The French cook.: Prescribing the way of making ready of all sorts of meats, fish and flesh, with the proper sauces, either to procure appetite, or to advance the power of digestion. Also the preparation of all herbs and fruits, so as their naturall crudities are by art opposed; with the whole skil of pastry-work. Together with a treatise of conserves, both dry and liquid, a la mode de France. With an alphabeticall table explaining the hard words, and other usefull tables. / Written in French by Monsieur De La Varenne, clerk of the kitchin to the Lord Marquesse of Uxelles, and now Englished by I.D.G.

The French Stationer to the Reader.

COurteous Reader; This Booke, the matter and the title whereof doe seeme new, because the like was not as yet prin∣ted, will not be, as I thinck, unfruitfull for you. There hath been many Bookes, and which have been well accepted of, as the charitable Physician and others, for remedies and the healing of sicknesses with little cost, and without the use of Apothecaries But this booke which tends onely to the preserving and the keep∣ing of health in a true and constant course, in teaching how to correct the vitious quali∣ties of meates by contrary and severall season∣ings; the scope whereof, I say, is only to af∣ford unto man a solid nourishment, well dres∣sed, and conformable to his appetites, which are in many the rule of their life, and of their (en bon point) looking well, ought, as I think, to be of no lesse consideration, since that it is sweeter by farre to make according, to one's abilitie an honest and reasonable expense in sauces, and other delicacies of meates, for to cause the life and health to subsist, then to spend vast summes of money in drugs, medi∣cinall

hearbs, potions, and other troublesome remedies for the recovering of health. This hath perswaded me, after many sollicitations of my friends, to let it see the light, and to set it forth in this great City, which makes profit of all, rejects nothing, and where what is not fit for one, is usefull for another. It's author hath told you in his word of advise what use and profit it may bring; And I dare boldly enhanse it, and say, that it is not on∣ly usefull, but also necessarie, because that he doth not onely set out the finest and the daintiest fashions of making ready meates, pa∣strie works, and other things which are served upon great mens tables, but he gives you also the precepts of the most common and most ordinarie things, which are used in the food of households, which doe onely make a regu∣lated and moderate expense, and in the mak∣ing ready of which, many doe amisse in the too much or too little; He doth teach you the fashions of a thousand kinds of hearbs (and legumes) and other victuals, which are found plentifully in the country, where the most part are ignorant of the meanes of making them ready with credit and contentment: and thus it is cleere, that with great reason I have done this good service to the publick, not on∣ly for daintinesse, but also for necessities sake: Considered also, that France carrying it above all other Nations in the world in point of civility, courtesie, and comeliness in every

kind of conversation, is not lesse esteemed, because of it's comely and daintie fashion of feeding. And the City of Paris carrying it farre above all the other Provinces, as the Metropolitan head City, and the seat of our Kings, doubtless her inferiours will in this follow the esteeme that she will make of it. And I hope, that since that I doe give her the first fruits of it, she will accept of them kind∣ly, and others will imitate her: After which other Nations may very well be stirred for∣ward to conforme themselves to her, who as she doth excell in all what belongeth to life, cannot be ignorant of the meanes how to pre∣serve it contented and peaceable, by the use of the things which doe maintaine it, and cause it to subsist. I may assure you that for my part I have had a most speciall care to set it in its luster, and to enrich a little its mat∣ter, which perhaps will seeme to some Cri∣ticks, to be lesse worthy of precepts; but the most judicious will judge otherwise, and will consider, that all the books both ancient and moderne, being for the most part for the nou∣rishment of the spirit: There was a good rea∣son, that the body, without the good dis∣position of which it cannot act, should have a share in it, & specially in a thing so necessary for its conservation. Enjoy it, Courteous Rea∣der, whilest I will study how to put forth to sale something which will deserve your more elevated and more solid occupations.