The Washington herald., 1908-02-23
by RUDOLPH DE zApP.


serious attention on the part OF religious
bodies Of almost every persuasion. Lent
is pre-eminently the season Of fish. and the
history Of fish and fisheries in the Middle
Ages as applicable to the lenten season
is replete with interesting Illustrations
Of contemporary customs
Abstinence from flesh at certain seasons
OF the year was then considered an article
of faith the breach OF which was un-
pardonable When Cardinal Wolsey lay
dying at Leicester Abbey, after he had
eaten cullace made Of chicken, a spoon
full or two. at the last quoth he:
Whereof was the cullace nader
Forsooth, sir. of a chicken
Why quoth he. 1T is a fasting day
Cbeing st. Andrews Eve).
What though it be?' quoth his con-
fessor. 'Ye be excused by reason Of your
Sickness.
Yea quoth he, what though I will
eat no more Then was he in confession
by the space Of an hour"
Many Herrings Eaten.
AS may be imagined. the consumption
Of fish. and herrings in particular, during
berland Family Book" compiled in 1512).
we find the breakfast of the earl and
countess during four days OF a week in
Lent consisting, among other "mortifi-
cation dishes Of "bacones" herrings
and white herrings. The poor were not
forgotten, and that they might observe
the Lenten customs, many bequests were
made by the piously inclined
~
directed by BIS last viii. In 1877. one bar
rel Of white herrings and a cade Chalf
barreD of red herrings 10 be given ar
nually to the poor Of CIavering on Friday.
the last week in Lent William Dalby.
iishmonger Of London. who died in 1921
save certain barrels OF herrings TO be
distributed in the beginning Of Lent 20
the poor OF Tottenham. at Felstead. in
Essex, the churchwardens distributed. as
the gift Of Lord Rich. seven barrels OF
white herrings and three and a half bar
rels OF red herrings on each Ash Weducs-
day and the six following Sundays 20
ninety-two poor householders Of the par
ish-
Observed in France.
In France. until the close Of the seven
teenth century. fish diet was scrupulouS-
" observed on fast days. Charlemagne.
in $50, decreed the punishment Of death
20 those who infringed these rules with
out a sufficient reason. Thibaut VI.
Count de Blois. gave annually (by char
teT, 12l5) five hundred herrings to the
hospital Of Beaugency. Among the ex-
fcnsive charities OF ST Louis TO mouas-
-eries and hospitals were eS.000 herrings.
IN olden times. the soldiers engaged in
rarfare observed their Lent Thus his
tory relates that while the English were
3esieging Orleans. in 142S. one Of the con-
10y Of provisions destined for their camp
-as attacked by the Duke de Bourbon.
Il consisted chiefly of salted herrings.
which gave rise 10 the conflict being
allied the Battle of the Herrings."
Tusser, who farmed IN Norfolk. in his
Five Hundred Points Of Good Hus-
landry" Q5$O. recommends that house
-eepers should, during the fishing sea-
on
When harvest is ended rake shipping or ride.
ing. sathsh and herring for Lent TO provide,
,Ow timely for Lent stuff the money disburse.
he longer ye tarTy. for profit the worse.
HerrInss Popular.
About the middle Of the sixteenth
entury. herrings. roast or boiled. and
erved with onions. apples, vinegar, and
Il were esteemed a great deIfcacy: and
-ashe d550, in his 'Lenten STUFF" ex-
aims:
To think on red herring. such hot
tirring meat it is, IS enough to make
he cravenest bastard proclaim fire and
word against Spain"
Fuller, moralizing on red herrings. de-
,ribes them IN his day mostly eaten in
,ngland for a sauce to quicken the appe-
tie. and in Holland and elsewhere for
0Od to satisfy hunger" but Cogan. in his
Haven Of Health" 1880, written. per
APPS rather for persons OF quality. OBJ
1erves that "as for salt herrings well
vatered OF stepped in milk, they taste
7Ot III after they are broiled, yet they
i've none OF bad nourishment, saving
the plowman or sailors. soldiers or
-aboring persons
Ia England the herring fishery is an
'ucient occupation. It Is found flourish
-lg in the twelfth century, for in II95.
According TO historians, the town of Dun
wich. in Suffolk, was obliged TO furnish
ne king with 2i,oOO herrings. Mention is
ilso made Of the herring fishery in a
rhrOniclo OF the monastery OF Evesham,
n 100. 4
Regulated by Statute.
The herring fair in Yarmouth was
-eguIated in the reign Of Edward III by
ne Statute of Herrings. On the old arms
II the town were figured what are pro-
verbially known as Yarmouth capons"
~. three herrings, arg. The latter have.
however, been decapitated, as they were.
by permission OF Edward III. "fm-
7aled with the royal arms gules. three
demi-lons or" There is no incident con-
nected with the Yarmouth Fish Fair
more curious than that recorded by Glib
bon, in his sixty-fourth chapter. when
ne says that in the year 123S the inhab-
itants Of Sweden were prevented. by
fear Of the Tartars from sending. as
usual. their ships 10 the herring fishery
on the English coast; as there was con-
sequently no export. forty or fifty of the
fish were sold for a shilling: 1T is whim-
steal enough" he adds. that the orders
Npf MOgul Khan. who reigned on the
BORDERS Of China, should have thus low
cred the herrings in the English market -
Grants of Fish Made.
Grants Of fish We're occasionally made
in perpetuity. Thus. in 1862, a grant Of a
last of red herring 20 be delivered yearly
on st. Andrews Day was made to the
"collegians Of St. Georges Chapel. Wind
scr. that the college might take donors
into their prayers" a grant subsequently
commuted for a money payment Of es,
which is still received by the dean and
chapter.
There is an amusing account OF the
celebration Of Christmas at Norwich in
l444. when part of the herring was made
10 aid in the decoration Of one of the
performers; for in front Of the crowned
ling OF Christmas was a personifcation
Z the month Of December dressed ac-
ording TO the requirements Of the sea-
son. with an effigy Of Lent in red and
white herring skins on horseback. Until