Houses of refreshment seem, however, to have extended themselves westward, and to have become tolerably numerous, in the earlier society of the sixteenth century, for Sir Thomas More, in a letter to his friend Dean Colet, speaking of a late walk in West- minsterandof the various temptations to expen- diture and dissipation which the neighbour- hood then afforded, remarks : “Whithersoever we cast our eyes, what do we see but victualling- houses, fishmongers, butchers, cooks, pudding- makers, fishers, and fowlers, who minister matter to our bellies?” This was prior to 1519, the date of Colet’s decease. There were of course periods of scarcity and high prices then as now. It was only a few years later (1524), that Robert Whittin- ton, in one of his grammatical tracts (the “ Vul- garia”), includes among his examples : — “ Befe and motton is so dere, that a peny worth of meet wyll scant suffyse a boy at a meale.” 250 Meals. The term “ cook’s-shop ” occurs in the Orders and Ordinances devised by the Steward, Dean, and Burgesses of Westmin- ster in 1585, for the better municipal govern- ment of that borough. The tenth article runs thus : — “ Item, that no person or persons that keepeth or that hereafter shall keep any cook’s-shop, shall also keep a common ale-house (except every such person shall be lawfully licensed there- unto), upon pain to have and receive such punishment, and pay such fine, as by the statute in that case is made and provided.” But while the keepers of restaurants were, as a rule, precluded by law from selling ale, the publicans on their side were not supposed to purvey refreshment other than their own special commodities. For thefifteenth proviso of these orders is : — “ Item, that no tavern-keeper or inn-keeper shall keep any cook shop upon pain to forfeit and pay for every time offending therein 4 d.” The London cooks became famous, and were not only in demand in the City and its immediate outskirts, but were put into re- Meals. 251 quisition when any grand entertainment was given in the country. In the list of expenses incurred at the reception of Queen Elizabeth in 1577 by Lord Keeper Bacon at Gorham- bury, is an item of ^12 as wages to the cooks of London. An accredited anecdote makes Bacon’s father inimical to too lavish an out- lay in the kitchen ; but a far more profuse housekeeper might have been puzzled to dispense with special help, where the con- sumption of viands and the consequent culi- nary labour and skill required, were so un- usually great. In the Prologue to the “ Canterbury Tales,” the Cook of London and his qualifications are thus emblazoned : — “ A Cook thei hadde with hem for the nones, To boylle chyknes, with the mary bones, And poudre marchaunt tart, and galyngale ; Wei cowdehe knowe a draugte of London ale. He cowde roste, and sethe, and broille, and frie Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pie. But gret harm was it, as it thoughte me, That on his schyne a mormal had he : For blankmanger that made he with the beste.” 252 Meals. This description would be hardly worth quot- ing, if it were not for the source whence it comes, and the names which it presents in common with the “ Form of Cury” and other ancient relics. Chaucer’s Cook was a per- sonage of unusually wide experience, having, in his capacity as the keeper of an eating- house, to cater for so many customers of vary- ing tastes and resources.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Houses of refreshment seem, however, to have extended themselves westward, and to have become tolerably numerous, in the earlier society of the sixteenth century, for Sir Thomas More, in a letter to his friend Dean Colet, speaking of a late walk in Westminsterandof the various temptations to expenditure and dissipation which the neighbourhood then afforded, remarks : “Whithersoever we cast our eyes, what do we see but victuallinghouses, fishmongers, butchers, cooks, puddingmakers, fishers, and fowlers, who minister matter to our bellies?” This was prior to 1519, the date of Colet’s decease. There were of course periods of scarcity and high prices then as now. It was only a few years later (1524), that Robert Whittinton, in one of his grammatical tracts (the “ Vulgaria”), includes among his examples : — “ Befe and motton is so dere, that a peny worth of meet wyll scant suffyse a boy at a meale.” Meals. The term “ cook’s-shop ” occurs in the Orders and Ordinances devised by the Steward, Dean, and Burgesses of Westminster in 1585, for the better municipal government of that borough. The tenth article runs thus : — “ Item, that no person or persons that keepeth or that hereafter shall keep any cook’s-shop, shall also keep a common ale-house (except every such person shall be lawfully licensed thereunto), upon pain to have and receive such punishment, and pay such fine, as by the statute in that case is made and provided.” But while the keepers of restaurants were, as a rule, precluded by law from selling ale, the publicans on their side were not supposed to purvey refreshment other than their own special commodities. For thefifteenth proviso of these orders is : — “ Item, that no tavern-keeper or inn-keeper shall keep any cook shop upon pain to forfeit and pay for every time offending therein 4 d.” The London cooks became famous, and were not only in demand in the City and its immediate outskirts, but were put into re- Meals. quisition when any grand entertainment was given in the country. In the list of expenses incurred at the reception of Queen Elizabeth in 1577 by Lord Keeper Bacon at Gorhambury, is an item of ^12 as wages to the cooks of London. An accredited anecdote makes Bacon’s father inimical to too lavish an outlay in the kitchen ; but a far more profuse housekeeper might have been puzzled to dispense with special help, where the consumption of viands and the consequent culinary labour and skill required, were so unusually great. In the Prologue to the “ Canterbury Tales,” the Cook of London and his qualifications are thus emblazoned : — “ A Cook thei hadde with hem for the nones, To boylle chyknes, with the mary bones, And poudre marchaunt tart, and galyngale ; Wei cowdehe knowe a draugte of London ale. He cowde roste, and sethe, and broille, and frie Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pie. But gret harm was it, as it thoughte me, That on his schyne a mormal had he : For blankmanger that made he with the beste.” Meals. This description would be hardly worth quoting, if it were not for the source whence it comes, and the names which it presents in common with the “ Form of Cury” and other ancient relics. Chaucer’s Cook was a personage of unusually wide experience, having, in his capacity as the keeper of an eatinghouse, to cater for so many customers of varying tastes and resources.

Old Cookery Books and Ancient Cuisine