Antiquitates culinariae, or, curious tracts relating to the culinary affairs of the old English / with a preliminary discourse, notes and illustrations by Richard Warner.

Date:
1791
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Antiquitates culinariae, or, curious tracts relating to the culinary affairs of the old English / with a preliminary discourse, notes and illustrations by Richard Warner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    beheld a difplay of riches and magnificence, to which their own country had been hitherto ftranger; and from thence, as well as from the kingdoms they pafied through, in their progrefs to Jerufalem, they imported frefh ideas of magnificence, and new modifications of luxury. The continual habits of war in which they were engaged, during thefe wild expeditions, and the romantic adventures that occafionally befel them, in an age of anarchy and licentioufnefs, increafed that attachment to military feats, which the feudal principles had before implanted in them, and the femblance of war, in tilts and tournaments, was now made a part of focial feftivity, and convivial entertainment. With thefe ideas in our minds, we may without difficulty, conceive the fumptuoufnefs of a baronial entertainment. We may pidture the capacious hall, thronged with knights and ladies, cloathed in the richeft array *. The horn, the trumpet, and other mufic of the age, occafionally burfting out in warlike founds *f\ The minftrel tuning his harp to feats of chivalry, or reciting the ro- mantic gefts of fome imaginary chief and the extended table labouring under the weight of vafl: difhes, whofe contents were garnifhed with flowers, or adorned with gold One of the moft favorite ornaments of the board, particularly at Chriftmas, was the head of a boar, (a diffi now in ufe) which was ferved up with every circumflance of pompous ceremony. Preceded by trumpets, and followed by a numerous * Vide an ancient Englifh poem, cited in Warton’s Hift. Eng. Poetry, v. II. p. 231. f In the days of chivalry, a concert of a variety of inftruments of mufic, conflantly made a part of the folemnity of a fplendid feaft. Syre Ladore latte make a fefle. That was fayre and honefte. With his lorde the kynge ; Ther was much minflralfe Trompus, tabors, and fantre. Both harpe, and fydyllynge. Gefta Romanorum. Warton’s Hift. Eng. Poet. vol. III. p. 59. Vide alfo Pierce Plowman Vif. pafTus decimus tertius. J “ In days of old, ’ere charm’d at length to reft “ Stern chivalry her idle fpear uphung, “ Sweet, ’mid loud arms, the minftrel’s mufic rung ; “ In each proud caftle, at the gorgeous feaft, “ Mix’d with bold chiefs he fat, an honor’d gueft ; “ Chear’d with the genial rites, his lyre he ftrung, “ War, love, the wizard, and the fay he fung, “ And fir’d with rapture each impaflion’d breaft.” Ruffel’s Sonnets and mifcel. poems, Oxford 1789. At thefe great entertainments of the barons, it was cuftomary for poets and romance writers to recite, and read their compofitions. So we find when FroifTart paid a vifit to Gafton Earl of Foiz, the Earl’s chief amufe- ment was to attend to his gueft who read romances to him every night after fupper. Vide FroifTart’s chronicle. Lord Berners’s edition. It is worth notice alfo, that the office of carver was, upon thefe occafions, executed by a perfon of diftinflion, of the degree of Efquire at leaft. According to the rules of chivalry, every Knight before his creation palled through two offices ; he was firft a page, and at fourteen years of age, was formally admitted an Efquire. The Efquires were divided into feveral departments, that of the body, of the chamber, of the ftable, and the carving Efquire. The latter flood in the hall at dinner, where he carved the different difhes with fkill, and addrefs, and directed the proper diftribution of them among the guefts. Wart. Hift. Eng. Poet, vol. I. p. 40. note r, *