Beauvilliers
starting in 1782, was for many years the most famous restaurateur in Paris. He was the first to make the restaurant perfect in every detail as we have it now, with an elegant dining-room, with well-appointed tables, with waiters properly attired, in addition to a firstrate cellar and a perfect kitchen. He made and lost his fortune several times over, so that his success was variable; but when he was at his best no one ever surpassed him in his profession. As he spoke many languages, he was in special favour with foreigners, and he had a rare tact in entertaining his guests. In the latter part of his career (1814) he published in two volumes L'Art du Cuisinier. Becafico It was the best cookery book that had ever been published-simple, methodical, and exact. It is now out of date, but it may still be consulted with advantage. Carême was very jealous of the book, and he and his following were fond of pointing out that its author was no great cook. Beauvilliers, though an admirable manager, may not have been a great cook, but still his work is of immense authority. Nestor Roqueplan has asserted, but I know not on what grounds, that he was assisted in its preparation by Brillat-Savarin. The book is a great landmark in the history of the kitchen. Its receipts are classical, and show precisely the position of the art on the fall of the French Empire. Beauvilliers and Carême may be taken as representative men at the head of two opposite schools of cookery, which have been playfully described by Mr. Hayward as the classical and the romantic. "Having spoken," says Mr. Hayward, "of Beauvilliers and Carême as chiefs of two rival schools of art, we may naturally be expected to distinguish them. We should say that Beauvilliers was more remarkable for judgment and Carême for invention-that Beauvilliers exhausted the old world of art and Carême discovered a new one-that Beauvilliers rigidly adhered to the unities and Carême snatched a grace beyond them-that there was more aplomb in the touch of Beauvilliers, more curious felicity in Carême's that Beauvilliers was great in an entrée and Carême sublime in an entremet-that we would bet Beauvilliers against the world for a rôt; but should wish Carême to prepare the sauce were we under the necessity of eating up an elephant or our grandfather."