“_The Irishman_ loves usquebah, _The Scot_ loves ale called blue cap, _The Welshman_, he loves toasted cheese, And makes his mouth like a mouse trap.” APICIUS,[8] among other whimsical personages of ancient Rome, presented to his guests ragouts, exclusively composed of tongues of peacocks and nightingales. This celebrated epicure, who instituted a gormandizing academy at Rome, having heard that shrimps and prawns of a superior flavour were to be met with on the coasts of Africa than on the Italian shore, freighted a ship, and sailed in search of these far famed marine insects. This person spent more than £.60,000 merely to vary the taste of culinary sauces. [8] Three brothers of that name were celebrated at Rome, on account of their unparallelled love of good eating. Vitellus was treated by his brother with a dinner, consisting of 2,000 dishes of fish, and 7,000 of poultry--surely this is not doing things by halves. A Mr. Verditch de Bourbonne[9] is said to have bought 3,000 carps for the mere sake of their tongues, which were brought, well seasoned and _learnedly_ dressed, to his table, in one dish. [9] Cours Gastronomique. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EPICURE AND A GLUTTON. However extravagant and whimsical the rational pleasures of the table may appear to a _sober_ and sensible mind, we must, in justice to epicures, cursorily observe, that there exists a material difference between a _gormand_ or epicure, and a _glutton_.[10] The first seeks for peculiar delicacy and distinct flavour in the various dishes presented to the judgment and enjoyment of his discerning palate; while the other lays aside nearly all that relates to the rational pleasures of creating or stimulating an appetite of the cates, and looks merely to quantity; this, has his stomach in view, and tries how heavy it may be laden, without endangering his health. [10] _Tabella Cibaria_, a latin poem, relating to the pleasures of Gastronomy, and the mysterious art of Cooking, page 15. “The _gormand_ never loses sight of the exquisite organs of taste, so admirably disposed by Providence in the crimson chamber, where sits the discriminating judge, the human tongue. “The _glutton_ is anathematised in the Scripture with those brutes _quorum deus venter est_. The other appears guilty of no other sin than of too great, and too minute, an attention to refinement in commercial sensuality.”