ate
quantities, one would suppose they were working for the _asbestos_
palate of an Indian fire-eater) anchovies, garlic,[93-++] bay-leaves,
and that hot, fiery spice, _Cayenne_[93-Sec.] pepper; this, which the
French call (not undeservedly) _piment enrage_ (No. 404), has, somehow
or other, unaccountably acquired a character for being very wholesome;
while the milder peppers and spices are cried down, as destroying the
sensibility of the palate and stomach, &c., and being the source of a
thousand mischiefs. We should just as soon recommend alcohol as being
less intoxicating than wine.

The best thing that has been said in praise of peppers is, "that with
all kinds of vegetables, as also with soups (especially vegetable soups)
and fish, either black or Cayenne pepper may be taken freely: they are
the most useful stimulants to old stomachs, and often supersede the
cravings for strong drinks; or diminish the quantity otherwise
required." See Sir A. CARLISLE _on Old Age_, London, 1817. A certain
portion of condiment is occasionally serviceable to excite and keep up
the languid action of feeble and advanced life: we must increase the
stimulus of our aliment as the inirritability of our system increases.
We leave those who love these things to use them as they like; their
flavours can be very extemporaneously produced by chilly-juice, or
essence of Cayenne (No. 405), eschalot wine (No. 402), and essence of
anchovy (No. 433).

There is no French dinner without soup, which is regarded as an
indispensable _overture_; it is commonly followed by "_le coup
d'Apres_," a glass of pure wine, which they consider so wholesome after
soup, that their proverb says, the physician thereby loses a fee.
Whether the glass of wine be so much more advantageous for the patient
than it is for his doctor, we know not, but believe it an excellent plan
to begin the banquet with a basin of good soup, which, by moderating the
appetite for solid animal food, is certainly a salutiferous custom.
Between the _roasts_ and the _entremets_ they introduce "_le coup du
Milieu_" or a small glass of _Jamaica rum_, or _essence of punch_ (see
No. 471), or CURACAO (No. 474).

The introduction of liqueurs is by no means a modern custom: our
ancestors were very fond of a highly spiced stimulus of this sort,
commonly called _Ipocrasse_, which generally made a part of the last
course, or was taken immediately after dinner.

_The crafte to make ypocras._

"Take a