第25部分(第5/7 頁)

　the　viand。　Happily；　the　English　have　never　been　driven　to　these　expedients。　Be　it　flesh；　fowl；　or　fish；　each　es　to　table　so　distinctly　and　eminently　itself　that　by　no　possibility　could　it　be　confused　with　anything　else。　Give　your　average　cook　a　bit　of　cod；　and　tell　her　to　dress　it　in　her　own　way。　The　good　creature　will　carefully　boil　it；　and　there　an　end　of　the　matter；　and　by　no　exercise　of　art　could　she　have　so　treated　the　fish　as　to　make　more　manifest　and　enjoyable　that　special　savour　which　heaven　has　bestowed　upon　cod。　Think　of　our　array　of　joints；　how　royal　is　each　in　its　own　way；　and　how　utterly　unlike　any　of　the　others。　Picture　a　boiled　leg　of　mutton。　It　is　mutton；　yes；　and　mutton　of　the　best；　nature　has　bestowed　upon　man　no　sweeter　morsel；　but　the　same　joint　roasted　is　mutton　too；　and　how　divinely　different！　The　point　is　that　these　differences　are　natural；　that；　in　eliciting　them；　we　obey　the　eternal　law　of　things；　and　no　human　caprice。　Your　artificial　relish　is　here　not　only　needless；　but　offensive。

In　the　case　of　veal；　we　demand　〃stuffing。〃　Yes；　for　veal　is　a　somewhat　insipid　meat；　and　by　experience　we　have　discovered　the　best　method　of　throwing　into　relief　such　inherent　goodness　as　it　has。　The　stuffing　does　not　disguise；　nor　seek　to　disguise；　it　accentuates。　Good　veal　stuffing……reflect！……is　in　itself　a　triumph　of　culinary　instinct；　so　bland　it　is；　and　yet　so　powerful　upon　the　gastric　juices。

Did　I　call　veal　insipid？　I　must　add　that　it　is　only　so　in　parison　with　English　beef　and　mutton。　When　I　think　of　the　〃brown〃　on　the　edge　of　a　really　fine　cut　of　veal……！

VIII

As　so　often　when　my　thought　has　gone　forth　in　praise　of　things　English；　I　find　myself　tormented　by　an　after…thought……the　reflection　that　I　have　praised　a　time　gone　by。　Now；