in the great liall at Tiilietudlein. No tea, no coffee, no variety of rolls and toast and muffins ; but solid and sub- stantial viands — tlis priestly ham, the kni^litly sirloin, the noble baron of beef, the princely venison 23asty ; while silver flagons, saved with difficulty from the claws of the Covenanters, mantled, some with ale, some with mead, and some with generous Avines of various qualities. And Avho, finally, can forget the description of the dinner, in *' Old Mortality," of the parsimonious Laird of Milnwood ? The immense charger of broth thickened with oatmeal and colewort, in which were indistinctly discerned by close observers two or three short ribs of lean mutton sailing to and fro. There were two huge baskets, one of bread made of barley and peas, and one of oat cakes. The presence of a large boiled salmon would nowadaj's have indicated more liberal housekeeping; but, in the seven- teenth centur}^, it was caught in such plenty in the con- siderable rivers of Scotland, and the servants found it so luscious and so surfeiting, that the}^ made it a bargain that they should not have the royal fish oftencr than five times a week. " He should have a lang-shafted spune that sups pottage with the de'il," says the old Scottish proverb ; and he should know a great deal about cookery in general, and Scottish cookery in j^articular, who presumes to try conclusions with Sir Walter Scott and with Professor Wilson. There is a vast Avealth of culinary lore scattered both through the " Waverley Novels " and the " Noctes Anibrosiana3." Indeed, it has been more than once asserted that Sir Walter had a hand in compiling the recipes for " Meg Dodds' Cookery Book." Still, Southerner as I aiu, I scarcely think that I am inaccurate in stating that a Scottish break- fast table is about the best supplied one in all Europe. I never crossed the Border but once in my life, and then it was to pay a visit to the late Mr. Dalgleish, sometime one of the c 2 20 THE THOROUGH GOOD COOK. members for Glasgow, who had a beautiful estate called Kilmardinnie, close to the great city on the Clyde. Such breakfasts we used to have at Kilmardinnie ! Fresh trout, game pies, cold venison, a baron of beef on the sideboard, home-made scones, potato scones, white puddings, and Scotch " baps," to say nothing of Dundee marmalade and Scotch bannocks. Breakfast Dishes. Before discussing the important question, What shall we have for breakfast ? it is expedient to determine with accuracy what is meant by the term " breakfast " itself There are breakfasts and breakfasts ; and it so happens that the bravest, the honestest, the truthfullest, and the most meat- eating peoples under the sun, the Germans and the Britons, with their transatlantic descendants and their Australasian brethren, are the only races who give the in'oper appella- tion to the first meal of the day. We break our fast at eight or nine a.m., and we rightly term that ]neal " breakfast." Quito as appropriately do the Teutons call their fracture of fast Morgenhvod. The Italians ought to say rompere il digiuno, Avhen they take their coftee and bread and butter in the morning. They prefer to ask simply for their early morning cufe, and with them breakfast is la. colu- zione. It is in reality our lunch. The lively Gaul's dejeuner a la fourcJietfe is also lunch, and not literally the- breaking of a fast.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

in the great hall at Tillietudlem. No tea, no coffee, no variety of rolls and toast and muffins ; but solid and substantial viands — this priestly ham, the knightly sirloin, the noble baron of beef, the princely venison pasty ; while silver flagons, saved with difficulty from the claws of the Covenanters, mantled, some with ale, some with mead, and some with generous wines of various qualities. And who, finally, can forget the description of the dinner, in *' Old Mortality," of the parsimonious Laird of Milnwood ? The immense charger of broth thickened with oatmeal and colewort, in which were indistinctly discerned by close observers two or three short ribs of lean mutton sailing to and fro. There were two huge baskets, one of bread made of barley and peas, and one of oat cakes. The presence of a large boiled salmon would nowadaj's have indicated more liberal housekeeping; but, in the seventeenth century, it was caught in such plenty in the considerable rivers of Scotland, and the servants found it so luscious and so surfeiting, that they made it a bargain that they should not have the royal fish oftencr than five times a week. " He should have a lang-shafted spune that sups pottage with the de'il," says the old Scottish proverb ; and he should know a great deal about cookery in general, and Scottish cookery in particular, who presumes to try conclusions with Sir Walter Scott and with Professor Wilson. There is a vast wealth of culinary lore scattered both through the " Waverley Novels " and the " Noctes Ambrosianae." Indeed, it has been more than once asserted that Sir Walter had a hand in compiling the recipes for " Meg Dodds' Cookery Book." Still, Southerner as I am, I scarcely think that I am inaccurate in stating that a Scottish breakfast table is about the best supplied one in all Europe. I never crossed the Border but once in my life, and then it was to pay a visit to the late Mr. Dalgleish, sometime one of the c 2 members for Glasgow, who had a beautiful estate called Kilmardinnie, close to the great city on the Clyde. Such breakfasts we used to have at Kilmardinnie ! Fresh trout, game pies, cold venison, a baron of beef on the sideboard, home-made scones, potato scones, white puddings, and Scotch " baps," to say nothing of Dundee marmalade and Scotch bannocks. Breakfast Dishes. Before discussing the important question, What shall we have for breakfast ? it is expedient to determine with accuracy what is meant by the term " breakfast " itself There are breakfasts and breakfasts ; and it so happens that the bravest, the honestest, the truthfullest, and the most meateating peoples under the sun, the Germans and the Britons, with their transatlantic descendants and their Australasian brethren, are the only races who give the proper appellation to the first meal of the day. We break our fast at eight or nine a.m., and we rightly term that ]neal " breakfast." Quito as appropriately do the Teutons call their fracture of fast Morgenbrot. The Italians ought to say rompere il digiuno, when they take their coftee and bread and butter in the morning. They prefer to ask simply for their early morning café, and with them breakfast is la. coluzione. It is in reality our lunch. The lively Gaul's dejeuner a la fourchette is also lunch, and not literally thebreaking of a fast.

The thorough good cook