Early English Meals and Manners - Part 41
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Part 41

[Footnote 168: A kind of vinegar; A.S. _eisile_, vinegar; given to Christ on the Cross.]

[Footnote 169: _Escrevisse:_ f. A Creuice, or Crayfish [see l. 618]; (By some Authors, but not so properly, the Crab-fish is also tearmed so.) _Escrevisse de mer._ A Lobster; or, (more properly) a Sea-Creuice. Cotgrave. A _Crevice_, or a _Crefish_, or as some write it, a _Crevis Fish_, are in all respects the same in form, and are a Species of the Lobster, but of a lesser size, and the head is set more into the body of the _Crevice_ than in the _Lobster_. Some call this a Ganwell. R. Holme, p. 338, col. 1, -- x.x.x.]

[Footnote 170: No doubt the intestinal tract, running along the middle of the body and tail. Dr Gunther. Of Crevisses and Shrimps, m.u.f.fett says, p. 177, they "give also a kind of exercise for such as be weak: for head and brest must first be divided from their bodies; then each of them must be dis scaled, and clean picked with much pidling; then the long gut lying along the back of the Crevisse is to be voided."]

[Footnote 171: slice by slice.]

[Footnote 172: The fresh-water crayfish is beautiful eating, Dr Gunther says.]

[Footnote 173: Iolle of a fysshe, _teste_. Palsgrave. Ioll, as of salmon, &c., _caput_. Gouldm. in Promptorium, p. 264.]

[Footnote 174: For to make a potage of welkes, _Liber Cure_, p. 17. "Perwinkles or Whelks, are nothing but sea-snails, feeding upon the finest mud of the sh.o.r.e and the best weeds." _m.u.f.fett_, p. 164.]

[Footnote 175: _Pintle_ generally means the p.e.n.i.s; but Dr Gunther says the whelk has no visible organs of generation, though it has a projecting tube by which it takes in water, and the function of this might have been misunderstood. Dr G. could suggest nothing for _almond_, but on looking at the drawing of the male Whelk (_Buccinum undatum_) creeping, in the Penny Cyclopaedia, v. 9, p. 454, col. 2 (art. Entomostomata), it is quite clear that the _almond_ must mean the animal's h.o.r.n.y, oval _operculum_ on its hinder part. 'Most spiral sh.e.l.ls have an _operculum_, or lid, with which to close the aperture when they withdraw for shelter. It is developed on a particular lobe at the posterior part of the foot, and consists of h.o.r.n.y layers sometimes hardened with sh.e.l.ly matter.' _Woodward's Mollusca_, p. 47.]

[Footnote 176: That part of the integument of mollusca which contains the viscera and secretes the sh.e.l.l, is termed the _mantle_. Woodward.]

[Footnote 177: Recipe "For lamprays baken," in _Liber Cure_, p. 38.]

[Footnote 178: A sauce made of crumbs, galingale, ginger, salt, and vinegar. See the Recipe in _Liber Cure_, p. 30.]

[Footnote 179: See the duties and allowances of "A Sewar for the Kynge," Edw. IV., in _Household Ordinances_, pp. 36-7; Henry VII., p. 118. King Edmund risked his life for his a.s.sewer, p. 36.]

[Footnote 180: The word Sewer in the MS. is written small, the flourishes of the big initial O having taken up so much room. The name of the office of _sewer_ is derived from the Old French _esculier_, or the _scutellarius_, i.e. the person who had to arrange the dishes, in the same way as the _scutellery_ (scullery) was by rights the place where the dishes were kept. _Domestic Architecture_, v. 3, p. 80 _n._]

[Footnote 181: See the duties and allowances of "A Surveyour for the Kyng" (Edw. IV.) in _Household Ord._ p. 37. Among other things he is to see 'that no thing be purloyned,' (cf. line 680 below), and the fourty Squyers of Household who help serve the King's table from 'the surveying bourde' are to see that 'of every messe that c.u.mmyth from the dressing bourde ... thereof be nothing withdrawe by the squires.' _ib._ p. 45.]

[Footnote 182: Squyers of Houshold xl ... xx squires attendaunt uppon the Kings (Edw. IV.) person in ryding ... and to help serve his table from the surveying bourde. _H. Ord._ p. 45. Sergeauntes of Armes IIII., whereof ii alway to be attending uppon the Kings person and chambre.... In like wise at the conveyaunce of his meate at every course from the surveying bourde, p. 47.]

[Footnote 183: Compare the less gorgeous feeds specified on pp.

54-5 of _Liber Cure_, and pp. 449-50 of _Household Ordinances_.

Also with this and the following 'Dinere of Fische' should be compared "the Diett for the King's Majesty and the Queen's Grace"

on a Flesh Day and a Fish Day, A.D. 1526, contained in _Household Ordinances_, p. 174-6. Though Harry the Eighth was king, he was allowed only two courses on each day, as against the Duke of Gloucester's three given here. The daily cost for King and Queen was 4. 3s. 4d.; yearly, 1520. 13s. 4d. See also in Markham's Houswife, pp. 98-101, the ordering of 'extraordinary great Feasts of Princes' as well as those 'for much more humble men.']

[Footnote 184: See Recipes for Bor in Counfett, Boor in Brasey, Bore in Egurdouce, in _H. Ord._ p. 435.]

[Footnote 185: _Chair de mouton manger de glouton:_ Pro. Flesh of a Mutton is food for a glutton; (or was held so in old times, when Beefe and Bacon were your onely dainties.) Cot.]

[Footnote 186: The rule for the succession of dishes is stated in _Liber Cure_, p. 55, as whole-footed birds first, and of these the greatest, as swan, goose, and drake, to precede. Afterwards come baked meats and other dainties.]

[Footnote 187: See note to l. 535 above.]

[Footnote 188: See the Recipe for Leche Lumbard in _Household Ordinances_, p. 438. Pork, eggs, pepper, cloves, currants, dates, sugar, powdered together, boiled in a bladder, cut into strips, and served with hot rich sauce.]

[Footnote 189: Meat fritter ?, mentioned in l. 501.]

[Footnote 190: See "Blaumanger to Potage" p. 430 of _Household Ordinances_; Blawmangere, p. 455; Blonc Manger, _L. C. C._ p. 9, and Blanc Maungere of fysshe, p. 19.]

[Footnote 191: "Gele in Chekyns or of Hennes," and "Gelle of Flesshe," _H. Ord._ p. 437.]

[Footnote 192: See the recipe "At a Feeste Roiall, Pec.o.c.kes shall be dight on this Manere," _H. Ord._ p. 439; but there he is to be served "forthe with the last cours." The _hackle_ refers, I suppose, to his being sown in his skin when cold after roasting.]

[Footnote 193: The fat of _Rabet-suckers_, and little Birds, and small Chickens, is not discommendable, because it is soon and lightly overcome of an indifferent stomack. _m.u.f.fett_, p. 110.]

[Footnote 194: Recipe at end of this volume. Dowcet mete, or swete cake mete (bake mete, P.) _Dulceum, ductileus._ P. Parv. Dousette, a lytell flawne, _dariolle_. Palsgrave. Fr. _flannet_; m. A doucet or little custard. Cot. See note 1 to l. 494 above.]

[Footnote 195: May be _Iely_, amber jelly, instead of a beautiful amber leche.]

[Footnote 196: See the note to line 499.]

[Footnote 197: Compare "For a servise on fysshe day," _Liber Cure_, p. 54, and _Household Ordinances_, p. 449.]

[Footnote 198: _For_ of. See 'Sewes on Fische Dayes,' l. 821.]

[Footnote 199: ? for _bellies_: see 'the baly of e fresch samoun,' l. 823 in Sewes on Fische Dayes; or it may be for the _sounds_ or breathing apparatus.]

[Footnote 200: Pykes in Brasey, _H. Ord._ p. 451.]

[Footnote 201: Purpesses, Tursons, or sea-hogs, are of the nature of swine, never good till they be fat ... it is an unsavoury meat ... yet many Ladies and Gentlemen love it exceedingly, bak'd like venison. _Mouffet_, p. 165.]

[Footnote 202: ? due-ing, that is, service; not moistening.]

[Footnote 203: _Rhombi._ Turbuts ... some call the Sea-Pheasant ... whilst they be young ... they are called b.u.t.ts. They are best being sodden. _m.u.f.fett_, p. 173. "Pegeons, _b.u.t.tes_, and elis,"

are paid for as _hakys_ (hawks) _mete_, on x Sept. 6 R. H(enry VII) in the Howard Household Books, 1481-90, p. 508.]

[Footnote 204: Gulls, Guffs, Pulches, _Chevins_, and Millers-thombs are a kind of jolt-headed Gudgins, very sweet, tender, and wholesome. m.u.f.fett, p. 180. Randle Holme says, 'A _Chevyn_ or a _Pollarde_; it is in Latin called _Capitus_, from its great head; the Germans _Schwall_, or _Alet_; and _Myn_ or _Mouen_; a _Schupfish_, from whence we t.i.tle it a _Chub fish_.'

ch. xiv. -- xxvii.]

[Footnote 205: "Creme of Almond Mylk." _H. Ord._ p. 447.]

[Footnote 206: See the recipe, end of this volume.]

[Footnote 207: Compare "leche fryes made of frit and friture," _H.

Ord._ p. 449; Servise on Fisshe Day, last line.]

[Footnote 208: Melancholy, full of phlegm: see the superscription l. 792 below. 'Flew, complecyon, (fleume of compleccyon, K. flewe, P.) _Flegma_,' Catholicon in P. Parv.]

[Footnote 209: Mistake for _Sotelte_.]

[Footnote 210: The first letter of this word is neither a clear _t_ nor _c_, though more like _t_ than _c_. It was first written _Couse_ (as if for _cou_[r]_se_, succession, which makes good sense) or _touse_, and then a _w_ was put over the _u_. If the word is _towse_, the only others I can find like it are tow, 'towe of hempe or flax,' Promptorium; '_heruper_, to discheuell, _towse_, or disorder the haire.' Cot.]

[Footnote 211: See Recipe at end of volume.]

[Footnote 212: See Recipe at end of volume.]

[Footnote 213: See a recipe for making it of ale, honey, and spices, in [Cogan's] Haven of Health, chap. 239, p. 268, in Nares.

Phillips leaves out the ale.]