Early English Meals and Manners Part 61

[Headnote: THE SERVICE FROM MIDSUMMER TO CHRISTMAS.]

-- Here endeth the feest from Pentecost to mydsomer.

And here begynneth from the feest of saynt Iohn the baptist vnto Myghelma.s.se.

[a] ++In the fyrst course, potage, wortes, gruell, & fourmenty, with venyson, and mortrus and pestelles of porke with grene sauce. Rosted capon, swanne with chawdron. [b] In the seconde course, potage after the ordynaunce of the c.o.kes, with rosted motton, vele, porke, chekyns or endoured pygyons, heron-sewes, fruyters or other bake metes / [c] & take hede to the fesande: he shall be arayed in the maner of a capon / but it shall be done drye, without ony moysture, and he shall be eten with salte and pouder of gynger. And the heronsewe shall be arayed in the same maner without ony moysture, & he shulde be eten with salte and poudre. [d] Also ye shall vnderstande that all maner of fowles hauynge open clawes as a capon, shall be tyred and arayed as a capon and suche other.

[Sidenotes: _Dinner Courses from the Nativity[*] of St John the Baptist_, (June 24,) _to Michaelmas._ [a] First Course: soups, vegetables, legs of Pork, &c. [b] Second Course: roast Mutton, glazed Pigeons, Fritters, &c. [c] Serve a Pheasant dry, with salt and ginger: a Heronsewe with salt and powder (blanche?) [d] Treat open-clawed birds like capons.]

[Footnote *: The feast of St John's Beheading is on Aug. 29.]

-- From the feest of saynt Mygh.e.l.l vnto the feest of Chrystynma.s.se.

[a] ++In the fyrst course, potage, befe, motton, bacon, or pestelles of porke, or with goose, capon, mallarde, swanne, or fesande, as it is before sayd, with tartes, or bake metes, or chynes of porke.

[b] In the second course, potage, mortrus, or conyes, or sewe / than roste flesshe, motton, porke, vele, pullettes, chekyns, pygyons, teeles, wegyons, mallardes, partryche, woodc.o.ke, plouer, bytture, curlewe, heronsewe / venyson roost, grete byrdes, snytes, feldefayres, thrusshes, fruyters, chewettes, befe with sauce gelopere, roost with sauce pegyll, & other ba[Fol. B iii.]ke metes as is aforesayde. And yf ye kerue afore your lorde or your lady ony soden flesshe, [c] kerue awaye the sky{n}ne aboue / tha{n} kerue resonably of y^e flesshe to your lorde or lady, and [d] specyally for ladyes, for y^e[N] wyll soone be angry, for theyr thoughtes ben soone changed / and some lordes wyll be sone pleased, & some wyll not / as they be of co{m}pleccyo{n}. [e] The goos & swanne may be cut as ye do other fowles y^t haue hole fete, or elles as your lorde or your lady wyll aske it. Also a swa{n}ne w{i}t{h} chawdron, capo{n}, or fesande, ought for to be arayed as it is aforesayd / but the skynne must be had awaye / & whan they be{n} kerued before your lorde or your lady / for generally [f] the skynne of all maner clove{n} foted fowles is vnholsome / & the skynne of all maner hole foted fowles be{n} holsome for to be eten. Also wete ye well that all maner hole foted fowles that haue theyr lyuy{n}g vpon the water, theyr skynnes ben holsome & clene, for by y^e clenes of the water / & fysshe, is theyr lyuynge. And yf that they ete ony stynkynge thynge, it is made so clene with y^e water that all the corrupcyon is clene gone away frome it. [g] And the sky{n}ne of capo{n}, henne, or chekyn, ben not so clene, for the[y] ete foule thynges in the strete / & therfore the skynnes be{n} not so holsome / for it is not theyr kynde to entre in to y^e ryuer to make theyr mete voyde of y^e fylth. [h] Mallarde, goose, or swanne, they ete vpon the londe foule mete / but a-no{n}, after theyr ky{n}de, they go to the ryuer, & theyr they clense them of theyr foule stynke. A fesande as it is aforesayd / but y^e sky{n}ne is not holsome / [i] than take y^e heddes of all felde byrdes and wood byrdes, as fesande, pec.o.c.ke, partryche, woodc.o.c.ke, and curlewe, for they ete in theyr degrees foule thynges, as wormes, todes, and other suche.

[Sidenotes: _Dinner Courses from Michaelmas to Christmas._ [a] First Course: legs of Pork, &c. [b] Second Course: Widgeon, Fieldfares, Chewets, Beef, with sauces Gelopere and Pegyll. [c]

Cut the skin off boiled meats. [d] Carve carefully for Ladies; they soon get angry [e] Carve Goose and Swan like other birds. [f]

The skin of cloven-footed birds is unwholsome; of whole-footed birds wholesome, because the water washes all corruption out of 'em. [g] Chicken's skin is not so pure, because their nature is not to enter into the river. [h] River birds cleanse their foul stink in the river. [i] Take off the heads of all field birds, for they eat worms, toads, and the like.]

[Headnote: SEWYNGE OF FYSSHE.]

-- Here endeth the feestes and the keruynge of flesshe, And here begynneth the sewynge of fysshe.

-- The fyrst course.

++To go to sewynge of fysshe: musculade, menewes in sewe of porpas or of samon, bacon hery{n}ge w{i}t{h} suger, grene fysshe, pyke, lampraye, salens, porpas rosted, bake gurnade, and lampraye bake.

-- The seconde course.

-- Gelly whyte and rede, dates in confetes, congre, samon, dorrey, brytte, turbot, halybut / for standarde, base, troute, molette, cheuene, sele, eles & lamprayes roost, tenche in gelly.

-- The thyrde course.

-- Fresshe sturgyon, breme, perche in gelly, a Ioll of samon, sturgyon, and welkes; apples & peres rosted with suger candy. Fygges of malyke, & raysyns, [O] dates capte w{i}t{h} mynced gynger / wafers and ypocras, they ben agreable / this feest is done, voyde ye the table.

[Sidenotes: _Sewynge of Fysshe._ _First Course:_ _Musculade._ Salens, &c., baked Gurnet.

_Second Course:_ Jelly, dates, &c. For a standard, Mullet, Chub, Seal, &c.

_Third Course:_ Bream, Perch, Whelks; and pears in sugar candy. Figs, dates capped with minced ginger, &c.

All over! Clear the table.]

[Headnote: KERUYNGE OF FYSSHE.]

[Fol. B iii.b.] -- Here endeth sewynge of fysshe.

And here foloweth keruynge of fysshe.

[a] ++The keruer of fysshe must se to pessene & fourmentye the tayle and y^e lyuer: ye must loke [b] yf there be a salte purpos, or sele turrentyne, & do after y^e fourme of venyson / baken herynge, laye it hole vpon your soueraynes trenchour / whyte hery{n}ge in a disshe, open it by y^e backe, pyke out the bones & the rowe, & se there be mustarde.

Of salte fysshe, grene fysshe, salt samon & congre, pare away y^e skyn / salte fysshe, stocke fysshe, marlynge, makrell, and hake, with b.u.t.ter: take awaye the bones & the skynnes. A pyke, laye y^e wombe vpon his trenchour w{i}t{h} pyke sauce ynoughe. A salte [Fol. B 4.] lampraye, gobone it flatte in .vii. or .viii. peces, & lay it to your souerayne.

A playce, put out the water / than crosse hym with your knyfe, caste on salte & wyne or ale. [c] Gornarde, rochet, breme, cheuene, base, molet, roche, perche, sole, makrell & whytynge, haddocke and codlynge, reyse them by the backe, & pyke out the bones, & clense the refet in y^e bely.

[d] Carpe, breme, sole, & troute, backe & belly togyder. Samon, congre, sturgyon, turbot, thorpole, thornebacke, hou{n}de-fysshe, & halybut, cut them in the dysshe as y^e porpas aboute / tenche in his sauce, cut it / eles & lamprayes roost, pull of the skynne, pyke out y^e bones, put therto vyneger & poudre. [e] A crabbe, breke hym a-sonder in to a dysshe, make y^e sh.e.l.le clene, & put in the stuffe agayne, tempre it with vynegre & pouder, than couer it with brede, and sende it to the kytchyn to hete / than set it to your souerayne, and breke the grete clawes, and laye them in a disshe. [f] A creues, dyght hym thus: departe hym a-sonder, & slytee[P] the belly, and take out y^e fysshe; pare away the reed skynne, and mynce it thynne; put vynegre in the dysshe, and set in on y^e table w{i}t{h}out hete. A Iol of sturgyon, cut it in thynne morselles, & lay it rou{n}de aboute the dysshe. Fresshe lampraye bake: open y^e pasty / than take whyte brede, and cut it thynne, & lay it in a dysshe, & [g] with a spone take out galentyne, & lay it vpon the brede with reed wyne & poudre of synamon / than cut a gobone of the lampraye, & mynce the gobone thynne, and laye it in the galentyne; than set it vpo{n} the fyre to hete. [h] Fresshe herynge with salte & wyne / shrympes wel pyked, flou{n}dres, gogyons, menewes & musceles, eles and lamprayes: [i] sprottes is good in sewe / musculade in wortes / oystres i{n} ceuy, oysters in grauy, menewes in porpas, samo{n} & seele, gelly [Fol. B 4b.] whyte and reede, creme of almo{n}des, [k] dates in comfetes, peres and quynces in syrupe, with percely rotes; mortrus of houndes fysshe, ryse standynge.

[Sidenotes: _Carving and Dressing of Fish_ [a] Put tails and livers in the pea broth and furmity. [b] How to carve Seal Turrentyne, baked Herring, white Herring, Green Fish, Merling, Hake, Pike, salt Lamprey, Plaice. [c] Gurnard, Bream, Roach, Whiting, Codling. [d] Carp, Trout, Conger, Thornback, Halibut, Tench, and Crab. [e] How to dress and serve up a Crab.

[f] How to dress and carve a Crayfish, a Joll of Sturgeon, a fresh Lamprey, pasty. [g] (sauce, Galentyne with red wine and powdered cinnamon.) [h] Fresh Herring, &c. [i] Sprats, Musculade in worts, Oysters. [k] Dates, pears, Mortrewes of Dogfish.]

[Headnote: SAUCES FOR FYSSHE.]

-- Here endeth the keruynge of fysshe.

And here begy{n}neth sauces for all maner of fysshe.

[a] ++Mustarde is good for salte herynge / salte fysshe, salte congre, samo{n}, sparlynge, salt ele & lynge: [b] vynegre is good with salte porpas, turrentyne salte / sturgyo{n} salte, threpole, & salt wale / [c] lampray with galentyne / vergyus to roche, dace, breme, molet, base, flounders, sole, crabbe, and [d] cheuene, with poudre of synamo{n}; to thornebacke, herynge, houndefysshe, haddocke, whytynge, & codde, vynegre, poudre of synamon, & gynger; [e] grene sauce is good with grene fysshe & halybut, cottell, & fresshe turbot / put not your grene sauce awaye, for it is good with mustarde.

-- Here endeth for all maner of sauces for fyssche accordynge to theyr appetyte.

[Sidenotes: _Sauces for Fish._ [a] Mustard for Salmon, &c.; [b] Vinegar for salt Whale, &c.; [c] Galentyne for Lamprey; Verjuice for Roach, &c.; [d] Cinnamon for Chub, &c.; [e] Green Sauce for Halibut, &c.]

[Headnote: THE CHAUMBERLAYNE.]

-- The chaumberlayne.

++The caumberlayne muste be dylyge{n}t & clenly in his offyce, with his heed kembed, & so to his souerayne that he be not recheles, & se that he haue a clene sherte, breche, petycote, and doublet / tha{n} brusshe his hosen within & without, & se his shone & slyppers be made clene / [a] & at morne whan your souerayne wyll aryse, warme his sherte by the fyre / & se ye haue a fote shete made in this maner. Fyrst set a chayre by the fyre with a cuysshen, an other vnder his fete / tha{n} sprede a shete ouer the chayre, and se there be redy a kerchefe [Fol. B 5.] and a combe / than [b] warme his petycote, his doublet, and his stomachere / [c] & than put on his hosen & his shone or slyppers, than stryke vp his hosen manerly, & tye them vp, than lace his doublet hole by hole, & laye the clothe aboute his necke & kembe his hede / than loke ye haue a basyn, & an ewer with warme water, and a towell, and wa.s.she his handes / than knele vpon your knee, & aske your souerayne what robe he wyll were, & brynge him such as your souerayne co{m}mau{n}deth, & put it vpon hym; than doo his gyrdell aboute hym, & take your leue manerly, & [d] go to the chyrche or chapell to your soueraynes closet, & laye carpentes & cuysshens, & lay downe his boke of prayers / than drawe the curtynes, and take your leue goodly, & go to youre soueraynes chambre, & cast all the clothes of his bedde, & bete the feder bedde & the bolster / but loke ye waste no feders; than shall the blankettes, & se the shetes be fayre & swete, or elles loke ye haue clene shetes / than [e] make vp his bedde manerly, than lay the hed shetes & the pyllowes / than take vp the towel & the basyn, & laye carpentes aboute the bedde, or wyndowes & cupbordes layde with carpettes and cuysshyns. Also loke there be a good fyre brennynge bryght / & [f] se the hous of hes.e.m.e.nt be swete & clene, & the preuy borde couered with a grene clothe and a cuysshyn / tha{n} se there be blanked, donne, or cotton, for your souerrayne / & [g] loke ye haue basyn, & euer with water, & a towell for your souerayne / than take of his gowne, & brynge him a mantell to kepe hym fro colde / than brynge hym to the fyre, & take of his shone & his hosen; than take a fayre kercher of reynes / & [h] kembe his heed, & put on his kercher and his bonet / than sprede downe his bedde, laye the heed shete and the pyllowes / & whan your souerayne is to bedde [Fol. B 5b.] drawe the curtynes / than se there be morter or waxe or perchoures be redy / than dryue out dogge or catte, & loke there be basyn and vrynall set nere your souerayne / than take your leue manerly that your souerayne may take his rest meryly.

-- Here endeth of the chaumberlayne.

[Sidenotes: _The Duties of a Chamberlain._ He must be cleanly, and comb his hair; see to his Lord's clothes, and brush his hose; [a] in the morning warm his s.h.i.+rt, and prepare his footsheet; [b] warm his petycote, &c.; [c] put on his shoes, tie up his hose, comb his head, wash his hands, put on the robe he orders. [d] Make ready his Closet in the Church or Chapel, then come home to his Bed-chamber, take off the bed-clothes. [e] Make his lord's bed again with clean sheets, and lay hangings round the bed, and windows, &c. [f] Keep the privy clean, and the board covered with green cloth, and provide down or cotton for wiping.

[g] When he goes to bed, let him wash; put him on a mantle, take off his shoes, &c. [h] Comb his head, put on his night-cap, draw the curtains round him, drive out the dogs and cats, set the urinal near, and then take leave.]

[Headnote: OF THE MARSHALL AND THE VSSHER.]

-- Here foloweth of the Marshall and the vssher.

++The Marshall and the vssher muste knowe all the estates of the chyrche, and the hyghe estate of a kynge, with the blode royall.

-- The estate of a Pope hath no pere.

-- The estate of an Emperour is nexte.

-- The estate of a kynge.

-- The estate of a cardynall.