We are so accustomed to looking forward, to " the millions yet to be," to the new, to the cities which are springing up without permission from anybody, that we have forgotten about such things as the ancient granting of city charters by kings and barons with tributary conditions imposed, such as the presenting of a peacock, or a huge blackbird pie, or a boar's head to the suzeraine on a 190 COOKING FOR PROFIT, certain day each year; and find it hard to enter into the solemn sort of fun which the very respectable and reverend seat of English learning, Oxford College, enjoys as an annual custom. A little better understand- ing of the symbolism of some of the designs would make even the exhi- bition of artistic cookery at the cook's annual banquets far more interesting than they are. THE OXFORD BOAR'S HEAD DINNER. The boar's head dinner at Queen's College, Oxford, on Christmas Day is a survival of a custom once prevalent in all England. In 1678, Aubrey wrote: "In gentlemen's houses at Christmas, the first dish that was brought to table was a boar's head, with a lemon in his mouth." There is an account of an Essex parish, called Hornchurch, in which the inhabitants paid the great tithes on Christmas Day, and were treated with a bull and a brawn. The boar's head was wrestled for by the peasants on that occasion, and then feasted upon. It would be easy to multiply instances. At half-past six o'clock in the afternoon of Christmas Day, the Hall of Queens College was filled by persons anxious to witness the time-honoured ceremony of the Boar's Head procession. The hall was liberally adorned with greenery, and a monstrous fire created a welcome tempera- ture. Although the weather was damp and foggy, by six o'clock the picturesque old hall presented an animated appearance, filled nearly to overflowing with a crowd of merr^ faces ; the dark tone of the gentle- men's clothing and the bright bits of colour of the ladies' showed up very effectually against the old oaken wainscoating. The boar's head, which was provided and dished up by Mr. Wm. H. Horn, the College manciple, was a splendid specimen, weigh- ing seventy pounds, and wa« decorated with the proverbial "bays and rosemary," and surmounted with a crown and flags bearing the College arms. Upon the sound of the trumpet, at the head of the procession of singing men and choristers, marched the Rev. Robt Powlej, M. A., Curate of Cowley, who took the solo part in the ♦•Boar's Head Carol:" I The Boar's head in hand bear L Bedecked with bays and rosemary, And I pray you, masters, merry be, Quotquot estis in convivio. Chorus. Caput Apri defero, Redden laudes Domino. The Boar's head, as I understand. Is the bravest dish in the land; Being thus decket with g-ay g-arland, Let us servire cantico. Chorus. Our Steward has provided this In honour of the King- of Bliss, Which on this day to be served is In Reginensi Atro. Chorus. Wynkin de Worde's carol (printed In 1521) was, of course, much quainter, espe- cially verse three : Be gladde, lordes, both more and lesse, For this hath ordeyned our stewarde To chere you all this Christmasse, The Boar's heed with mustarde.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

We are so accustomed to looking forward, to " the millions yet to be," to the new, to the cities which are springing up without permission from anybody, that we have forgotten about such things as the ancient granting of city charters by kings and barons with tributary conditions imposed, such as the presenting of a peacock, or a huge blackbird pie, or a boar's head to the suzeraine on a certain day each year; and find it hard to enter into the solemn sort of fun which the very respectable and reverend seat of English learning, Oxford College, enjoys as an annual custom. A little better understanding of the symbolism of some of the designs would make even the exhibition of artistic cookery at the cook's annual banquets far more interesting than they are. THE OXFORD BOAR'S HEAD DINNER. The boar's head dinner at Queen's College, Oxford, on Christmas Day is a survival of a custom once prevalent in all England. In 1678, Aubrey wrote: "In gentlemen's houses at Christmas, the first dish that was brought to table was a boar's head, with a lemon in his mouth." There is an account of an Essex parish, called Hornchurch, in which the inhabitants paid the great tithes on Christmas Day, and were treated with a bull and a brawn. The boar's head was wrestled for by the peasants on that occasion, and then feasted upon. It would be easy to multiply instances. At half-past six o'clock in the afternoon of Christmas Day, the Hall of Queens College was filled by persons anxious to witness the time-honoured ceremony of the Boar's Head procession. The hall was liberally adorned with greenery, and a monstrous fire created a welcome temperature. Although the weather was damp and foggy, by six o'clock the picturesque old hall presented an animated appearance, filled nearly to overflowing with a crowd of merry faces ; the dark tone of the gentlemen's clothing and the bright bits of colour of the ladies' showed up very effectually against the old oaken wainscoating. The boar's head, which was provided and dished up by Mr. Wm. H. Horn, the College manciple, was a splendid specimen, weighing seventy pounds, and was decorated with the proverbial "bays and rosemary," and surmounted with a crown and flags bearing the College arms. Upon the sound of the trumpet, at the head of the procession of singing men and choristers, marched the Rev. Robt Powlej, M. A., Curate of Cowley, who took the solo part in the ♦•Boar's Head Carol:" I The Boar's head in hand bear L Bedecked with bays and rosemary, And I pray you, masters, merry be, Quotquot estis in convivio. Chorus. Caput Apri defero, Redden laudes Domino. The Boar's head, as I understand. Is the bravest dish in the land; Being thus decked with gay garland, Let us servire cantico. Chorus. Our Steward has provided this In honour of the King- of Bliss, Which on this day to be served is In Reginensi Atro. Chorus. Wynkin de Worde's carol (printed In 1521) was, of course, much quainter, especially verse three : Be gladde, lordes, both more and lesse, For this hath ordeyned our stewarde To chere you all this Christmasse, The Boar's heed with mustarde.

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