The  General  breakfasted  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  summer  and
at  eight  in  the  winter.  He  dined  at  two,  and  drank  tea  early
in  the  evening  ;  supper  he  eschewed  altogether.  His  breakfast
was  very  frugal,  and  at  this  meal  he  drank  tea,  of  which  he  was
extremely  fond.  He  dined  well,  but  was  not  difficult  to  please
in  the  choice  of  his  viands.  There  were  usually  eight  or  ten
large  dishes  of  meat  and  pastry,  with  vegetables,  followed  by  a
second  course  of  pastry.  After  the  removal  of  the  cloth  the
ladies  retired,  and  the  gentlemen,  as  was  then  the  fashion,  par-
took of  Avine.  Madeira,  of  which  he  drank  a  couple  of  glasses
out  of  silver  camp  cups,  was  the  General's  favorite  wine.
Washington  sat  long  at  table.  An  officer  who  dined  with
him  says  the  repast  occupied  two  hours,  during  which  the  Gen-
eral was  toasting  and  conversing  all  the  time.  One  of  his  aides
was  seated  every  day  at  the  bottom  of  the  table,  near  the  Gen-
eral, to  serve  the  company  and  distribute  the  bottles.  Wash-
ington's mess-chest,  camp  equipage,  and  horse  equipments  were
complete  and  elegant ;  he  broke  all  his  own  horses.
