Early English Meals and Manners Part 24

of kervyng{e} ye will{e} me teche, and e fayr{e} handlyng{e} of a knyfe, y yow beseche, and all{e} wey wher{e} y shall{e} all{e} man{er} fowles / breke, vnlace, or seche,[67]

and w{i}t{h} Fysch{e} or flesch{e}, how shall{e} y demene me w{i}t{h} eche." 316

[Text note: MS. comynge.]

[Sidenote: 'Hold your knife tight, with two fingers and a thumb,]

++"Son, thy knyfe must be bryght, fayr{e}, & clene, and yne hand{es} fair{e} wasch{e}, it wold e well{e} be sene.

hold alwey thy knyfe sur{e}, y self not to tene, and pa.s.se not ij. fyngurs & a thombe on thy knyfe so kene; 320

[Sidenote: in your midpalm. Do your carving, lay your bread, and take off trenchers, with two fingers and thumb.]

In mydde wey of thyne hande set the ende of e haft Sur{e}, Vnlasyng{e} & mynsyng{e} .ij. fyngur{s} w{i}t{h} e thombe / {a}t may ye endur{e}.

kervyng{e} / of bred leiyng{e} / voydyng{e} / of cromes & trenchewr{e}, w{i}t{h} ij. fyngurs and a thombe / loke ye haue e Cure. 324

[Sidenote: Never touch others' food with your right hand, but only with the left.]

Sett neu{er} on fysch{e} nor flesch{e} / beest / nor fowle, trewly, Moor{e} an ij. fyngurs and a thombe, for at is curtesie.

Touche neu{er} w{i}t{h} your{e} right hande no man{er} mete surely, but w{i}t{h} your lyft hande / as y seid afor{e}, for {a}t is goodlye. 328

[Sidenote: Don't dirty your table or wipe your knives on it.]

All{e}-wey w{i}t{h} your{e} lift hand hold yo{ur} loof w{i}t{h} myght, [Fol. 175b.]

and hold your{e} knyfe Sur{e}, as y haue geue yow sight.

enbrewe[68] not your{e} table / for an ye do not ryght, ne {er}-vppon ye wipe your{e} knyff{es}, but on your{e} napkyn plight. 332

[Sidenote: Take a loaf of trenchers, and with the edge of your knife raise a trencher, and lay it before your lord;]

Furst take a loofe of trenchurs in y lifft hande, an take y table knyfe,[69] as y haue seid afor{e} hande; w{i}t{h} the egge of e knyfe your{e} trencher{e} vp be ye reysande as nyghe e poynt as ye may, to-for{e} your{e} lord hit leyande; 336

[Sidenote: lay four trenchers four-square, and another on the top.

Take a loaf of light bread,]

right so .iiij. trenchers oon by a-nothur .iiij. squar{e} ye sett, and vppon o trenchurs .iiij. a trenchur sengle w{i}t{h}-out lett; an take your{e} loof of light payne / as y haue said ?ett, and w{i}t{h} the egge of e knyfe nygh{e} your hand ye kett. 340

[Sidenote: pare the edges, cut the upper crust for your lord,]

Furst par{e} e quarters of the looff round all{e} a-bowt, an kutt e vpper crust / for your{e} sou{er}ayne, & to hym alowt.

Suffer{e} your{e} parell{e}[70] to stond still{e} to e botom / & so ny?e y-spend owt, so ley hym of e cromes[A] a quarter of e looff Saunc? dowt; 344

[Text note: MS. _may be_ coomes.]

[Sidenote: and don't touch it after it's trimmed. Keep your table clean.]

Touche neu{er} e loof aft{ur} he is so tamed, put it, [on] a plater{e} or e almes disch {er}-for{e} named.

Make clene your{e} bord eu{er}, an shall{e} ye not be blamed, an may e sewer{e} his lord s{er}ue / & neyth{ur} of yow be gramed[71] 348

[Headnote: FUMOSITEES.]

[Sidenote: _Indigestibilities._]

Fumositees.

[Sidenote: You must know what meat is indigestible, and what sauces are wholesome.]

++Of all{e} man{er} met{es} ye must thus know & fele e fumositees of fysch, flesch{e}, & fowles dyu{er}s & feele, And all{e} man{er} of Sawc{es} for fisch{e} & flesch{e} to p{re}serue yo{ur} lord in heele; to yow it behouyth to knew all{e} ese eu{er}y deele." 352

++"Syr, hertyly y pray yow for to telle me Certenle of how many met{es} at ar fumose in eir{e} degre."

[Sidenote: These things are indigestible:]

++"In certeyn, my son, at sone shall{e} y shew the by letturs dyu{er}s told{e} by thries thre, 356

[Sidenote: Fat and Fried, Raw and Resty, Salt and Sour,]

+F, R,+ and +S+ / in dyu{er}se tyme and tyde +F+ is e furst / at is, ++Fatt, ++Fa.r.s.ed, & ++Fried; +R+, ++raw / ++resty, and ++rechy, ar combero{us} vndefied; +S+ / ++salt / ++sowre / and ++sowse[72] / all{e} suche ow set a-side, 360

[Sidenote: also sinews, skin, hair, feathers, crops, heads, pinions, &c., legs, outsides of thighs, skins;]

w{i}t{h} other of the same sort, and lo thus ar thay, Senowis, skynnes / heer{e} / Cropyns[73] / yong{e} fedurs for certen y say, heedis / py{n}nyns, boonis / all{e} ese pyke away, Suffir neu{er} y sou{er}ayne / to fele em, y the pray / 364

[Sidenote: these destroy your lord's rest.']

All{e} man{er} leggis also, bothe of fowle and beestis, the vttur side of the thygh{e} or legge of all{e} fowlis in feest{is}, the fumosite of all{e} man{er} skynnes y p{ro}mytt e{e} by heestis, all{e} ese may benym[74] y sou{er}ayne / from many nyght{is} rest{is}." 368

[Headnote: KERUYNG OF FLESH.]

[Sidenote: 'Thanks, father, I'll put your teaching into practice, and pray for you.]

++"Now fayr{e} befall{e} yow fadur / & well{e} must ye cheve,[75]

For these poyntes by practik y hope full{e} well{e} to p{re}ve, and yet shall{e} y p{ra}y for yow / dayly while at y leue / bothe for body and sowle / at G.o.d yow gyde from greve; 372

[Sidenote: But please tell me how to carve fish and flesh.']

Prayng{e} yow to take it, fadur / for no displesur{e}, yf y durst desir{e} mor{e} / and at y myght{e} be sur{e} to know e kervyng{e} of fisch{e} & flesch{e} / aftur c.o.c.k{es} cur{e}: y hed leu{er} e sight of that / than A Scarlet hur{e}."[76] 376

[Sidenote: _Carving of Meat._]

Kervyng of flesh:

[Sidenote: Cut _brawn_ on the dish, and lift slices off with your knife;]

++"Son, take y knyfe as y taught e while er{e}, kut bravne in e disch{e} ri?t as. .h.i.t lieth{e} ther{e}, and to y sou{er}eynes trenchour{e} / w{i}t{h} e knyfe / ye h{i}t ber{e}: pare e fatt {er}-from / be war{e} of hide & heer{e}. 380

[Sidenote: serve it with mustard. Venison with furmity.]