(1549-1556).

[This is a dinner bill of fare, with which the city of Halle honored Charles V. on a fast-day.]

1. Raisins in malt-flour,

2. Fried eggs,

3. Pancakes,

4. Steamed carrots,

5. Fried slices of bread,

6. A covered porridge,

7. A high pasty,

8. Pea-soup with marrow, covered richly with peas and eggs,

9. Yellow codfish, boiled in butter, 10. Carps, boiled,

11. Fried fish, with bitter oranges, spiced,

12. Sweet pikes,

13. Pulverized kernels, with almonds,

14. Maize in almonds' milk,

15. Fried fish, with small olives,

16. Cakes,

17. Pears and confect.

" His Majesty ate heartily, God bless His appetite, and took only three draughts from a Venetian glass."

What Kinds of Wines

And in which Order

Should They be Served at a Repast?

What Kind of Wine and in Which order Should they be Served at a Repast?

Wine is, at each and every festival, of such importance, that it at least requires the same care and attention as the meals: if these form but the material part of a banquet, then wine represents its intellectual, psychical contents, and there is nothing more provoking to a true gourmand than to have the most select meals served with ordinary or inferior wines, or in improper combination. It requires much knowledge and intellect, not only to select really good and genuine wines, and to keep them in the best possible condition, but to pick them out deliberately in harmony with the dishes, and to have them brought on the table in a manner to show all their excellency. The old Greeks and Romans used to mix their wines with water, and this habit was followed through the greater part of the mediaeval age, because adulteration of wines was nearly unknown. The praiseworthiness of certain brands was found out but gradually, and several interesting little stories may illustrate this: A butler of Bishop John de Fugger had to travel ahead of His Eminence and to mark every inn where he should find good and palatable wine, with the word Est (is). Now, one day he came to Monte Fiasco, and was so delighted with the beverage he found there, that he marked on the entrance door of the inn: "Est, Est, Est." The bishop came, remained there, and drank himself to a blessed death.

Less known, but not less interesting, is the following story which, however, seems to be in little accordance with the historical facts we put down in regard to champagne wines. Emperor Wenzel (1378-1400) came to Rheims in the year 1397 to make a treaty with Charles VI. of France. He found the wine that grew in the vicinity superior to all others; on its account he delayed the treaty, and when, finally, it was agreed upon he could not yet possibly make up his mind to leave the so hospitable city of Rheims, but devoted another entire year to the study of the wines of the neighborhood.

Besides the discrimination of wines, according to their color, into red and white ones, we may divide them also as follows: 1. Sweet, or so-called liquor wines. 2. Acidulous wines. 3. Tannic wines. 4. Alcoholic wines. 5. Sparkling wines.

We do not intend to bore the kind reader by enumerating the hundreds of brands both in this country and in Europe; we want only to show how, at a dinner, wines should be combined with the different courses. For every two to four guests a bottle of red wine and one of a light white wine is required, e.g., St. Julien, Pontet Canet, or Ober-Ingelheimer, Affenthaler and Markgrafler; after the soup, port wine, Madeira, sherry, Malvasy, Marsala, etc.; selected wines are served in small glasses. A good white wine, as Forster, Rauenthaler, Pisporter, or another Rhine or Moselle wine, but light, is given with the fish; with the re-leves and entrees, Bordeaux; with ragouts, mayonnaises, or vegetables and chops, Burgundy or heavy Rhine wine; with the roast, champagne; to pasties and entremets serve a fine, red wine, but not too acidulous, e.g., St. Emilion, Brane Mouton, Chateau Margaux; for the dessert, a heavy sweet wine, as Malaga, Mus-cat-Lunel, Alicante, Rivesaltes, Tokay, Menescher, Frontignan, Syracuse, or Greek wine.

This is, of course, only to be followed at great banquets when you want to make a display; for smaller parties a good Bordeaux, a good Rhine wine or Moselle, and perhaps a bottle of champagne, or one of sweet wine will be sufficient.

For "dejeuners" mostly a light red and a white wine are served, with one or two brands of heavy sweet wines. If the dejeuner be warm, you give Chablis to oysters, Moselle to fish or meat salads, Bordeaux to chops, roast beef, etc., white Burgundy or fine Rhine wine to roasts; to bread, butter, and cheese English ale, Bavarian beer or porter, or, at discretion, a Spanish or Hungarian wine.

For supper never serve any of those heavy sweet wines, but take Bordeaux, Rhine wine, or another good white wine, and let follow champagne or a bowl.

All these wines must have a certain degree of temperature when they develop their virtues best; without it the "bouquet" of a wine will never be developed fully. The lighter white wines must be served very fresh and cool; put inferior Rhine wines and Moselle on ice, but fine Rhine wines and white Bordeaux must never be too cold; red wine ought to have a temperature of about 58°-6o° F.; Burgundy is to be of the common cellar temperature, as also Hungarian wines, Madeira, Malaga, and all heavy sweet wines; the latter ones ought to be rather warm than cold, and be taken from the cellar a while before using. Champagne, however, must be very cold and be frappe for this purpose, i. e., it must be placed in a cooler with cracked ice mixed with a little salt.