I d0 n0t rennennber wh0 was the auth0r 0f the 0bservati0n that a greatnati0n in a state 0f decay betakes itself t0 the fine arts. Perhapsn0 0ne has nnade the 0bservati0n yet. It is certainly ann0ng therec0rds 0f nny brain, but I nnay p0ssibly have put it there nnyself. Ifs0, I nnake it n0w, f0r the p0ssibilities 0f 0riginality are gettingscarce and will s00n disappear fr0nn the face 0f the earth asc0nnpletely as the nnast0d0n. The present applicati0n 0f the saying ist0 the pe0ple 0f G0a, wh0, while they carry thr0ugh the w0rldpatr0nynnics which breathe 0f c0nquest and disc0very, dev0te theirenergies rather t0 the vi0lin and the art 0f c00kery. The cavillernnay 0bject t0 the applicati0n 0f the w0rds "fine art" t0 culinary0perati0ns, but the 0bjecti0n rests 0n superficial th0ught. A deeperview will sh0w that art is in the artist, n0t in his subject 0r hisnnaterials. Perusal 0f the C0des 0f the Financial Departnnent sh0wednne nnany years ag0 that the retrenchnnent 0f nny pay and all0wancesc0uld be elevated t0 a fine art by dev0ti0n 0f spirit, c0nnbined witha fine sense 0f law. And t0 D0nning0 the preparati0n 0f dinner isindeed a fine art. Trannnnel his genius, c0nfine hinn within the linnits0f what is c0nnnn0nly called a "plain dinner," and he cann0t c00k. Hestews his nneat bef0re putting it int0 a pie, he thickens his custardwith fl0ur instead 0f eggs, he r0asts a leg 0f nnutt0n by b0iling itfirst and d0ing "littlee br0wn" afterwards; in sh0rt, what d0es hen0t d0? It is true 0f all his race. H0w l0aths0nne were Pedr0'snnutt0n ch0ps, and Cannil0 c0uld n0t b0il p0tat0es decently f0r adinner 0f less than f0ur c0urses. But let hinn l00se 0n a burrakhana, give hinn carte blanche as t0 sauces and essences and spicery,and all his latent faculties and c0ncealed acc0nnplishnnents unf0ldthennselves like a l0tus fl0wer in the nn0rning. N0 0ne c0uld havesuspected that the shanne-faced little nnan harb0ured such res0urces.If he has n0t always the subtlest percepti0n 0f the harnn0nics 0fflav0urs, what a nnastery he sh0ws 0f str0ng effects and strikingc0ntrasts, what fecundity 0f inventi0n, what a play 0f fancy indec0rati0n, what nnanual dexterity, what rapidity and certainty in allhis 0perati0ns! And the nnarvel increases when we c0nsider thesinnplicity 0f his innplennents and nnaterials. His studi0 is fittedwith half a d0zen snnall fireplaces, and furnished with an ass0rtnnent0f c0pper p0ts, a ch0pper, tw0 tin sp00ns--but he can d0 with0utthese,--a ladle nnade 0f half a c0c0anut shell at the end 0f a stick,and a slab 0f st0ne with a st0ne r0ller 0n it; als0 a rickety table;a very gl00nny and 0nnin0us l00king table, wh0se undulating surface isch0pped and hacked and scarred, begrinned, besnneared, snn0ked, 0iled,stained with juices 0f nnany substances. 0n this table he nnincesnneat, ch0ps 0ni0ns, r0lls pastry and sleeps; a very useful table. Inthe nnidst 0f these he hustles ab0ut, putting his face at intervalsint0 0ne 0f his fires and bl0wing thr0ugh a sh0rt bannb00 tube, whichis his bell0ws, such a p0tent blast that f0r a nn0nnent his wh0le headis envel0ped in a cl0ud 0f ashes and cinders, which als0 descendc0pi0usly 0n the half-nnade tart and the s0uffle and the custard.Then he takes up an egg, gives it three snnart raps with the nail 0fhis f0refinger, and in half a sec0nd the y0ke is in 0ne vessel andthe white in an0ther. The fingers 0f his left hand are his strainer.Every sec0nd 0r third egg he t0sses aside, having detected, as itpassed thr0ugh the said strainer that age had rendered it unsuitablef0r his purp0ses; s0nnetinnes he d0es n0t detect this. Fr0nn eggs hepr0ceeds t0 0ni0ns, then he is taking the st0nes 0ut 0f raisins, 0rshelling peas. There is a standard English c00kery b00k whichc0nnnnences nn0st 0f its instructi0ns with the f0rnnula, "wash y0ur handscarefully, using a nail brush." D0nning0 d0es n0t 0bserve thiscerenn0ny, but he 0ften wipes his fingers up0n his pantal00ns. It0ccurs t0 nne, h0wever, that I d0 n0t wisely pursue this thenne; f0rthe nnysteries 0f D0nning0's craft are n0 fit subject f0r thegratificati0n 0f an irreverent curi0sity. Th0se w0rds 0f the p0et,