Early English Meals and Manners Part 63

_Flaunes_ (p. 161, l. 4) were Cheesecakes, made of ground cheese beaten up with eggs and sugar, coloured with saffron, and baked in 'cofyns' or crusts. 'A Flaune of Almayne' or 'Crustade' was a more elaborate preparation of dried or fresh raisins and pears or apples pounded, with cream, eggs, bread, spices, and b.u.t.ter, strained and baked in 'a faire coffyn or two.' _H. Ord._ p. 452. [['Pro Caseo ad _flauns_ qualibet die . panis j' (allowance of). _Register of Worcester Priory_, fol. 121 _a._ ed. Hale, 1865.]]

Of new _Sauces_, Wynkyn de Worde names _Gelopere_ & _Pegyll_ (p. 165, l. 4). Gelopere I cannot find, and can only suggest that its _p_ may be for _f_, and that "cloves of gelofer," the clove-gillyflower, may have been the basis of it. These cloves were stuck in ox tongues, see "Lange de beof," _Liber Cure_, p. 26. m.u.f.fett also recommends Gilly-flour Vinegar as the best sauce for sturgeon in summer, p. 172; and Vinegar of Clove-Gilliflowers is mentioned by Culpepper, p. 97, Physical Directory, 1649.

_Pegylle_ I take to be the _Pykulle_ of Liber Cure Cocorum, p. 31, made thus;

'Take droppyng of capone rostyd wele With wyne and mustarde, as have ou cele [bliss], With onyons smalle schrad, and sothun in grece, Meng alle in fere, and forthe hit messe.'

The new _Wine_ is _Campolet_, p. 153. Henderson does not mention it; Halliwell has '_Campletes_. A kind of wine, mentioned in a curious list in MS. Rawl. C. 86.' [See the list in the Notes to Russell, above, p. 86.] I suppose it to be the wine from '_Campole_. The name of a certaine white grape, which hath very white kernels.' Cotgrave.

Of new _Fish_ W. de Worde names the _Salens_ (p. 166, l. 8), _Cottell_ and _Tench_ (p. 167). Torrentyne he makes _sele turrentyne_ (p. 166, l. 8 from bottom) seemingly, but has _turrentyne salte_ as a fish salted, at p. 168, l. 7.

_Cottell_, p. 168, l. 14, the cuttlefish. Of these, _Sepiae vel Lolligines calamariae_, m.u.f.fet says, they are called also 'sleewes' for their shape, and 'scribes' for their incky humour wherewith they are replenished, and are commended by Galen for great nourishers; their skins be as smooth as any womans, but their flesh is brawny as any ploughmans; therefore I fear me Galen rather commended them upon hear-say then upon any just cause or true experience.

For the _Salens_ I can only suggest thunny. Aldrovandi, _de Piscibus_, treating of the synonyms of the Salmon, p. 482, says, "Graecam salmonis nomenclaturam non inuenio, neq{ue} est quod id miretur curiosus lector, c.u.m in Oceano tantu{m} flumi{n}ibusq{ue} in eum se exonerantibus reperiatur, ad quae veteres Graeci nunquam penetr{a}runt. Qui voluerit, _Salangem_ appellare poterit. Sa???? enim boni, id est, delicati piscis nomen legitur apud Hesychium, nec praeterea qui sit, explicatur: aut a migrandi natura ?ata??d????, vel d??a? fluviatilis dicatur, nam Aristoteles in mari dromades vocat Thunnos aliosq{ue} gregales, qui aliunde in Pontum excurrunt, et vix vno loco conquiesc.u.n.t; aut nomen fingatur a saltu, & ???? dicitur. Non placet tamen, salmonis nomen a saltu deduci, aut etiam a sale, licet saliendi natura ei optime quadret saleq{ue} aut muria inueturaria etiam soleat. Non enim latine sed a Germanis Belgisue Rheni accolis, aut Gallis Aquitanicis accepta vox est." See also p. 318, 'Scardula, et Iucohia ex Pigis, et Plota, Sale{n}a.' _Gesner, de Piscibus_, p. 273. Can _salens_ be the Greek 's????, a sh.e.l.l-fish, perhaps like the razor-fish. Epich.

p. 22.'--Liddell and Scott--? I presume not. '_Solen._ The flesh is sweet; they may be eaten fryed or boiled.' 1661, R. Lovell, _Hist. of Animals_, p. 240. '_Solen_: A genus of bivalve mollusks, having a long slender sh.e.l.l; razor-fish.' Webster's Dict.

_Sele turrentyne_, p. 166, l. 8 from bottom. Seemingly a variety of seal, or of eel or sole if _sele_ is a misprint. But I cannot suggest any fish for it.

_Rochets_, p. 167, l. 5. _Rubelliones._ _Rochets_ (or rather Rougets, because they are so red) differ from Gurnards and Curs, in that they are redder by a great deal, and also lesser; they are of the like flesh and goodness, yet better fryed with onions, b.u.t.ter, and vinegar, then sodden. m.u.f.fett, p. 166.

[Footnote L*: See above, in the Keruynge of Flesshe, p. 157, lines 5 and 4 from the bottom. ["laye foure trenchours to your soferayne, one by an other / and laye theron other foure trenchours or elles twayne"]]

[Textnotes: A _Orig._ seasous B _sic_: o _for_ e C _sic_: a _for_ n D _for_ se, _see_.

E _for_ is F _for_ be G ? u _for_ n H _for_ with I _sic_: c _for_ e K _sic_: u _for_ n L The top of the _s_ is broken off, making the letter look like an _l_ rubbed at the top.

M ? brothe N _for_ they O _Orig._ raysyus P _sic_]

The

Boke of Curtasye.

FROM THE SLOANE MS. 1986 IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM, AB. 1460 A.D.

[Transcriber's Note:

In this selection, sidenotes are identified by verse lines. They are grouped by text headers (generally in Latin), as shown in the Table of Contents.]

CONTENTS.

PAGE Here begynneth{e} e FYRST BOKE of CURTASYE 177 [Headnote: HOW TO BEHAVE AT TABLE.]

[Headnote: HOW TO BEHAVE AT MEALS.]

THE SECOND BOOK 181 [Headnote: HOW TO BEHAVE AT CHURCH, TO PARENTS, ETC.]

[Headnote: THE RULE OF GOOD MANNERS.]

THE THIRD BOOK: De officiarijs in curijs d{omi}no{rum} 187 De Ianitor{e} 188 [Headnote: OF THE PORTER, AND MARSHAL OF THE HALL.]

De Marescallo aule 188 P{er} q{uan}tu{m} te{m}p{us} armig{er}i h{ab}eb{un}t lib{er}ata{m} {et} ignis ardeb{i}t i{n} a{ul}a 189 De pinc{er}nario, panetario, {et} cocis sibi s{er}uie{n}tib{us} 190 [Headnote: OF THE BUTLER AND PANTER.]

De offic{i}o pinc{er}narij 190 De hostiario {et} suis s{er}uientib{us} 190 De Offic{i}o garc{i}onu{m} 191 [Headnote: OF THE GROOMS AND USHER OF THE CHAMBER.]

De seneschallo 194 [Headnote: OF THE STEWARD.]

De cont{ra}rotulatore 195 De sup{er}uisore 195 De Clerico coquine 195 De cancellario 195 [Headnote: OF THE CHANCELLOR AND TREASURER.]

De thesaurizario 196 De receptore firmar{um} 197 De Auenario 197 De pistore 198 [Headnote: OF THE BAKER AND HUNTSMAN.]

De venatore {et} suis canib{us} 198 De aquario 199 Qui d{eb}ent ma.n.u.s lauar{e} {et} i{n} q{u}or{um} domib{us} 199 De panetario 200 [Headnote: OF THE PANTER, THE LORD'S KNIVES, ETC.]

De Cultellis d{omi}ni 200 De Elemosinario 201 [Headnote: OF THE ALMONER AND DISH-SERVER.]

De ferculario 202 De candelario 204 [Headnote: OF THE CARVER, SURNAPE-LAYERS, AND CHANDLER.]

The boke of Curtasye.

++Here begynneth{e} e fyrst boke of curtasye.

++Qwo so wylle of curtasy ler{e}, [Fol. 12.]

In this boke he may hit her{e}!

Yf thow be gentylmon, ?omo{n}, or knaue, The nedis nurture for to haue. 4 When thou comes to a lordis ?ate, The porter {o}u shall{e} fynde ther-ate; Take hym thow shalt y wepyn tho, And aske hym leue in to go 8

-- To speke w{i}t{h} lorde, lady, squyer, or grome.

Ther-to the nedys to take the tome[1]; For yf he be of logh{e} degre, Than hym falles to come to the; 12

-- Yf he be gentylmo{n} of kyn, The porter wille lede the to hym.

When thow come tho halle dor to, Do of thy hode, thy gloues also; 16

-- Yf o halle be at the furst mete, This lessou{n} loke thow no?t for-?ete: e stuard, countroller, and tresurer{e}, Sittand at de deshe, {o}u haylse in fere. 20

-- W{i}t{h}in e hall{e} sett on ayther side, Sitten other ge{n}tylme{n} as fall{es} {a}t tyde; Enclyne e fayre to hom also, First to the ry?ht honde {o}u shall{e} go, 24

-- Sitthen to o left honde y neghe {o}u cast; To hom {o}u bogh{e} w{i}t{h}outen wrast[2]; Take hede to ?omo{n} on y ryght honde, And sithen byfor{e} the screne {o}u stonde 28

-- In myddys e halle opon e flore, Whille marshall{e} or vssher come fro e dore, And bydde the sitte, or to borde the lede.

Be stabull{e} of chere for menske[3], y rede; 32

[Headnote: HOW TO BEHAVE AT TABLE.]

-- Yf he e sette at gentilmo{n}nes borde, Loke {o}u be hynde[4] and lytull{e} of worde.

Pare y brede and kerue in two, Tho ou{er} crust o nether fro; 36

-- In fowre {o}u kutt o ou{er} dole, Sett hom to-gedur as h{i}t where hole; Sithen kutt o nether crust in thre, And t{ur}ne h{i}t down, lerne is at me. 40

-- And lay thy trencho{ur} e be-fore, And sitt vp-ry?ht for any sore.

Spare brede or wyne, drynke or ale, To thy messe of kochyn be sett in sale; 44

-- Lest men sayne {o}u art hong{ur} beten, Or ellis a gloten {a}t all{e} me{n} wyten, Loke y naylys ben clene in blythe, Lest y felagh{e} lothe ther-wyth. 48

-- Byt not on thy brede and lay h{i}t dou{n},-- That is no curteyse to vse in town;-- But breke as mych{e} as {o}u wyll{e} ete, The remelant to pore {o}u shall{e} lete. 52

-- In peese {o}u ete, and eu{er} eschewe To flyte[5] at borde; {a}t may e rewe.