Antiquitates culinariae, or, curious tracts relating to the culinary affairs of the old English / with a preliminary discourse, notes and illustrations by Richard Warner.

Date:
1791
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Antiquitates culinariae, or, curious tracts relating to the culinary affairs of the old English / with a preliminary discourse, notes and illustrations by Richard Warner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    “ tioned, fhe is midrefs of Spanilh, Scotch, and Dutch; whoever fpeaks to her, “ it is kneeling: now and then fhe raifes fome with her hand. While we were “ there, W. Slawata, a Bohemian Baron, had letters to prefent to her, and die “ after pulling off her glove, gave him her right hand to kifs, fparkling with rings “ and jewels, a mark of particular favor; wherever fhe turned her face as die “ was going along, every body fell down on their knees. “ The ladies of the court followed next to her, very handfome and well “ diaped, and for the mod: part drefied in white; die was guarded on each fide “ by gentlemen penfioners, fifty in number with gilt battle-axes; in the anti- “ chapel next the hall where we were, petitions were prefented to her and die “ received them mod gracioudy, which occafioned the acclamation of <f Long “ live Queen Elizabethdie anfwered it with “ I thank you my good people/' In the chappel was excellent mufic; as foon as it and the fervice was over, te which fcarce exceeded half an hour, the Queen returned in the fame date, and “ order, and prepared to go to dinner. But while die was dill at prayers, we faw “ her table fet out with the following folemnity.” This part of the account being more applicable to the fubjedt of our difcourfe, it is given without further apology. It difplays that tedious ceremonial, which was obferved in every thing that regarded the fervice of the royal table, during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries; the frequent genuflexions and prodrations, made on thefe occafions, bordered very nearly on impiety; and when we confider, that thefe ceremonies were performed in an empty room, and to an empty table, we cannot help exclaiming with fome degree of indignation, O quantum in rebus inane 1 “ A gentleman entered the room bearing a -rod, and along with him another ** who had a table-cloth, which, after they had both kneeled three times, with “ the utmod veneration, he fpread upon the table, and after kneeling again, they “ both retired. Then came two others, one with the rod again, the other with “ a falt-feller, a plate and bread; when they they had kneeled, as the others had done, “ and placed what was brought, upon the table, they too retired, with the fame “ ceremonies performed by the fird. At lad came an unmarried lady, (we were “ told fhe was a countefs,) and along with her a married one, bearing a tading ** knife; the former was drefled in white filk, who, when die had prodrated her- ** felf three times, in the mod graceful manner approached the table, and rubbed “ the plates with bread and fait, with as much care as if the Queen had been prefent: when they had waited there a little time, the yeomen of the guard “ entered bareheaded, cloathed in fcarlet with a golden rofe upon their backs, “ bringing in at each turn, a courfe of four and twenty difhes, ferved in plate mod “ of it gilt; thefe difhes were received by a gentleman in the fame order, they ** were brought and placed upon the table, while the lady tader gave to each of “ the guard a mouthful to eat, for fear of any poifon. During the time that this “ guard, which confids of the tailed and doutefi men that can be found in all “ England, being carefully fele&ed for this fervice, were bringing dinner, twelve “ trumpets