Chief cooks were, Messrs. Morris and Miller. Cooks for the pallets, John Clerk and John Bibby. Cooks for roasting and baking, John Coleburne, Elias James, John Raikes, and A. Daman. Labourers for roasting and baking and for the pastries, J. Green, R. Blythe, W. Aldersey, and Alexander Cowper. I am surprised he did not knight all the cooks, for it was at this visit, which lasted for several days, that he knighted the loin of beef. He had presented to him, by the rustics, while he was out sporting in the park attached to this noble house, a petition, praying them to be allowed to enjoy themselves on the Sabbath after church service, which was the origin of his celebrated Book of Sports; which book was the cause of more preaching and scribbling than enough; so that this visit is an important one in English history. See p. 234. But, reader, after reading over the list of nice things, did it not tend to make you break one of the commandments? did not your appetite covet some of them? For my part, when I first read the account, I remembered the old adage, that "eating, like scratching, only wants a beginning," and I really wished for one small slice out of the haunch of venison, and that "my throat was a mile long, and every inch a palate." That wish, by Dr. Kitchener, beats Philoxenus of old; he only "wished to have the neck of a crane, that he might enjoy the taste of his aliments longer and with more pleasure." One thing cannot fail striking the attentive reader, viz., the small quantity of vegetables, and apparently little fruit either in pastry or as a desert. How they drank their wines or other liquors, I cannot inform the reader. But Dr. Whittaker, this county's historian, who died in 1821, says: "We are indebted to the French for the temperate elegance of drinking wine at dinner. Sixty years ago the Lancashire gentry used to go into their cellars and drink themselves drunk from the pipes." And now, by way of contrast, I will give Cromwell's style of living. A republican simplicity prevailed in the banquets at Whitehall during his administration, the plain fare of whose tables was the subject of many sneers among the luxurious loyal. An idea of his dinners may be formed by the following manner in which his lady baked a pig: “The carcass was incased in a coating of clay, like one of his own iron sides in his coat of mail, and in this state it was stewed among the hot ashes of the stoke-hole. Scotch collops also formed one of the standing di of her cookery: we are informed that she ate marrow puddings at breakfast, while her youngest daughter delighted in a sausage made of hogs' liver."* Cromwell, with the stomach of a soldier, despised French and elaborate cookery; but at his state dinners he had them, yet they were mostly for show. After his feasts there was much boisterous mirth and merriment, but more dignified and harmless, compared with the gross outrages of the royal banquets of James, or the festivals of the cavaliers in the time of his unfortunate son. The city of London gave him and Fairfax a feast, which was all of a substantial character, suited to military appetites; no healths were drank, and the only music was trumpets and kettle-drums.t In the year 1661 there was a gathering of marquises, lords, knights, and squires, which took place at Newcastle, to celebrate an anniversary; when, on account of the number of the guests, each was required to provide or bring his own dish of meat this created competition. Sir George Goring's dish was received with most eclat: it consisted of four brawny pigs, piping hot, bitted and harnessed with cables of sausages, all tied to a monstrous pudding-bag. Among other articles of cookery, they cooked snails, which were stewed or fried in a variety of ways, with oil, spices, wine, vinegar, and eggs; and the legs of frogs were dressed a la fricassee.§ Those who may be curious to know the recipes for cooking * Court and kitchen of Mrs. Joan Cromwell. Lodge's Illustrations. † Whitelock. ⚫ May. fish, will find several varieties in the kind-hearted Isaac Walton's book on angling. As none of them are so good as those now in use, I have not thought proper to copy any of them. Pennant says: "The shad, if stuffed with pot majoram, and dressed in that manner, will very nearly intoxicate the eater." In former days fennel was always boiled with fish: the common dock was boiled with meat; they had an opinion it made it boil sooner, and it was considered a wholesome pot herb. The gathering of samphire, which was used as a pickle, was pursued as a "dreadful trade."* "The rolls of the Temples " are kept in each; it is called the calves' head roll; wherein every bencher, barrister, and student is taxed yearly at so much to the cook and other officers of the house, in consideration of a dinner of calves' head provided in Easter term." I will give a method of making a herring pie, from a fashionable cookery book of the time. "Take salt herrings, being well watered, wash them between your hands, and you shall loosen the fish from the skin; take off the skin whole; then have a pound of almonde paste ready, mince the herrings, and stamp them with the almonde paste, two of the roes, five or six dates, some grated manchet, sugar, sack, rose water, and saffron; make the composition somewhat stiff, and fill the skins; put butter in the bottom of your pie, lay on the herrings, and on thei dates, gooseberries, currants, barberries, and butter; close it up and bake it; being baked, liquify it with butter, vinegar, and sugar." Lord Bacon recommends, in eating chewets, which are minced meats, “instead of butter or fat, it were good to moisten them partly with creame, or almonde or pistachio milke, or barley or maize creame. Such is a small sample of that celebrated noble as a gourmand. Tusser in the following verse describes their general feed: "Beef, mutton, and porke, shred pies of the best, Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkie well drest; They had in general a three course dinner; the second was always game when in season; the third was confectionary, of which they were very fond, and their taste displayed itself here in the articles representing the heathen mythology, castles, or wind-mills; so their teeth were daily exercised in some species of bloodless knight-errantry. Their dessert usually included a March pine, (a delicate sort of biscuit,) and a cake composed of * See Shakspeare's King Lear. filberts, pistachio nuts, pine kernels, sugar, rose water, ana flour; marmalades, pomegranetes, oranges, citrons, apples, pears, raisins, dates, nuts, grapes, &c.; nor was any expense spared in procuring these foreign or home-reared dainties.* The first regular confectioner who settled in London was in 1600-Seignor Baltassir Sanchez, a Spaniard, who soon got rich and retired, and whose grateful and benevolent heart induced him to found Tottenham Cross school and alms-houses; so he not only professed the sweets of life, but enjoyed them too, and did what he could to allow a small portion of others who came after him to do the same. May his quiet soul sleep through a quiet sleep.” Sir Samuel Morland, who was master mechanic to Charles II., had a portable cooking establishment fitted up in his carriage in 1675. CARVING. IN former times there was an officer to carve the meat in all noble houses: he was an esquire in degree. In Scotland Sir William Anstruther, Bart., is hereditary carver, having the right of standing at a side-table to cut up the meat. The following extract is taken from the accomplished Lady Rich's "Closet of Rarities," 1653: "Instructions to British ladies when at table.-A gentlewoman, being at table, abroad or at home, must observe to keep her body straight, and lean not by any means on her elbows, nor by ravenous gesture disclose a voracious appetite. Talke not when you have meate in your mouthe, and do not smacke like a pig, nor eat spoone-meate so hot that the tears stand in your eyes. It is very uncourtly to drink so large a draughte that your breath is almost gone, and you are forced to blow strongly to recover yourself; throwing down your liquor as into a funnel, is an action fitter for a juggler than a gentlewoman. In carving at your own table, distribute the best pieces first; it will appear very decent and comely to use a forke; so touch no piece of meate without it." In the reign of Charles this accomplished art was taught at schools. Montaigne regretted he "could not handsomely fold up a letter, make a pen, saddle a horse, nor carve at table worth a pin." The polished Chesterfield recommends the knowledge of carving to his son. * Stubbs. Many people are not aware of the use of knowing well the art of carving: by carving properly, there may be found seven different flavours in a large shoulder of mutton. How gratifying must it be, when one has a small party of kind friends, to be able to reciprocate their kindness, by helping each one to those parts his or her palate most approves of; when that can be done, as it always may be, if the person has the competent knowledge, and which is so easy to be acquired, the best books on the art of cookery having cuts to teach it. It gives the host many happy opportunities, by passing the compliment to each guest by asking the part he would like to partake of; to show some dexterity, and his or her good breeding in a very polite art; and also of his or her assiduous attention to oblige, which marks the well-bred lady or gentleman, and is so easy a way of showing off his attention in these oftenoccurring periods of civilized life. This civility costs nothing, the joint of meat, or game, or poultry, or dish of fish having been provided and cooked; the remaining part is only a little knowledge, which, by requisite attention, daily experience thrice repeated soon furnishes. How much more pleasant is it to reflect that you have gratified your friend's taste and palled his appetite with those parts he has most relished, instead of helping him to what he did not so well approve of, and those parts he would have relished with a higher gouté, given to the dogs or the cats! But mark, reader, another point; if you happen to know this very necessary and pleasing art, it shows at once your good breeding and station in society: you will find it also gives great hilarity to the passing scene. But if you do not know it previously, it cannot, at the time when most wanted, be taught you; because your guest, seeing this deficiency, dare not ask for that he might desire, out of tenderness to you, he being aware it would expose your want of this necessary and everpleasing accomplishment; which, as it adds to others' pleasure, like all other freely compounded, freely given, kind and warmhearted off-handed civilities, adds largely to your own, and adds a double relish to the kind repast. These are acts of kindness That syllable men's names On sands, and shores, and desert wildernesses." MILTON. The following excellent song was given to me many years past by a female cook of an old English family. The author she did not know. It was, I have no doubt, written in "the olden time." |