But after all the avysement of physicians and philosophers, our
processes do not appear by any means to be well calculated for the
benefit of recipients, but rather inimical to them. Many of them are
so highly seasoned, are such strange and heterogeneous compositions,
meer olios and gallimawfreys, that they seem removed as far as
possible from the intention of contributing to health; indeed the
messes are so redundant and complex, that in regard to herbs, in No.
6, no less than ten are used, where we should now be content with two
or three: and so the sallad, No. 76, consists of no less than 14
ingredients. The physicians appear only to have taken care that
nothing directly noxious was suffered to enter the forms. However, in
the Editor's MS. No. 11, there is a prescription for making a _colys_,
I presume a _cullis_, or Invigorating broth; for which see Dodsley's
Old Plays, vol. II. 124. vol. V. 148. vol. VI. 355. and the several
plays mentioned in a note to the first mentioned passage in the Edit.
1780 [69].

I observe further, in regard to this point, that the quantities of
things are seldom specified [70], but are too much left to the taste
and judgement of the cook, if he should happen to be rash and
inconsiderate, or of a bad and undistinguishing taste, was capable of
doing much harm to the guests, to invalids especially.

Though the cooks at Rome, as has been already noted, were amongst the
lowest slaves, yet it was not so more anciently; Sarah and Rebecca
cook, and so do Patroclus and Automedon in the ninth Iliad. It were
to be wished indeed, that the Reader could be made acquainted with
the names of our _master-cooks_, but it is not in the power of the
Editor to gratify him in that; this, however, he may be assured of,
that as the Art was of consequence in the reign of Richard, a prince