Hints for the table: or, the economy of good living / [Anon].

  • John Timbs
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hints for the table: or, the economy of good living / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    34/188 page 18
    Mr. Walker has written a series of papers full of in- formation on the Art of Dining. One of his objections to the present arrangement of a dinner-table, is forcibly illustrated as follows:—“ See a small party with a dish of fish at each end of the table, and four silver covers unmeaningly starving at the sides, whilst every thing per- taining to the fish comes, even with the best attendance, provokingly lagging, one thing after another, so that con- tentment is out of the question, and all this is done under the pretence that it is the most convenient plan ! This is an utter fallacy. The only convenient plan is, to have every thing actually upon the table that is wanted at the same time, and nothing else : as, for example, for a party of eight, turbot and salmon, with doubles of each of the adjuncts, lobster-sauce, cucumbers,young potatoes, cayenne, and chili vinegar; and let the guests assist one another, which, with such an arrangement, they could do with per- fect ease.” Among the practices which interfere with com- fort, are, attendants handing round vegetables, and helping wine to the company. To order dinner well is a matter of invention and com- bination. It involves novelty, simplicity, and taste; whereas, in the generality of dinners, there is no character but that of dull routine, according to the season. The same things are seen everywhere at the same season, and, as the rules for providing limit the range very much, there are a great many good things which never make their ap- pearance at all, and a great many others which, being served in a fixed order, are seldom half enjoyed. To form an agreeable dinner-party, every guest should he asked for some reason, upon which good fellowship mainly depends; for, people brought together unconuect- edly, had better be kept separate. If the master of a feast wishes his party to succeed, lie must know how to command, and not let his guests run riot, each according to his own fancy. In entertaining those who arc in a different class from ourselves, it is expedient to provide for them what they arc least used to, and that which wc are most in the way of
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