New Holland,.. a much more easy solution of the apparent wonder than Captain Percival's hypothesis. Yet I have been assured that small fish have been found in India, after a shower, upon the roof of a house. The thing was affirmed so positively that it could not be disbelieved without rejecting the direct testimony of one whose veracity there was every reason for believing; it certainly appears impossible, nevertheless it ought to be mentioned in justice to Captain Percival's opinion. The stories which are to be found also of its raining frogs, might have been quoted by that author as cases in point.

196. Triumphs and Trophies in Cookery, to be used at Festival Times, as Twelth Day, &c.

"Make the likeness of a ship in pasteboard with flags and streamers, the guns belonging to it of kickses, bind them about with pack-thread and cover them with

paste porportionable to the fashion of a cannon with carriages; lay them in places convenient, as you see them in ships of war, with such holes and trains of powder that they may all take fire. Place your ships firm in a great charger; then make a salt round about it, and stick therein egg-shells full of sweet water; you may by a great pin take out all the meat out of the egg by blowing, and then fill it with rose - water. Then in another charger have the proportion of a stag made of coarse paste, with a broad arrow in the side of him, and his body filled up with claret wine. In another charger at the end of the stag have the proportion of a castle with battlements, percullices, gates, and drawbridges, made of pasteboard, the guns of kickses, and covered with coarse paste as the former; place it at a distance from the ship to fire at each other. The stag being placed betwixt them, with egg-shells full of sweet water (as before) placed in salt.

At each side of the charger wherein is the stag, place a pie made of coarse paste, in one of which let there be some live frogs, in the other live birds; make these pies of coarse paste, filled with bran, and yellowed over with saffron, or yolks of eggs : gild them over in spots, as also the stag, the ship and castle; bake them, and place them with gilt bay leaves on the turrets and tunnels of the castle and pies'; being baked make a hole in the bottom of your pies, take out the bran, put in your frogs and birds, and close up the holes with the same coarse paste; then cut the lids neatly up to be taken off by the tunnels. Being all placed in order upon the table, before you fire the trains of powder order it so that some of the ladies may be persuaded to pluck the ar row out of the stag; then will the claret wine follow, as blood running out of a wound. This being done with admiration to the beholders, after some short pause, fire the train of the castle, that

the pieces all of one side may go off; then fire the trains of one side of the ship as in a battle; next turn the chargers, and by degrees fire the trains of each other side, as before. This done, to sweeten the stink of the powder, the ladies take the egg shells full of sweet waters, and throw them at each other, all dangers being seemed over, and by this time you may suppose they will de sire to see what is in the pies; when lifting first the lid off one pie, out skips some frogs, which makes the ladies to skip and shriek; next after the other pie, whence comes out the birds; who by a natural instinct flying at the light, will put out the candles; so that what with the flying birds and skipping frogs, the one above, the other beneath, will cause much delight and pleasure to the whole com

:

pany at length the candles are lighted and a banquet brought in, the music sounds, and every one with much delight and content rehearses their actions

in the former passages. These were formerly the delights of the nobility, before good house-keeping had left England, and the sword really acted that which was only counterfeited in such honest and laudable exercises as these."

The book from which this account of the Triumphs and Trophies in Cookery has been extracted, bears the following title.

The Accomplisht Cook, or the Art and Mystery of Cookery, wherein the whole Art is revealed in a more easie and perfect method, than hath been publisht in any Language. Expert and ready wayes for the dressing of all sorts of Flesh, Fowl and Fish; the raising of Pastes; the best directions for all manner of Kickshaws, and the most Poinant Sauces; with the Tearms of Carving and Sewing. An exact Account of all Dishes for the Season, with other. A la mode curiosities. Together with the lively Illustrations of such necessary Figures as are referred to practice.