French Bread (1699)

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A JOURNEY TO PARIS IN THE YEAR 1698
by Dr. Martin Lister

(VOYAGES AND TRAVELS
by John Pinkerton
Volume Fourth
1811)

   OED cites this work (1699) about 81 times, yet not for "French Bread."  OED's has that from 1686, then 1836.
   The detailed food/drink section is of special interest.

Pg. 154:  OF THE FOOD OF THE PARISIANS.
   The diet of the Parisians consists chiefly of bread and herbs; it is here as with us, finer and coarser.  But the common bread, or pain de gonesse, which is brought twice a week into Paris from a village so called, is purely white, and firm, and light, and made altogether with leaven; mostly in three pound loaves, and 3d. a pound.  That which is baked in Paris is coarser and much worse.
   As for the fine manchet, or French bread, as we call it, I cannot much commend it; it is of late, since the quantity of beer that is brewed in Paris, often so bitter, that it is not to be eaten, and we far exceed them now in this particular in London.

Pg. 155:  Also leeks, rockhamboy, and shallots are here in great use.
(Rockhamboy?  Not in OED?--ed.)

Pg. 156:  ...Silesian or Roman lettuce...
(OED has "Silesian"--by itself, without "lettuce"--only from 1645--ed.)

Pg. 157:  The French say, there are no bad moriglios; but there are bad mushrooms.

Pg. 157:  There is such plenty of macreuse, a sort of sea ducks...
   I remember we had at our treat at the king's charge at Versailles, a macreuse pie near two feet diameter, for it was in lent; which being high seasoned, did go down very well with rare burgundy.
(Macreuse=Scoter.  Fairly early cite for "burgundy"--ed.)

Pg. 158:  THE WINES FOLLOW, AND WATER TO DRINK.
   The wines about Paris are very small, yet good in their kind; those de Surene are excellent some years; but in all the taverns they have a way to make them into the fashion of Champagne and Burgundy.
(OED has "Champagne" from 1664, but this is the first cite with the usual spelling--ed.)

Pg. 160:  Vattee is a sort of perfumed strong water from Provence, made (as it is pretended) of muscat wine distilled with citron pills and orange flowers.
("Vattee" not in OED?--ed.)

Pg. 160:  Add to these drinks the daily use of coffee with sugar, tea, and chocolate, which is as much in use in private houses in Paris, as with us in London; and these sugared liquors also add considerably to their corpulency.
(I didn't spot "cafe au lait"--ed.)