Early English Meals and Manners Part 48

The Squyer

He toke a white yeard in his hande, Before the kynge than gane he stande, And sone he sat hym on his knee, And serued the kynge ryght royally With deynty meates that were dere, With Partryche, Pec.o.c.ke, and Plouere, With byrdes in bread ybake, The Tele, the Ducke, and the Drake, The c.o.c.ke, the Corlewe, and the Crane, With Fesauntes fayre, theyr ware no wane, Both Storkes and Snytes ther were also, And venyson freshe of Bucke and Do, And other deyntes many one, For to set afore the kynge anone.

l. 312-27, _E. Popular Poetry_, v. 2, p. 36.

Several of the names of the dishes in Russell are used burlesquely in the Feest of the Turnament of Tottenham, _E. Pop. P._, v. 3, pp. 94-6, "saduls sewys, mashefatts in mortrewys, mylstones in mawmary, iordans in iussall, chese-crustis in charlett," &c.

l. 688, _Swan._ "Cap. xxviij. The Swan{n}e is veri a fayr birde, w{i}t{h} whyte feders / & it hath a blacke skinne & flesshe / the mariner seeth hy{m} gladly / for whan he is mery, the mariner is without sorowe or dau{n}ger; & all his strengthe is in his wy{n}ges / and he is coleryke of complexio{n} / & whan they will engender, than they stryke wyth theyr nebbys toged{er}, and cast theyr neckes ouer eche other as yf thei wolden brace eche other; so come they togeder, but the male doth hurt {the} female; & as sone as he beknoweth that he hathe hurte her, tha{n} he departeth frome her co{m}pani in all the haste possible / and she pursueth after for to reuenge it / but {the} anger is sone past, & she wa.s.sheth her with her bylle in the water / and clenseth herselfe agayne." --L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe._ Pt. II. sign. m. 1.

l. 688, _Feysaund._ "Cap. xlvi. Fascian{us} is a wyld c.o.c.ke or a fesa{n}t c.o.c.ke that byde in the forestes, & it is a fayre byrde with goodly feders. but he hath no co{m}mbe as other c.o.c.kes haue / and they be alway alone except whane they wylle be by the henne. and they that will take this bird / and in many places the byrders doth thus, they pay{n}te the figure of this fayre byrde in a cloth, & holdeth it before hym / & whan this birde seeth so fayr a figure of hym selfe / he goeth nother forward nor bacwarde / but he standeth still, staringe vpon his figure / & sodenly commeth another, and casteth a nette ouer his hede, and taketh hym. Thys byrde morneth sore in fowle weder, & hideth hym from the rayne vnder {the} busshes. Towarde {the} morninge and towardes night, than com{m}eth he out of the busshe, and is ofte{n}times so taken, & he putteth his hede in the grou{n}d, & he weneth that all his boddy is hyden / and his flessh is very light and good to disiest." --L.

Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe._ Pt. II. (m. 4.)

l. 689. _Vensoun bake_, or Venison Pasty. Of the Hart and Hinde, Topsel says, "The flesh is tender, especially if the beast were libbed before his horns grew: yet is not the juice of that flesh very wholesome, and therefore _Galen_ adviseth men to abstain as much from Harts flesh as from a.s.ses, for it engendereth melancholy; yet it is better in Summer then in Winter. _Simeon Sethi_, speaking of the hot Countries, forbiddeth to eat them in Summer, because then they eat Serpents, and so are venemous; which falleth not out in colder Nations, and therefore a.s.signeth them rather to be eaten in Winter time, because the concoctive powers are more stronger through plenty of inward heat; but withal admonisheth, that no man use to eat much of them, for it will breed Palsies and trembling in mans body, begetting grosse humors, which stop the Milt and Liver: and _Auicen_ proveth, that by eating thereof men incur the quartane Ague; wherefore it is good to powder them with salt before the dressing, and then seasoned with Peper and other things, known to every ordinary Cook and woman, they make of them Pasties in most Nations," p. 103, ed. 1658.

l. 694. _Blanchmanger_, a made dish of Cream, Eggs, and Sugar, put into an open puff paste bottom, with a loose cover. _Blamanger_, is a Capon roast or boile, minced small, planched (sic) Almonds beaten to paste, Cream, Eggs, Grated Bread, Sugar and Spices boiled to a pap. R. Holme.

l. 694. _Po = tage_ is strong Broth of Meat, with Herbs and Spices Boiled. _Pottage_ is the Broth of Flesh or Fowl, with Herbs and Oatmeal boiled therein. R. Holme.

l. 694, _Vensoun_; and l. 696, _Heironsew_.

But many men byn nowe so lekerous That they can not leve by store of howse, As brawne, bakyn, or powderd beef; Such lyvelod now ys no man leef, But venyson, wyldfowle or heronsewes, So newfanggell be these men of her thewes; Moche medlyd wyne all day men drynke; j haue wyste wyldfowle sum tyme stynke.

_Piers of Fullham_, ll. 171-8, p. 8, v. 2, of _Early Popular Poetry_, ed. Hazlitt, 1866.

l. 695, _Bustard._ "Cap. xv. The Bistarda is a birde as great as an egle, of {th}e maner of an egle, and of suche colour, saue in {th}e winges & in the tayle it hath some white feders; he hath a crooked byll, & longe talants. and it is slowe of flight / & wha{n} he is on the grownde, than must he ryse .iij. or iiij. tymes or he can come to any fulle flight. he taketh his mete on the erth; for .v. or .vi. of them togeder be so bold that they festen on a shepe & tere hy{m} a-sonder / & so ete the flesshe of him / & this birde dothe ete also of dede bestes & stinkyn caryon, and it eteth also gra.s.se & grene erbes / & it layth his eggis vpon the grou{n}de, & bredeth the{m} out the while that {th}e corne groweth on the felde." --L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe_, L ij back.

l. 695, _Crane._ "Cap. lix. The Crane is a great byrde / and whan they flye, they be a greate many of them to-gyder in ordre, and a-monge the{m} they chose a kynge the whiche they obey / whan the crane sleepth, than standeth he vpon one fote w{i}t{h} his hede vnder his winges / & ther is one {tha}t kepeth the wache w{i}t{h} his hede vpryght to-wardes {th}e ayre / & wha{n} they ete, tha{n} the kynge kepeth the wache fore them, and than the cranes ete w{i}t{h}out sorowe. Aristotiles sayth {tha}t aboue Egipt in farre lo{n}des come the cranes in the wi{n}ter / and there the fight w{i}t{h} the pygmeis as before is shewed in {th}e .c. & .xvi. chapter.[*]

[Footnote *: Pigmeis be men & women, & but one cubite longe, dwellinge in {th}e mountaynes of ynde | they be full growen at their third yere, & at their seue{n} yere they be olde | & they gader them in may a grete co{m}pany togeder, & arme them in theyr best maner | and tha{n} go they to the water syde, & where-so-euer they fynde any cranes nestis they breake all the egges, & kyll all the yonges {tha}t they fynde | and this they do because {th}e cranes do them many displeasures, & fight with them oftentymes, & do the{m} great scathe | but these folke couer their houses w{i}t{h} the cranes feders & egshels. fol. h. ij. back.]

The Operacion.

Rasi. The flesshe of him is grosse, & not good to disiest / & it maketh mela{n}colious blode. -- The crane that is kille in somer shalbe hanged vp one daye / and in winter season .ij. dayes or it be eten, and than it is the more disiestious." --L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe._ Pt. II. (n. iij.)

l. 695, _peac.o.c.k._ "Paon revestu. A Peac.o.c.ke flayed, parboyled, larded, and stucke thicke with Cloues; then roasted, with his feet wrapped vp to keepe them from scorching; then couered againe with his owne skinne as soone as he is cold, and so vnderpropped that, as aliue, hee seemes to stand on his legs: In this equipage a gallant, and daintie seruice."

--1611, _Cotgrave._

l. 695, _Peac.o.c.k._ "Pauo / the pec.o.c.ke is a very fayre byrde / and it hath a longe necke, and hath on his hede feders lyke a lytell crowne / he hathe a longe tayle the whyche he setteth on hye very rycheli, but whan he loketh on hys lothly fete, he lateth his tayle sinke. Be nyght, whan the Pec.o.c.ke can nat see hymselfe, tha{n} he cryeth ernefully, and thynketh that he hath lost hys beautye / and with his crye he feareth all serpentes / in suche maners {tha}t they dare nat abyde in those places whereas they here hym crye / and whan the pec.o.c.ke cly{m}meth hye, that is a token of rayne ... also the pec.o.c.ke is envious & wylle nat knowe his yonges tyll that they haue {th}e crowne of feders vpon theyr hede, and that they begynne to lyken hym.... The flesshe of hy{m} will nat lightely rote nor stynke / and it is euyll flesshe to disiest, for it can nat lightely be rosted or soden ynough." --L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe_ (o. iv.), Cap. xci.

l. 696, _Heironsew._ Ardea is a byrde that fetcheth his mete in y^e water, & yet he byldeth vpo{n} the hyest trees that he can. This birde defendeth his yonges from y^e goshawke, castinge his dou{n}ge vpon him / & tha{n} the fedders of the goshawke rote of y^e dounge of ardea as far as it touchet[h]. _n.o.b. Lyfe_, L. ij.

l. 696, _Partrich._ "Cap. xcvi. Perdix is a byrde very wylye, & the c.o.c.kes feght oftentymes for the he{n}nes. and these byrdes flye of no heght / and they put theyr hedes in the erthe, & they thinke {tha}t they tha{n} be well hyde{n}, for wha{n} she seeth n.o.body she thinketh {tha}t n.o.body seeth here. & she bredeth out other p{ar}triches egges / for wha{n} she hath lost her eges, tha{n} she steleth other egges & bredeth the{m} / & wha{n} they be hatched {tha}t they can go on the grou{n}de / than this da{m}me setteth the{m} out of {th}e nest / but whan they be a-brode, & here the wyse of theyr owne da{m}mes, inco{n}tinent they leue theyr da{m}me {tha}t brought the{m} up, & go to their owne natural da{m}me / & tha{n} she {tha}t brought the{m} vp hath lost her labour.

The Operacion. The flesshe of a p{ar}triche is most holsomest of all wylde fowles, {the}brest & vppermoste parte of {th}e bodie is the swetest, & hathe the best sauoure / but {th}e hinder parte is nat so swete." L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe_, sign. p. i. & back.

l. 698, _Lark._ Alauda: the larke is a lytel birde, & w{i}t{h} euery man well beknowen through his songe / in {th}e somer {the}i begy{n}neth to singe in the dawning of {th}e day, geuynge knowlege to the people of {th}e cominge of the daye; and in fayre weder he reioyseth sore / but wha{n} it is rayne weder, than it singeth selden / he singeth nat sittinge on the grownde nouther / but whan he a.s.sendith vpwarde, he syngeth mereli / & in the descending it falleth to the grownde lyke a stone. The Operacion. The larkes flesshe hardeneth the beli, and the brothe of hym that he was soden in, slaketh the beli. L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe_, sign. L. iv. back, and L. i.

l. 706, _Snyte_ or Snipe. "Cap. lx.x.xiiij. Nepa is a byrde w{i}t{h} a longe byll / & he putteth his byll in {th}e erthe for to seke the worms in the grou{n}de / and they put their bylles in {th}e erthe sometyme so depe {tha}t they can nat gete it vp agayne / & tha{n} they scratche theyr billes out agayn w{i}t{h} theyr fete. This birde resteth betimes at nyght / and they be erly abrode on the morninge / & they haue swete flesshe to be eaten." L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe._

l. 706, _Sparow._ "Pa.s.ser / The Sparowe is a lytell byrde / and wha{n} {th}e cucko fyndeth the sparowes nest / tha{n} he suppeth vp {th}e egges, & layeth newe egges hym self therin agayne / & the sparowe bredeth vp these yo{n}ge cuckoes tyl they can flee; tha{n} a great many of olde sparowes geder to-geder to thente{n}t {tha}t thei sholde holde vp the yo{n}ge sparowes that can nat flee / & theyr mete is wormes of {th}e erthe.... All sparowes flesshe is euyl / and their egges also.

The flessh is very hote, and moueth to the operacion of lechery."

L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe_ (o. iv.), Cap. xci.

l. 713. _Comfits_ are round, long or square pellets of Sugar made by the Art of a Confectioner. R. Holme.

l. 737, _Eles._ Trevisa in his _Higden_ says of Britain 'e lond ys n.o.ble, copious, & ryche of n.o.ble welles, & of n.o.ble ryvers wi plente of fysch. ar ys gret plente of smal fysch & of _eeles_, so at cherles in som place feede sowes wi fysch.' _Morris's Specimens_, p. 334.

Comyth ther not al day owt of hollond and flaundre Off fatte _eles_ full many a showte, And good chepe, who that wayteth the tyddys abowte?

_Piers of Fullham_, ll. 71-3, _Early Pop. Poetry_, v. 2, p. 4 (and see ll. 7-10).

l. 747, 812. _Minoes_, so called either for their littleness, or (as Dr.

Cajus imagined) because their fins be of so lively a red, as if they were died with the true Cinnabre-lake called _Minium_: They are less than Loches, feeding upon nothing, but licking one another ... they are a most delicate and light meat ... either fried or sodden. _m.u.f.fett_, p. 183.

l. 758. _Towse._ Can this be a form of _dough_? G. P. Marsh.

l. 782. Sotiltees were made of sugar and wax. Lel. Coll. VI. p. 31.

Pegge.

l. 788-795, _Sanguineus, Colericus, Fleumaticus, Malencolicus._ Men were divided into these four cla.s.ses, according to their humours. Laurens Andrewe says, in his _n.o.ble Lyfe_, "And the bodij of man is made of many diuers sortes of ly{m}mes / as senewes / vaynes / fatte / flesshe & skynne. And also of the foure moistours / as sanguyne / flematyke / coleryke & melancoly." (fol. a iv. back) col. 2. In his Chapter "Howe that man co{m}meth into the house of dethe," he has drawings of these four types of man, on either side of King Death & the skeleton under him. Men die, he says in thre ways. 1. by one of the four elements of which they are made, overcoming the others; 2. by _humidum radicale_ or 'naturall moystour' forsaking them; 3. by wounds; "& these thre maners of dethes be co{n}tained in the four co{m}plexcions of man / as in the sa{n}guyne / colerike / flematike / & mela{n}coly. The sanguyne wareth ofte{n}tymes so olde through G.o.de gouernau{n}ce / that he must occopy spectacles, & liue longe or hu{m}midu{m} radicale departe frome him / but than he dyeth. The colerike co{m}meth oftentymes to[*] dethe be accide{n}tall maner through his hastines, for he is of nature hote & drye. The flematike co{m}meth often to dethe thorough great excesse of mete & drinke, or other great labours doinge / for his nature is colde and moyste, & can not well disiest. And mela{n}coly is heuy / full of care & heuynes / whereof he engendereth moche euyll blode that causeth great sekenes, which bringeth him vnto dethe. Thus go we al vnto the howse of dethe / the one thrugh ensuynge of his co{m}plexion / the other through the ordenances of almyghty G.o.d. The thirde through the planetis & signes of the firmame{n}t." fol. a vi.

[Footnote *: _orig._ do.]

l. 799, _Beef._ Laurens Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe_, sign. C. i., Pt. i. says, "Of the oxce, ca. xiiij. The oxce is a co{m}panable beste, & amonge his co{m}pani he is very meke / & alwaye he seketh his felowe that was wont to go in the plowghe wyth hym / and whan he fyndeth nat his felow, than cryeth he wyth a lowde voyce, makyng gret mone / as it were one {tha}t wolde make a mourninge co{m}playnt. A bull lyueth .xv. yere, and a oxce .xx. yere. -- Isaac sayth that an oxce flessh is the dryest flesshe amonge all other / & his blode is nat holsome to be eten, for it wyll nat lightly disieste. & therfore it fedeth sore, & it maketh euyll hu{m}oures, & bredeth mela{n}coly / & they melancolicus that eat moche suche metes be like to suffer many diseases, as to gete an harde mylte / the febris quartayn / the dropcy / mangnies, lepry, &c."

l. 799, _Mutton._ Wether mutton was rightly held the best. See "The operacion" below. "-- Of the Ramme or weddr. Ca. iij. Ysydorus sayth that the ra{m}me or wedder is the lodysman of other shepe / and he is the male or man of the oye, and is stronger than the other shepe / & he is also called a wedder because of a worme that he hath in his hede / & whan that begi{n}neth for to stirre, than wyll he tucke and feght / and he fereth naturally the thonder, as other shepe dothe. For whan a shepe is with frute, hering the thonder, she casteth her frute, and bryngeth it dede to the worlde. and the wedder in the tyme that he bespryngeth the oye, than is it in the tyme of loue amonge the shepe / and the Ra{m}me or wedder wyl feght boldly for theyr wyues one with another....

The Operacion.

-- The flesshe of a yo{n}ge wether that is gelded is moch better than any other motton / for it is nat so moyste as other motton, and it is hoter, and whan it disgesteth well it maketh G.o.de blode / but the flessh of an oled ra{m}me wyll nat lightely disgest, & that is very euyll." L.

Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe_, Pt. I. sign. b. i. back.

l. 800, _Chykon._ On the c.o.c.ke & hen L. Andrewe discourses as follows: "the c.o.c.ke is a n.o.ble byrde with a combe on his hed & vnder his iawes / he croweth in {th}e night heuely & light in {th}e morni{n}ge / & is fare herd w{i}t{h} the wi{n}de. The lyon is afrayd of the c.o.c.ke / & specially of the whyte / the crowyng of the c.o.c.ke is swete & profitable; he wakeneth {th}e sleper / he conforteth the sorowful / & reioyseth the wakers in tokenynge {tha}t the night is pa.s.sed.... The flesshe of the coscke is groser tha{n} the flesshe of the he{n}ne or capon. Nota / the olde c.o.c.kes flesshe is tenderer than the yonge. The capons flesshe is mightiest of all fowles & maketh G.o.de blode. Auicea{n}na. The c.o.kerels flesshe {tha}t neuer crewe is bett{er} than {th}e olde c.o.c.kes flesshe: the stones be G.o.de for the{m} that haue to light a disiestyon / the brothe of hym is G.o.de for the payn in {th}e mawe {tha}t co{m}meth of wynde." _n.o.ble Lyfe_, n. i. back. Of the hen, L. Andrewe says: "the he{n}ne is {th}e wyfe of the c.o.c.ke / & ye shall lay odde egges vnder her for to hatche / ... The flesshe of the yonge he{n}ne or she haue layde / is better than of the olde he{n}ne / also the grese of the cheken is moche hoter than of the he{n}ne." _n.o.ble Lyfe_, n. i. back.

l. 802, _Goose._ "The tame gese ... be heuy in fleinge, gredi at their mete, & diligent to theyr rest / & they crye the houres of y^e night, & therwith they fere y^e theues. In the hillis of alpis be gese as great, nere ha{n}de, as an ostriche: they be so heuy of body that they cannat flee, & so me take them with the hande.... The gose flessh is very grose of nature in disiestion." _n.o.ble Lyfe_, L. i. back. Part ii. cap. 10.

l. 803, _Capon._ "Gallinacius / the capon is a gelded c.o.c.ke / & because {tha}t he is gelded he waxeth the soner fatte / & though he go with the hennes, he dothe nat defende them / nor he croweth nat." L. Andrewe, _n.o.ble Lyfe_, fol. n. ij.

l. 804, _Eggis._ "the new lyde egges be better than the olde / the henne egges be better tha{n} ani other egges, whan thei be fresshe, & specialli whan thei be rere, tha{n} they make G.o.de blode / but the egges that be harde rosted be of {th}e grose metis.

The Operacion.

All maners of egges waken a man to the worke of lecherie, & specialli sparowes egges. Auice{n}na: The ducke egges & suche like make grose humoures. The best of the egges is the yolke, & that causeth sperma / the white of the egge enclineth to be cole. whan an he{n}ne shall brede, take hede of those egges that be blont on bothe endes, & thei shal be he{n}ne chekens / & those that be longe & sharpe on bothe endes shall be c.o.c.ke chekens." L. Andrewe. _n.o.ble Lyfe_ (o iij. back).

l. 808, _Lamb._ Laurens Andrewe, Pt. i. says. -- Of the La{m}me. Cap.

p{ri}mo. In the begi{n}nynge we haue the La{m}me, because he is the moste mekest beste leuinge, for it offe{n}deth n.o.body / and all that he hathe on him is G.o.de / y^e flesshe for to eate, the skynne to make parcheme{n}t or ledder / the donge for to do{n}ge the felde / the clawes & hornes be medicinable / he dredeth the wolfe sore / & he knoweth his da{m}me best be her bleting, though she be amonge many shepe.