The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-08-19
Eating in the 0lden Time.

A thousand years ago, when the din
ner was ready to be served, the first
thing brought into the great hall was
the table. Movable trestles were
brought, on which were placed boards,
and all were carried away again at the
close of the meal. Upon this was laid
the tablecloth, which in some of the old
pictures is represented as having
handsome embroidered border. There
is an old Latin riddle of the eigth CEN
fury in which the table says: " | feed
people with many kinds of food. First,
l am a quadruped and adorned with
handsome clothing; then am robbed
of my apparel and lose my legs also"
The food of the Anglo-SaXon was
largely bread This is limited in the
fact that domestic was called " loaf
eater" and the lady of the house was
the loaf-giver." The bread was
baked in round, fiat cakes, which the
superstition of the cook marked with a
cross to preserve them from the perils
of the fire. Milk, butter and cheese
were also eaten. The principal meat
was bacon, as the acorns of the oak
forests, which then covered a large
part of England, supported numerous
droves of swine. Our AnglO-SaXon
forefathers were not only hearty eaters,
but, unfortunately, deep drinkers. The
drinking horns were at first literally
horns, and so must be Immediately
emptied when filed. Later, when the
primitive horn had been replaced by a
glass cup, it retained tradition of its
rude predecessor in its shape, for it had
tlaring top while tapering toward the
base, so that il, too, had to be emptied
at draught. Each guest was furnished
with a spoon, while his knife he always
carried in his belt; as for forks, who
! dreamed of them when nature had given
man ten fingers? But you will see why
a servant with basin of water and a
towel always presented himself to each
guest before dinner was served and aft Ell
it was ended. Roasted meat was served
on the spit or rod on which it was cooked
| and the guest cut or tore off a piece to
suit himself. Boiled meat was laid on
the cakes of bread, or, later, on thick
slices of bread called trenchers," from
Norman word meaning to cut" as
these were TO carve the meat on, thus
preserving the tablecloth from the knife
AT frs the trencher was eaten or thrown
upon the stone floor for the dogs who
crouched at their masters feet. At 6
later date it was put into a basket anC
given to the poor who gathered at the
manor-gate. During the latter part oil
the Middle Ages the most conspicuou;
object on the table was the sat-cellar
This was generally of silver in the form
of a ship. 1t was placed in the center
of the long table, at which the whole
household gathered, my lord and lady
their family and guests being at one
end, and their retainers and servants a
the other. So ones position in regarC
to the salt was a test of rank-the gentle
folk sitting " above the salt " and the
yeomanry below it. In the houses o
the great mobiles dinner was served
with much ceremony. AT the hour ;
stately procession entered the hall
First came several musicians, followed
by the steward bearing his rod of office
and then came long line of servants
carrying different dishes. Some idei
of the variety and profusion may b.
gained from the provision made BY
King Henry III. for his household a
Christmas, 1254 This included " thirty
ore oxen, one hundred pigs, three hun
dred and fiity-siX fowls, twenty-nint
hares, fifty-nine rabbits, nine pheasants
fifty six cartridges, siXty-eight wood
cock, thirty-nine plovers and tire,
thousand eggs" Many of our favor
lite dishes have descended to us from
the Middle Ages. Macaroons hav,
served as dessert since the days o
Chaucer. Our favorite winter break
fast, griddle-cakes, has come down t.
us from the far away Britons of Wales
while boys have lunched on ginger
bread and girls on pickles and jellie
since the time of Edward ii, NOR
than five hundred years ago.-Enchangt