Middletown transcript., 1872-08-24
Table Manners Of our Ancestors.

our saxon ancestors iiad some rude
customs abcu, their meals, which are 10
striking contrast with modern refinement.
To begin with, they had no table. but,
instead Of one, board (iord), which was
brought out for the occasion from some
place Of storage. laid on trestles, and.
/ when the meal was ended, carefully put
away again. This was called laying the
board, 10 which our similar expression
owes its origin; and from the same source
comes our word ''boarder" who sits
al the board TO cat.
The guests and family were summoned
BY horn. and after they were seated, the
cloth was spread; aud about this they
were extremely particular, but Of what
kind Of fabric il was made docs not clearly
| appear. II certainly was not linen, for
that was not introduced into England for
such use until the reign Of Elizabeth For
long time carpets and pieces Of tapestry
did service as coverings for tables.
The use Of TIE carpet for the floor does
not seem to have occurred to those easily
satisfied individuals, who we're willing 10
| sleep on straw mat, with log under
/ their heads or Mt best sack filled with
! chaif or straw, for bolster Floors were
strcwn with rushes, occasionally renewed
ns the accnmnlations Of rubbish made it
necessary. Among the items at the time
" crowuing Isabella, Queen Of John there
i charge Of thirty three shillngs for
strewias Westminster Hall with herbs
aud rushes II il this custom whicl.
Shakespeare refers To in " Tanning tile
/ Shrcw -"W Where's the cook: l. the
-ufror ready, the house trimmed, rpsI,a
stffFe7, co5wcbs swept? aud in other
] plays
4 Those were the days when they had
oiieA paper or 'hinly shaved pieces II horn
+ IN what they cnilel windows. or the open.
inrs were tlled with strips of wicker, in
i tetlhced III checker.wnrk when stareely
a church ceen could hoa>' et pane of
+ cry-tai, aul when notemrn. who hal
/ tim layers Il bcry 10 his castle window,
wis loa@ci upon rs very luxurious in his
.astts
After the cloth was arranged, tho salt.
cellar was set on. then thr knives ff they
IS q fortunate n. 10 possess auyJ were
rheel, the spoons, the drinking horns,
and be treuthegs
Tb" >alt.ccllar was the most irnporian,
article u Ill very large. and mule with
eeter L II ttjs l4ttaf pssadar;Ig which
shakespeare alindes H. Nhers Le maeta
.#aa#ss >ag The e59er f The nit hises
t4a II, AMI therefore !; /. 'aafe tdsa
NH
Whore tn host eoali nj ri il. Il m.
Il oil silyer. elahera,ef ehascl aften
fefy substantial pieee # plate. as e5stly
as BIZ maaas would allnw 1nl TIL, nc.
cunts tnr tn eretl with which ,lnsen
Elizabeth aue. seized upon one. Oh eeea-
sion Of visiting 4 certain great official
.hr had already received valuable g!i
frsm hin. tat before her departure III
s.t#s. a silt, spoah, ahl f5rk of fair
agate
TIE salt#eeIlar occupied tn pine Z
haner an the iabie. anil the most tiisiin.
sasshel fefeons sat alaye il T. 81
Nv lae zalt. t4sai.t u l. u ihe posi-.
tim Il III inferior
IT, mats 0erc hroasht Ii ID pit Just
IL thy Vere aaakpl, aud III ihlt Nag
.aual Is ihe @er,4Ats = tn
~ a.. wha IL ,he m#re tstlar5u- ,ime..
tsfe III 4 portion . lot d. ! raalI At.
tafHati Win thIy Had advanced 4 ii.tl5
Id ,h5if deas tbefe was r1reer VII
hall 'hr meat Wit. on hanl while H. cut
With tic oshaf. aHl the gaes;a leipasl
themselves. using their hanis, ani alter
ihY hai ieYbaftd what thy Wished.
threw Il! Inns tic iaes anl cnts tint
waited unef the tahls anl scrambled for
tisr share an5ng tie ra,hes Naturally
tneaeh. esfri ana was expected to wash
Ii, h4nl. lsf5t5 coming q the i h3ard
aatl sftanif Il WIS nerlfal afterwar
\ f.v Ind inif.. .hapel Ike razor.
Id, fafts Narc unknown. Even the great
Elizahetli ate With her fingers In her
f5ian however. commerce WIS extended.
and llNurifs hegan to Hprear; porcelain
! anl nla.ses instead If pewter mugs to
drink from and in her bathroom She had
mirrors aul this was considered n great
txttayaEauee ller immense anl lofty
rooms were meager aud eheerless enough
with their seant furnishings; anil her
,ahls, in spite # many pieces Of plate. was
MT altogether removed from the rnleness
+ Il manners Of the early Slxpn< Al first.
+ twn persons ate from one .treneher.e A.
il was called. There were 10 plates, aul
these trenehers were made 10 answer the
purpose They were. IN iact, large slces
# bread placed before each one or two.
10 accommodate the meat There were
Two qualities Of bread one fine. 10 b. eat.
Ell; the other, Of the coarse inferior flour,
was made into largo loases, then the outer
crust was removed and laid aside for the
pnar. aud the rest cut into very thick aud
very substantial slices, and thus used in.
stead of plates In the course Of time
some ingenious person conceived the happy
dea # having real plates the wealthy
furnished themselves with valuable ones
Of silver. and eventually tho common pco.
pie were provided with such as their cir
eumstances admitted, male of wood or
pewter, and finally ear,henwarc came In
to use.