Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-08-07
The Table Manners of our Ancestors

I
begin with, they had no table, but instead
of one board (5ord), which was brough
out for the occasion from some place o
storage, laid on the trestles, and when the
meal was ended, carefully put away again
This was called laying the board, to which
our similar expression owes its origin; anC
from the same source comes our word
"boarder one who sits at the board tC
eat.
The guests and family we're summoned
by horn, and after they were seated, the
cloth was spread and about this they
were extremely particular but of what
kind of fabric it was made does not
so clearly appear. 1t certainly was not
linen, for that was not introduced into
England for use until the reign of Eliza
beth For long time carpets and pieces
Of tapestry did service as coverings for
tables.
The use Of a carpet for the floor does
not seem to have occurred to those easily
satisfied individuals who were willing to
sleep on a straw mat, with log under
their heads, or at best a sack filled with
chaff or straw, for a bolster Floors were
strewn with rushes, occasionally renewed
as the accumulation of rubbish made it
necessary. Among the items at the time
of crowning Isabella queen of John, there
| Is charge Of thirty-three shillings for
strewing Westminster Hall with herbs and
rushes. 1t is this custom which Shaks-
peare refers to in Tanning of the Shrew -
=" Where's the cook? Is supper ready,
the house trimmed, ruSheS Strelred, cob
webs swept ?'-and in other plays.
Those were the days when they had oiled
paper or thinly shaved pieces of horn in
what they called windows, or the openings
were filled with strips of wicker, interlaced
in checker-work when scarcely a church
even could boast Of pane Of crystal, and
when a nobleman, who had thin layers OF
J beryl in his castle windows, was looked
upon as very luxurious in his tastes.
After the cloth was arranged, the salt
[ cellar was set on, then the knives If they
were 50 fortunate as to have any were
placed. the spoons, the drinking horns, and
the trenchers.
The salt-cel.ar was the most important
article of all very large, and made with
a cover. 1t Is this latter popularity which
/ Shakespeare alludes to, where ne makes
Launce say 4" The cover Of the salt hides
the salt, and therefore it is more than the
salt.
Where the host could afford it, it was Of
solid silver, eiaborateIy chased often a
very substantial piece Of plate. as costly as
/ his means wOnId allow. And this account
for the greed with which Queen Elizabeth
once seized upon one on occasion Of visi-
| ting a certain great official; she had
already received valuable gifts from him,
but before her departure She took a salt,
a spoon, and a fork Of fair agate
The cellar occupied the place Of honor
on the table, and the most distinguished
persons sat above it. To sit below the
salt means 10 be in the position Of an
inferior.
The meats were brought in on spits Just
as they were cooked, and in that way
passed round by the servants to the guests
who, in the more barbarous times, tore off
portion as best they could. Afterwards,
when they had advanced a little in their
ideas, there was a carver who held the
meat with one hand while he cut it with
the other and theguests helped themselves,
using their hands. and after they had de-
vOured what they wished, threw the bones
to the dogs and cats that waited under the
table and scrambled tortheir share among
the rusher. Naturally enough, every one
was expected to wash his hands before com
ing to the " board and certainly it was
needful afterwards
A few knives, shaped like a razor but
forks were unknown. Even the great
Elizabeth ate with her fingers In her
reign, however commerce was extended,
and Iuxuries began to appear, porcelain
and glasses instead Of pewter mugs to
drink from, and in her bath room she had
mirrors, and this was considered a great
extravaganza Her immense and lofty
rooms were meager and cheerless enough
with their scant furnishings and her table.
in spite Of many pieces OF plate, was not
altogether removed from the rudeness Of
manners Of the early Saxons. At first,
two persons ate from one :. trencher,' as it
was called. There were no plates, and
these trenchers were made to answer the
purpose They were, in fact, large slices
OF bread, placed before each one COR two)
to accommodate the meat, There were
two qualities of bread; one fine, to be
eaten the other, Of course, inferior -four,
was made into large lOaves, then the outer
crust was removed aud laid aside for the
poor, and the rest cut into very thick and
substantial slices, and thus used instead Of
plates In the course of time, some in
genious person conceived the happy idea
Of having real plates; the wealthy furnish
ed themselves with valuable ones of sill
yer, and eventually the common people
were provided with such as their circum-
stances admitted, made OF wood or pewter.
and finally earthernware came into use.
But in those days they were all content
with the primitive arrangement Of the
trenchers. The bread thus used soaked
up the gravy, and became quite savory in
consequence and when the meal was end
ed. each one ate his plate if he chose
otherwise it was put into the aims basket,
which was always kept ready, and into
which the leavings were gathered, and
sent out to the poor waiting at the gate
the poor were never forgotten in those old
Saxon households.
Every one had his drinking horn or cup
usually it was a horn, often elaborately
carved, and ornamented with gold and
silver, and considered a very valuable
article among a mans possessions. The
drinking horn was sometimes left by will
as special gift, as one would not be-
queath diamond ring or costly watcn
In the transfer Of land, before the custom
of witnessing by seal was introduced, the
owner gave something in pledge as an
assurance or token Of the contact, and in
such cases it was not uncommon to make
use of the drinkingh horn. One family
held their estate from Canute by his
drinking horn. This was their sole proof.