Page:The Deipnosophists (Volume 3).djvu/370

 The culinary sage thus spoke; his friend Demands, "Where is the ideal cook thou paint'st?" "Lo, I the man!" the savouring sage replied. "Now be thine eyes the witness of my art! This tunny drest, so odorous shall steam, The spicy sweetness so shall steal thy sense, That thou in a delicious reverie Shalt slumber heavenly o'er the Attic dish!"—

The same.

A. The wretch on whom you lavish so much praise, I swear, by all the gods, but ill deserves it— The true professor of the art should strive To gratify the taste of every guest; For if he merely furnishes the table, Sees all the dishes properly disposed, And thinks, having done this, he has discharged His office, he's mistaken, and deserves To be consider'd only as a drudge, A kitchen-drudge, without or art or skill, And differs widely from a cook indeed, A master of his trade.—He bears the name Of General, 'tis true, who heads the army; But he whose comprehensive mind surveys The whole, who knows to turn each circumstance Of time, and place, and action, to advantage,— Foresees what difficulties may occur, And how to conquer them,—this is the man Who should be call'd the general; the other The mere conductor of the troops, no more: So in our art it is an easy thing To boil, to roast, to stew, to fricassee, To blow the bellows, or to stir the fire; But a professor of the art regards The time, the place, th' inviter, and the guest; And when the market is well stored with fish, Knows to select, and to prefer such only As are in proper season, and, in short, Omits no knowledge that may justly lead To the perfection of his art. 'Tis true, Archestratus has written on the subject,