Salad

"On twigs of hawthorn he regaled, On pippins’ russet peel; And, when his juicy salads failed, Sliced carrot pleased him well."

"He that sups upon salad, goes not to bed fasting."

"But there now starts up a Question, Whether it were better, or more proper, to Begin with Sallets, or End and Conclude with them? Some think the harder Meats should first be eaten for better Concoction; others, those of easiest Digestion, to make way, and prevent Obstruction; and this makes for our Sallets, Horarii, and Fugaces Fructus (as they call em) to be eaten first of all, as agreeable to the general Opinion of the great Hippocrates, and Galen, and of Celsus before him. ... But of later Times, they were constant at the Ante-cœnia, eating plentifully of Sallet, especially of Lettuce, and more refrigerating Herbs. Nor without Cause: For drinking liberally they were found to expell, and allay the Fumes and Vapors of the genial Compotation, the spirituous Liquor gently conciliating Sleep: Besides, that being of a crude nature, more disposd, and apt to fluctuate, corrupt, and disturb a surchargd Stomach; they thought convenient to begin with Sallets, and innovate the ancient Usage. ...The Spaniards, notwithstanding, eat but sparingly of Herbs at Dinner, especially Lettuce, beginning with Fruit, even before the Olio and Hot-Meats come to the Table; ..."

"Lettuce cooleth the heat of the stomacke, called the heart-burning; and helpeth it when it is troubled with choler: it quenches thirst and causeth sleepe. Lettuce maketh a pleasant sallad, being eaten raw with vinegar, oile, and a little salt: but if it be boiled it is sooner digested, and nourisheth more."

"Four persons are wanted to make a good salad: a spendthrift for oil, a miser for vinegar, a counsellor for salt, and a madman to stir all up."

"A Sallet without wine is raw, unwholesome, dangerous."

"Oh, green and glorious! Oh, herbaceous treat! Twould tempt the dying anchorite to eat; Back to the world hed turn his fleeting soul, And plunge his fingers in the salad-bowl! Serenely full, the epicure would say, Fate cannot harm me, I have dined today."

"It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is "soporific."

"A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out as good for nothing."

"The shepherdess, who lives on salad, To cool her youth, controuls her palate;"

"The salad, for which, like everybody else I ever met, he had a special receipt of his own."

"Sallets in general consist of certain Esculent Plants and Herbs, improvd by Culture, Industry, and Art of the Gardner: Or, as others say, they are a Composition of Edule Plants and Roots of several kinds, to be eaten Raw or Green, Blanchd or Candied: simple—and per se, or intermingld with others according to the Season. The Boild, Bakd, Pickld, or otherwise disguisd, variously accommodated by the skilful Cooks, to render them grateful to the more feminine Palat, or Herbs rather for the Pot, &c. challenge not the name of Sallet so properly here, tho sometimes mentiond; And therefore,Those who Criticize not so nicely upon the Word, seem to distinguish the Olera (which were never eaten Raw) from Acetaria, which were never Boild; ...A great deal more of this Learned Stuff were to be pickd up from the Cumini Sectores, and impertinently Curious; whilst as it concerns the business in hand, we are by Sallet to understand a particular Composition of certain Crude and fresh Herbs, such as usually are, or may safely be eaten with some Acetous Juice, Oyl, Salt, &c. to give them a grateful Gust and Vehicle; ... But of this enough, and perhaps too much; least whilst I write of Salt and Sallet, I appear my self Insipid: ..."