Early English Meals and Manners Part 40

[Footnote 127*: Sloane 1986, p. 48, or fol. 27 b. It is not safe to differ from Mr Morris, but on comparing the C of 'Chaudon for swann{is},' col. 1, with that of 'Caudell{e} of almonde,' at the top of the second col., I have no doubt that the letter is _C_.

So on fol. 31 b. the C of Chaudon is more like the C of Charlet opposite than the T of Take under it. The _C_ of Caudel dalmo{n} on fol. 34 b., and that of _Cultellis_, fol. 24, l. 5, are of the same shape.]

[[Footnote 127a: _Pepper_. "The third thing is Pepper, a sauce for vplandish folkes: for they mingle Pepper with Beanes and Peason.

Likewise of toasted bread with Ale or Wine, and with Pepper, they make a blacke sauce, as if it were pap, that is called _pepper_, and that they cast vpon theyr meat, flesh and fish." _Reg. San.

Salerni_, p. 67.]]

[Footnote 128: See the recipe "To make Gynger Sause" in _H. Ord._ p. 441, and "For sawce gynger," _L. C. C._ p. 52.]

[Footnote 129: No doubt the "sawce fyne at men calles camelyne"

of _Liber Cure_, p. 30, 'raysons of corouns,' nuts, bread crusts, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, powdered together and mixed with vinegar. "Camelin, sauce cameline, A certaine daintie Italian sauce." Cot.]

[Footnote 130: A bird mentioned in _Archaeologia_, xiii. 341. Hall.

See note, l. 422.]

[Footnote 131: Shovelars feed most commonly upon the Sea-coast upon c.o.c.kles and Sh.e.l.l-fish: being taken home, and dieted with new garbage and good meat, they are nothing inferior to fatted Galls.

_m.u.f.fett_, p. 109. _Hic populus_, a schevelard (the _anas clypeata_ of naturalists). Wright's Voc., p. 253.]

[Footnote 132: See note 6 to line 539, above.]

[Footnote 133: Is not this line superfluous? After 135 stanzas of 4 lines each, we here come to one of 5 lines. I suspect l. 544 is simply de trop. W. W. Skeat.]

[Footnote 134: For the fish in the Poem mentioned by Yarrell, and for references to him, see the list at the end of this _Boke of Nurture_.]

[Footnote 135: Recipes for "Grene Pesen" are in _H. Ord._ p. 426-7, p. 470; and Porre of Pesen, &c. p. 444.]

[Footnote 136: Topsell in his _Fourfooted Beasts_, ed. Rowland, 1658, p. 36, says of Beavers, "There hath been taken of them whose tails have weighed four pound weight, and they are accounted a very delicate dish, for being dressed they eat like Barbles: they are used by the Lotharingians and Savoyans [says Bellonius] for meat allowed to be eaten on fish-dayes, although the body that beareth them be flesh and unclean for food. The manner of their dressing is, first roasting, and afterward seething in an open pot, that so the evill vapour may go away, and some in pottage made with Saffron; other with Ginger, and many with Brine; it is certain that the tail and forefeet taste very sweet, from whence came the Proverbe, _That sweet is that fish, which is not fish at all_."]

[Footnote 137: See the recipe for "Furmente with Purpeys," _H.

Ord._ p. 442.]

[Footnote 138: I suppose this to be Seal. If it is Eel, see recipes for "Eles in Surre, Browet, Grave, Brasyle," in _H. Ord._ p. 467-8.]

[Footnote 139: Wynkyn de Worde has 'a salte purpos or sele turrentyne.' If this is right, torrentille must apply to ?ele, and be a species of seal: if not, it must be allied to the Trout or Torrentyne, l. 835.]

[Footnote 140: Congur in Pyole, _H. Ord._ p. 469. 'I must needs agree with Diocles, who being asked, _whether were the better fish, a Pike or a Conger_: That (said he) sodden, and this broild; shewing us thereby, that all flaggy, slimy and moist fish (as Eeles, Congers, Lampreys, Oisters, c.o.c.kles, Mustles, and Scallopes) are best broild, rosted or bakt; but all other fish of a firm substance and drier const.i.tution is rather to be sodden.'

_m.u.f.fett_, p. 145.]

[Footnote 141: So MS., but _grone_ may mean _green_, see l. 851 and note to it. If not, ? for Fr. _gronan_, a gurnard. The Scotch _crowner_ is a species of gurnard.]

[Footnote 142: Lynge, fysshe, _Colin_, Palsgrave; but _Colin_, a Sea-cob, or Gull. Cotgrave. See Promptorium, p. 296.]

[Footnote 143: Fr. _Merlus ou Merluz_, A Mellwell, or Keeling, a kind of small Cod whereof Stockfish is made. Cotgrave. And see Prompt. Parv. p. 348, note 4. "Cod-fish is a great Sea-whiting, called also a Keeling or Melwel." Bennett's m.u.f.fett on Food, p. 148.]

[Footnote 144: Cogan says of stockfish, "Concerning which fish I will say no more than Erasmus hath written in his _Colloquio_.

_There is a kind of fishe_, which _is called in English_ Stockfish: _it nourisheth no more than a stock_. Yet I haue eaten of a pie made onely with Stockefishe, whiche hath been verie good, but the goodnesse was not so much in the fishe as in the cookerie, which may make that sauorie, which of it selfe is vnsavourie ...

it is sayd a good Cooke can make you good meate of a whetstone....

Therfore a good Cooke is a good iewell, and to be much made of."

"Stockfish whilst it is unbeaten is called Buckhorne, because it is so tough; when it is beaten upon the stock, it is termed stockfish." _m.u.f.fett._ Lord Percy (A.D. 1512) was to have "cxl Stok fisch for the expensys of my house for an hole Yere, after ij.d. obol. the pece," p. 7, and "Dccccxlij Salt fisch ... after iiij the pece," besides 9 barrels of white and 10 cades of red herring, 5 cades of Sprats (_sprootis_), 400 score salt salmon, 3 firkins of salt sturgeon and 5 cags of salt eels.]

[Footnote 145: Fr. _Merlan_, a Whiting, a Merling. Cot. 'The best Whitings are taken in Tweede, called _Merlings_, of like shape and vertue with ours, but far bigger.' _m.u.f.fett_, p. 174.]

[Footnote 146: MS. may be Cleynes. ? what place can it be; Clayness, Claynose? Claybury is near Woodford in Ess.e.x.]

[Footnote 147: A recipe for Pykes in Brasey is in _H. Ord._ p. 451. The head of a Carp, the _tail_ of a Pike, and the Belly of a Bream are most esteemed for their tenderness, shortness, and well rellis.h.i.+ng. _m.u.f.fett_, p. 177.]

[Footnote 148: Cut it in gobets or lumps a-slope. "Aslet or _a-slowte_ (asloppe, a slope), _Oblique_." P. Parv. But _slout_ may be _slot_, bolt of a door, and so _aslout_ = in long strips.]

[Footnote 149: Onions make a man stink and wink. Berthelson, 1754.

'The Onion, though it be the Countrey mans meat, is better to vse than to tast: for he that eateth euerie day tender Onions with Honey to his breakfast, shall liue the more healthfull, so that they be not too new.' _Maison Rustique_, p. 178, ed. 1616.]

[Footnote 150: Recipes for this sauce are in _Liber C._ p. 30, and _H. Ord._ p. 441: powdered crusts, galingale, ginger, and salt, steeped in vinegar and strained. See note to l. 634 below.]

[Footnote 151: See "Plays in Cene," that is, Ceue, chives, small onions somewhat like eschalots. _H. Ord._ p. 452. See note 5, l. 822. [Footnote 222 in this e-text.]]

[Footnote 152: Of all sea-fish Rochets and Gurnards are to be preferred; for their flesh is firm, and their substance purest of all other. Next unto them Plaise and Soles are to be numbered, being eaten in time; for if either of them be once stale, there is no flesh more carrion-like, nor more troublesome to the belly of man. Mouffet, p. 164.]

[Footnote 153: Roches or Loches in Egurdouce, _H. Ord._ p. 469.]

[Footnote 154: _Or_ dacce.]

[Footnote 155: _Rivet_, roe of a fish. Halliwell. Dan. _ravn, rogn_ (rowne of Pr. Parv.) under which Molbech refers to AS.

_hraefe_ (raven, Bosworth) as meaning roe or sp.a.w.n. G. P. Marsh.

But see _refeccyon_, P. Parv.]

[Footnote 156: See "Soles in Cyne," that is, Cyue, _H. Ord._ p. 452.]

[Footnote 157: Black Sea Bream, or Old Wife. _Cantharus griseus_.

Atkinson. "Abramides Marinae. Breams of the Sea be a white and solid substance, good juice, most easie digestion, and good nourishment." _m.u.f.fett_, p. 148.]

[Footnote 158: gobbets, pieces, see l. 638.]

[Footnote 159: Fr. _Doree_: f. The Doree, or Saint Peters fish; also (though not so properly) the Goldfish or Goldenie. Cotgrave.]

[Footnote 160: _Brett_, -- xxi. He beareth Azure a _Birt_ (or _Burt_ or _Berte_) proper by the name of _Brit_.... It is by the Germans termed a _Brett-fish_ or _Brett-c.o.c.k_. Randle Holme.]

[Footnote 161: Rec. for Congur in Sause, _H. Ord._ p. 401; in Pyole, p. 469.]

[Footnote 162: This must be Randle Holme's "_Dog fish_ or _Sea Dog Fish_." It is by the Dutch termed a _Flackhund_, and a _Hundfisch_: the Skin is hard and redish, beset with hard and sharp scales; sharp and rough and black, the Belly is more white and softer. Bk II. Ch. XIV. No. lv, p. 343-4. For names of Fish the whole chapter should be consulted, p. 321-345.]

[Footnote 163: 'His flesh is stopping, slimy, viscous, & very unwholesome; and (as Alexander Benedictus writeth) of a most unclean and d.a.m.nable nourishment ... they engender palsies, stop the lungs, putrifie in the stomach, and bring a man that much eats them to infinite diseases ... they are worst being fried, _best being kept in gelly_, made strong of wine and spices.' _m.u.f.fett_, p. 189.]

[Footnote 164: Recipes for Tenches in grave, _L. C. C._ p. 25; in Cylk (wine, &c.), _H. Ord._ p. 470; in Bresyle (boiled with spices, &c.), p. 468.]

[Footnote 165: Lamp.r.o.ns in Galentyn, _H. Ord._ p. 449. "Lampreys and Lamp.r.o.ns differ in bigness only and in goodness; they are both a very sweet and nouris.h.i.+ng meat.... The little ones called Lamp.r.o.ns are best broild, but the great ones called Lampreys are best baked." _m.u.f.fett_, p. 181-3. See l. 630-40 of this poem.]

[Footnote 166: Wraw, froward, ongoodly. _Perversus ...

exasperans._ Pr. Parv.]

[Footnote 167: for _whan_, when.]