Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-01-26
Our A. cestprs Curious Facts II Re-
gard to Their LIVING and Doing.

The customs. manners, literature,
architecture, history. everything. in
fine. pertaining to England, previous
10 the seventeenth century, may be
regarded 20 the common ancestral
property Of all John Bulls progency.
wherever scattered over the world
10 large majority of orr readers
therefore,, whatever throws light up,
% the olden times Of treat Britain
can never cease to he of interest,"
The October Neio England Farmer.
noticing a recent publication, "Our
English Homes" extracts and COM
ments as follows:
The whale was eaten by the Sax :
ons; and when men were lucky
enough to get it, it appeared at the
table late in the fifteenth century,
In 1246, Henry III. directed the
Sheriff Of London to purchase one
hundred pieces of whale for bis table.
Whales found on the coast were the
peIqnlsites ofroyalty and they were
caught and sent 10 The Kings kitch>
vi. k1i 6aiO \. gave "a ICWdtU vi
thirty shillings 10 three mariners who
caught a whale near London bridge
Those found on the banks of the
Thames were claimed by the Lord
Mayer, and added 10 the civic feast.
Pieces OF hale were often purchased
il. the nineteenth century for the Ia :
BILE Of the Countess Of Leicester
England was often supplied with this
choice dainty by the fisherman OF
Normandy, who made il an article OF
ca nmerce. The Normans had var
i0us ways of cooking it sometimes
it was roasted and brought to the Ia
bic on q spit. but the usual way was
t. boil it aud serve it with peas
Epicures looked out for slice from
The tongue or the tail. The gram
pus, or the sea wolf, was also highly
esteemed, but Of all the blubbcr dain>
tbs the porpolse was deemed the
most savory The Saxons called II
sea swine, and the eccIesiastics oftht
Middle Ages, proco marine. Forpol-
ses We're purchased tor the table oi
Henry III ia 124G
La the reig" II Henry Ii, The whole
stock of carpenters tools was val
ued at one shilling, and consisted Of
IA broad ak, adze, a square and q
spoke shave. There were a very
few chimneys; the fire was laid tc
he wall, and the smoke issued out al
The roof or door, or window, and The
| furniture and utensils were of wood
The people slept on straw paliets
with log Of wood for a pillow
/ Even a. late as the time Of Elizabeth
1858 II is stated that apologies wer,
made 10 visitors il they could not bt
accommodated in rooms provided
viii chimneys They had u few
glass windows, ard when glass wa.
introduced 1t was for long time 81
scarce that when leoplc went away
they would order the windows .aket
ont an laid up il safety.
In the fourteenth century none
but the clergy men wore linen Tn,
household furniture among the veal
thy consisted OF an occasional, :
brass pot, brass cup, gridiron anC
a rag or two, and perhaps towel
Of chairs aud tables we hear nothing
Even the nobility sat upon the chest
IN which they kept their clothes
man in seven yeare after marriag,
c0ud,purcbase q flock bed and sacl
Of chat 10 rest bis head upon. h,
thought himself as well lodged o.
tho lord OF the town.
La addition 10 this poverty Of VIVA
seems SO us absolute necessities. til,
houses and the people were exceed
ingly dirty. Erasmus, celebrated
scholar of Holland, who visited Eng
land, complains that ''the naslines
OF the people was the cause Of th,
frequent plaques which destroyed
them = and be says their floors ar,
commonly of clay, sirewed will
rushes, under, which he unmolestet
a collection Of beer, grease, trag
ments, bones, spittle, excrements 3
dogs and cats, and ofevery thing tha
/ l. nauseous
Their tables were as miserably
supplied as their dwellings. They
had little fresh meat, but sailed mos
OF their cattle and swine III Novem.
Der, upon which they mostly Deepen
ded through the winter. Very few
vegetables of any kind came upos
their tables. IL is stated that in thc
early part otithe reign Of Henry VIII
not cabbage, turnip, carrot or 9th,
er edible grew in England,
The average duration of human
life was, at that period, not one-halI
as long as that of the present day
The constant use of sailed meat. The
few or no vegetables, contributed tc
the shortening If life, 10 say nothing
OF the large number swept away by
pes,ilence and famine.