special enjoymeuti a soup with four cabbages In It, sruel, pigwith smir cream for sauce: cold roast meat, with pickled cucumbers for salad; lemons and lampreys, s:ilt meat, ham, and 'Llinburger chopsp. He begnn dinner with cabbage water and closed the banqueting with' goblets of hurgunJy. Kapolcnn ha ( ; a penchant for roast fowls, cutleits, and smoking coffee. He ate at Odd times, and only when he felt hungry, driving his cooks to distraction because when ho called for food It had to be ready for him almost on the instant, or at least as soon as the table could be laid. The dish Tepys liked most, anJ on which he supped heartily, was venison pasty. The dashing Duchess of Cleveland had a passion for roast chine of beef, wliile In a succeeding reign Roger de Coverly was content to wind up the day with "KOOd Chesirc cheese, best mustard, n golden pippin, and a pipe of John Sly's "best." 'George I. like fish a trifle stale. He never cared ,for oysters until their shells began epontaneously to gape. George 111.----on the other hand, spent Joyous evening at Virginia Water, slipping on tea and Cardinal Fesch loved blackbirds, and his dinners nt Lyons were famous for the excellence and variety of these dishes. The ■birds were sent him weekly from Corsica. The Cardinal used to say it wae like swallowing Paradise. ■Beau .Bruminell's favourite dish was roasted capon stuffed with truffles. TVhfiu he .was living almost on the bounty of Mr. Marshall he attended a dinner party at that gentleman's house, taking with him, according In his most Impertinent custom, one of his doge. The Bean was helped to a wing of roast capon, but choosing to fancy that the win? was tough he delicately seized the end of it v.-itii a napkin-covered finger and thumb and passed It under the table to his do; with the remark: — 'Were. lAtout. try If you can get your teeth through this, for 111 be damned if I can."