Another epicure of a high order was Frederick the Great, who was extremely fond of highly seasoned meats and French or Italian made dishes. Every morning, and sometimes the evening before, the bill of fare was presented to him, which he often altered himself; and during dinner he would make pencil marks against the different items of the bill of fare, which he discussed afterwards with the _maître d’hôtel_. In a kitchen account of the year 1784, it was stated that the extra consumption amounted to 25 dollars, 10 groschen, 1⅕ pfennig; but Frederick wrote under it: “Robbery, for there were about one hundred oysters on the table, price 4 dollars; cakes, 2 dollars; liver, 1 dollar; fish, 2 dollars; Russian cakes, 2 dollars--total, 11 dollars. As there has been an extra dish to-day, herrings and peas, which may cost 1 dollar, everything beyond 12 dollars is barefaced robbery.”[27] The King kept at all times a sharp look out, and one day he remarked to his Minister of State, Von Herder, after reprimanding a servant who had put a bottle of wine in his pocket: “Have I not every reason to knock these ragamuffins on the head? Don’t you see that if I let them have their own rascally way I should soon not have a penny left to assist my distressed subjects.” His table was generally served with eight dishes--four French, two Italian, and two prepared according to his peculiar fancy, and from his own receipts. And it was one of his favourite maxims that “he who is not content with eight dishes will not be satisfied with eighty.” One of the last bills of fare--August 5, 1786--twelve days before his death, was as follows:-- _August 5._--DINNER: HIS MAJESTY’S TABLE Name of the Cook. _Henaunt_ 1 Soupe aux choux à la Fouqué.^{+} _Pfund_ 1 Du bœuf aux pandis et carottes.^{+} _Voigt_ 1 Des poulets en cannelon au concombres farcis au blanc à l’Anglaise (was struck out; the King substituted, Des cotelettes dans du papier). _Dionisius_ Petits patés à la Romaine. 1 Young pigeon, roasted. _Pfund_ 1 Du saumon à la Dessau. _Blesson_ 1 De filets de volaille à la Pompadour avec langue de bœuf et croquets. _Dionisius_ Portuguese cake (struck out; Des gaufres put instead). _Pfund_ Green peas.^{+} Fresh herrings.^{+} Pickled gherkins. (The crosses indicated his Majesty’s approval of the dish.) On the other hand, Frederick William I. was served in the plainest manner, partly with the coarsest food, such as bacon and peas, or ham and green kale--his favourite dish. His two special fish were lobsters and oysters. There is still the draught of a bill of fare in existence which Frederick William gave as an example to the Crown Prince, when the latter was at Cüstrin:--