Robert Southey

“ As for those who make it their business to hide their candle under a bushel, to do only good to themselves, and not to others, such as will curse me for revealing the secrets of this art, I value the discharge of mine own conscience in doing good, above all their malice ”

“ 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 desire to see what is in the pies ”

“ His prenticeship being out, the Lady Dormer sent for him to be her cook under his "father, (who then served that honourable lady) where were four cooks more, such noble houses were then kept, the glory of that, and shame of this present age: then were those golden days, wherein were practised the Triumphs and Trophies of Cookery; then was hospitality esteemed, neighbourhood preserved, the poor cherished, and God honoured; then was religion less talked on and more practised; then was atheism and schism less in fashion; and then did men strive to be good, rather than to seem so." ”

“ To you first, most worthy Artists, I acknowledge one of the chief motives that made me to adventure this volume to your censures, hath been to testify my gratitude to your experienced society nor could I omit to direct it to you, as It hath been my ambition that you should be sensible of my proficiency of endeavours in this art. To all honest well-intending men of our profession, or other, this book cannot but be acceptable, as it plainly and profitably discovers the mystery of the whole art ”