Washington sentinel., 1898-01-15

IN There can be but little doubt that
the table fork owes its origin to the
pitchfork, yet it required 1900
" years, and perhaps twice that time,
10 evolve the idea. Forks are Of
& modern invention, when compared
with spoons. The Irishman who
u defined a fork as "a split spoon"
4 had a true idea OF its origin, as the
earliest ones had only two prongs.
u The first medieval mention of
forks is at the marriage OF BYzan-
tine maiden to the Doge OF Venice,
in the eleventh century. In Venice
"a this young woman ate as she was
q accustomed to do at home, cutting
her meat in few small bits on her
plate, and carrying it to her mouth
in two tined fork. The Vene-
tians regarded this manner OF eat
Ming as a morbid luxury.
1t seems highly probable that
y the fork originated IN the Byzan-
tine court, and thence spread west
ward. 1t was not introduced into
England generally until about the
latter end OF the sixteenth century,
and its introduction lies at the door
oi one Thomas CorYatt.
"a Coryatt was the son Of a preben-
dairy at York cathedral, and was a
member of the household OF Prince
"a Henry, the oldest son OF James /.
HE published curious account Of
IA walking tour under the title OF
Coryatt's Cruditles Hastily Cob
SSd Up in Five Months Travels
nance, Italy, Etc, wherein he
Baks Of an article called a
"forke."
1t is certain that forks were in
use in the early middle ages, but
only to spit meat and toast bread.
They were never seen on the table.
In the fourteenth century Glenn
ence de Hongrie had thirty spoons
and one gold fork. The Duke Of
wAnJou, in 1860, had a fork. The
Inventory of Charles V. Of France,
wenty years later, describes two
forks with crystal handles. With
gsilverware worth a million, the
monarch possessed all told only
twelve forks. The use Of fork
was considered such a luxury that
Ymany monastic orders forbade
their members to indulge in it. Its
use was considered effeminate and
beneath the dignity Of a true
man."
Queen Eleanor, wife of Edward
l., had among her plate a fork OF
crystal and a silver fork Of ivory
and ebony handle. The Duchess
of Touraine had only two forks,
though she boasted of ten dozen
spoons.
As late as the sixteenth century
forks were a great rarity. Queen
Elizabeth was the first English
sovereign and the only woman who
used one in her day. Her mobiles
thought il was sheer affectation on
her part, and so great was the pref
udice against their use, even by
educated people, that an eminent
divine preached a sermon about
forks, saying: "It is an insult to the
Almighty not to touch ones meat
with ones fingers" AS late as the
reign Of George l. so little was
known of forks and their use that
few inns provided them for the use
~r as..--G-- Ar--~HIs JnOuRnC OF car
Tying the food to the mouth with a
fork until Queen Elizabeth set the
fashion.
In little book entitled isle des
Hermaphroditis," ridiculing the
effeminate dandieS Of the French
court Of Henry ~, the writer tells
how it was forbidden on the iabu-
lous island to eat meat with the
hngers. Every one was COM
PEELED to get his food into his
mouth with fork, These forks
kept the hands OF the diners so
|Rga11Ssan that no one wished water and
@ A Atween the courses. The
performance was as good as a
play"
With the opening Of the seven
teenth century came the introduce
ton of forks into France, Germany
and England by the Italians.
Louis XIII used a fork though
his wife, Anne of Austria, ate with
her fingers.
To the genial Duke de Montau-
sier do we owe, it is probable, the
general use of forks. His vile was
the beautiful Julia d'Argennes,
daughter Of the Marquis de Ram
bouillet. The Marquis house was
the abode of the highest culture OF
the period, and, true to the Italian
traditions Of his family, the Mar
quis always used fork. AS soon
as the Duke learned its use and saw
its advantage he eXerted his in
fuence to encourage the use Of
forks among she French aristoc
racy, and, as the first court official
Of Louis XIV. his lead was fol-
lowed.
Forks were first manufa ctured in
England in 1908. Their use was
ridiculed by men OF the times, who
, argued that the English race must
be degenerating when knife and
a spoon we're not enough for use
at the table.
Ben Jonson, speaking OF the
Planners Of Venice, says by the
WRouth of Sir P lItick Would be:
Yen you must lcarn the use
Sthd handling Of your silver fork at
meals.
This was written in 1907, and
nine years later he speaks OF them
in England: