The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-07-19
KNIVES AND FORKS.


Fingers were made before forks
They were, indeed, and very few per-
sons who indulge in picnics.. and thus
excuse putting fingers TO their primitive
use, know how long fingers had been
made before forks were thought of.
Can it be possible that the Pilgrim
Fathers of New England put their meat
into their mouths with their fngersP 1t
is not only possible, but highly proba-
BILE. The good ship Mayfower brought
over a prodigious number of things, to
judge from the many that still remain
to us, but it is nearly certain, however,
that she did not bring over a single
fork. When Governor Bradford, Cap
tain Standish and the rest of the COM
pany sat down to dinner in the steerage
of the Mayfiower, probably every man
took his own knife from his pocket or
his belt, and used it for cutting his salt
pork into small pieces, putting the food
into his mouth either with his knife or
his fingers. Perhaps this accounts for
the tenacity with which some of their
descendants clung to the habit of eating
with their knives.
Most of the Pilgrims were plain men,
who had passed their lives far from
courts and the potter circles of Europe.
With few exceptions, they were a COM
pany of farmers and mechanics, and
conformed to the fashions of their class.
But when they left England in 1908 to
seek refuge in Protestant Holland, there
were still royal courts in Europe where
forks were not used. Mary, Queen of
Scots, never had one in her hands; nor
Queen Elizabeth nor Shakespeare.
Lord Bacon may have seen a fork, be-
cause he had an inquisitive mind, and
was fond of new notions. He may
have brought one home as a curiosity,
as we do a patent corkscrew. During
his lifetime, few Englishmen used forks
at their meals, or knew of their exist
ence.
These may seem rash assertions to
some readers. But, look, here is an
old work published in 1911, containing
an account of the journeys, in various
parts of the world, of Thomas Coryate,
an Enghshman who travelled over many
countries of Europe and Asia, on foot;
and a very close observer he was, both
of men and manners. In 1908 he
walked through France, Switzerland,
Italy and part of Germany. James L.
was then King of England; Henry ".
was King of France; Shakespeare was
writing his greatest works; and Lord
Bacon was thinking his greatest
thoughts. Upon reaching Italy, Thomas
Coryate noticed something extremely
curious, which he described at some
length in his book. The passage is SO
interesting, and settles the fork ques-
ton so unquestionably, that 1 will copy
part of it for the readers instruction
and amusement I shall take the liber-
fu IF oorraofi1or tho a11thOrfe G
old-fashioned spelling:
81 observed custom in all those
italian cities and towns through the
which passed that is not used In any
other country that 1 saw in my travels;
neither do think that any other ma
ton of Christendom doth use it, but
only Italy.
1.-The Italian, and also most strangers
that are commorant (resident) in Italy,
do always at their meals use a little
fork when they cut their meat; for
while with their knife, which they hold
in one hand, they cut the meat out OF
the dish, they fasten their fork, which
they hold in their other hand, up
on the same dish; so that whatsoever
he be that sitting in the company of any
others at meat should unadvisedly touch
the dish of meat with his fingers, from
which all at the table do cut, he will
give occasion of offense unto the COM
pany as having transgressed the laws of
good manners; insomuch that for his
error he shall be at least browbeaten, if
not reprehended in words"
Upon inquiring into this strange fash
ion, he was informed that forks were
generally used in all parts of Italy. Or
dinary people had forks of iron or steel,
but in families of wealth and distinction
the forks were of silver. He asked why
the Italians made use of so extraordina-
ry an implement. 1t il" he remarks,
''because '' the Italian cannot by any
means endure to have his dish touched
with fingers, seeing all mems fingers are
not alike clean"
The traveller became so accustomed to
the use of forks during his tour that he
brought away a few with him, that he
used on his tour through Germany, and
occasionally in England after his return
home. One of his friends, amused at
the oddity of the instrument, gave him
the nickname of Furcifer, Latin word
signifying fork-bearer. Roman slaves
were punished by being made to carry
around their necks a fiErcd, or fork,
made of two pieces of wood fastened to-
gether like the letter V. Hence the
term fttrcifer.
We learn from this passage that in the
year 1908 the people of Europe north of
Italy were still accustomed TO cut their
meat from a common dish, each person
using his own knife, and transferring
the morsels to his mouth with the i'm
plements that were "made before
forks"
Need say that when the fork was
first introduced into England it was re-
garded with general contempt as a
dainty, new-fangled notion, only fit for
foreigners, dandies and other inferior
persons? To use the fork was long con-
sidered mark of effeminacy, or a ridic-
ulous imitation of foreign customs.
Thus, in play of Beaumont and Fetch
er there is contemptuous allusion to
"your fork-carving traveller" Ben
Jonson also, in one of his comedies, rid
icules the new Italian custom of saving
napkins by taking up meat with a fork.
There were religious communities in
which the use of the new implement was
forbidden as a sinful luxury.
The fork was slow in making its way
into the remoter parts of the European
continent. The French inn-keepers
much against their will were compelled
to provide forks for their guests, because
they found that polite travellers would
not take food in the good old-fashioned
way. For long time after the intro
duction of forks landlords did not pro-
vide their tables with knives, since ev-
cry person was accustomed to carry and
use his own knife.
The Highlanders of Scotland held o ut
bravely against the fork. Down nearly
to the year 100, each man on taking
his place at the table drew his knife
from his belt, with which he first cut the