Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-12-25


the custom began of celebrating Christ.
mas with sunptuous feast 1t is Ger.
tail.. however, that the observance has
never lapsed since English history be.
gaL Whlstlecraft writer who delved
deeply among the traditions and records
ot the reign Of King Arthur Of the
RcUuG Table. describes the Chrstmas
dinner Of that day IL verse,
They served .r salmon venlsor anc wilc
By &unctreGs aHc ~ dozens and by scores
Hog>htads OF honey kllderklns of mustard
Mutton- anG fatted beeves and bacon swine,
Herons and oitterns peacock. swans and bus
tard,
Teal. nallarc. pigeons, wldgeous and fine,
Plum puddlngs. pancakes. apple PIES and Gus
tard
And thercw:thai they drank good Gascon WIG
With mleaG arc ale and c.der Of our own
For porter punch and negus We're not known
THIS bill Of fare is doubtless more
poetic thar accurate. yet II Is not Ear
out OF rle way One notable omission
is that ct the wassali bowl tor wassail,
though IT was drink OF the ancient
Drulds ot the tn!rc century and prob
ably earlier vas for many hundred
u VI lNt iitAsil liIh ailNt SttiIlC
tC be a distinctive feature of Christmas
feasts 1t was first made of ale or what
was then considered ale sweetened with
something that did duty for the more
modern sugar Just what that was Ii
today unknown but II was sweet Then
there was coast and there We're roasted
crabs put al>slng hot into the bowl-a
DRINK SnrH
likea
As time went by the recipe was va,
rleG ill perhaps l,00C years or SO
later. the wassal! bowl was tlleG With
VINE wei! warmed ana speed. with
1oasted breaC and roasted apples Ii
wine We're not obtalnable, ale ~as used
but the apples were deemed lndlspensa-
BILE and really seem tC have been an
improvement on crabs Doubtless it
was the white pulp of the apples that
gave wassail its nickname of lambs
wool - and 1t was therefore an anach.
ronlsm that crept into the account of
King Arthur's feast when the boy with
the mantle cast spell over the table,
for it Is told that on that occasion only
one knight found his sword sharp
enough TO carve the boars head or his
hand steady enough to lift the lambs
wool without spllllng it,
1t will be noticed that King Arthur
had neither turkeys nor geese, though
both OF them are now distinctive fea.
lures Of the Christmas feast The tur.
key was not taken to England from
the east till the sixteenth century, and,
though the goose was known before, his
gaStrononlC value seems not to have
been discovered
But if Arthur S feast seems gargan.
tuan it was a frugal repast compared
with those chat came later Gervase
Markham describes moderate din,
ner' of about A D 1900 that would
answer for Christmas in the following
amazing way
''The first course should consist of Is
full dlshes--that is, dishes of meat that
are of substance and not empty Or fol
show-as thus, for example; First, a
shield of braun with mustard, second,
ly a boyl d capon, thirdly, a boyl'
piece of beef fourthly chine Of beef
rosted; filthy, a neat's tongue rosted;
siXthly, a pig rosted, seveEthly, chew
cts baked; eighthly. a goose rosted;
ninthly, a swan rosted; tenthly, a tur,
key rosted. the eleventh, a haunch of
venison rosted the twelfth, pasty of
venison; the thirteenth, kid with
pudding i'll the belly, the fourteenth,
an olive-pye: the fifteenth, couple of
capons; the sixteenth, custard or dow.
sets Now, tc these full dishes may be-
added sallets fricases, quelque chooses
and devised paste, as many dishes more,
which make the full service no less
shan two and thirty dishes, which is as
much as cali conveniently stand on !
table and III one mess And after this
manner you may proportion both your
second and third courses, holding ful,
ness on one half of the dishes and show
III the other which will be both frugal
in the splendour, contentment to the
guest and much pleasure and delight to
the beholder. -
Surely a moderate dinner like that
would make lord mayors banquet
seem stlngy yet there is ample evidence
that such feaSts We're not uncommon
however, set such table, even when he
could afford 1T, for Pepys records din,
ner given to the poor by Sir George
Downing one Christmas at which moth,
ing was served but beef porrdge pud
ding and pork 1t may have been better
than the recipients usually had for
everyday fare. but they voted 1t mean
entertainment for Christmas,
The Eoar's head as is we'll known,
was for hundreds of years the piece de
resistance OF every well regulated Brit
ish Christmas feast, and it has been
held by some writers that it became the
favorite because of a general desire to
protest against the Jewish prohibition
of pork a more probable reason is that
the boar was the tiercest of all the wild
beasts OF the country, and killing him
was the highest achievement of the
huntsman. Then, again, his head is
very good to eat
Whatever the reason, the great dish
was served with great pomp 1t was
served i'll style. a forgotten poet wrote:
If you would end up the brawneis head
Sweet rosemary and bays around it spread.
His toaming tusSs let some large pippln grace,
Or midst those laundering spears an orange
place
Sauce Ike himself offensive to his foes.
The roguish mustard dangerous to the nose
Sack and the well spiced hippocras, the wine
Wassail the bowl with ancient ribands fine,
Porridge with plums and turkeys with the
chine