Lettuce Soup

Cool and press out all the water from about two dozen blanched lettuces, cut
them down the centres without entirely separating, dust over salt and pepper, and
place them in a saucepan with half a pint of veal broth, and the same of rich fowl consomme,
add a small bunch of parsley, a clove, one onion, one carrot, and a little
thyme and bay leaf. Cover with a sheet of buttered paper, place the lid on the pan,
and boil the lettuce gently for two hours. Take them out, drain on a cloth, cut them
into halves, place them in a soup tureen, pour in the strained stock in which they
were cooked, together with three pints more of boiling broth, and serve with pieces of
toast floating on the top.