How to Devise Dinners and Suppers

p. 221

THE FOURTH ARTICLE

The which teacheth you how you, as sovereign mistress of your household, must know how to order and devise dinners and suppers with Master Jehan, and how to devise dishes and courses.

And at the beginning I will set certain terms, how they be used, the which shall be an introduction or at least an amusement unto you.

Primo, since it is meet that you send master Jehan to the butcheries, hereafter follow the names of all the butcheries of Paris and their deliveries of meat. At the Porte-de-Paris there be nineteen butchers who by common estimation sell weekly, taking them all together and the busy season with the empty season, 1,900 sheep, 400 oxen, 400 pigs and 200calves. Sainte-Geneirève: 500 sheep, 16 oxen, 16 pigs and 6 calves. Le Parvis: 80 sheep, 10 oxen, 10 calves and 8 pigs. At Saint-Germain there be thirteen butchers; 200 sheep, 30 oxen, 30 calves and 50 pigs. The Temple, 2 butchers; 200 sheep, 24 oxen, 28 calves, 32 pigs. Saint-Martin: 250 sheep, 32 oxen, 32 calves, 22 pigs. Sum of all the butcheries of Paris, weekly, without counting the households of the King and the Queen and other our lords of France, 3,080 sheep, 514 oxen, 306 calves and 600 pigs. And on Good Friday there be sold from 2,000 to 3,000 salted porks.

p. 222

As to what has been said before concerning butchers' meat and poultry, the King's household consumeth in butchers' meat weekly at least 120 sheep, 16 oxen, 16 calves and 12 pigs; and 200 salted porks a year. In poultry daily, 600 chickens, 200 pairs of pigeons, 50 kids and 50 goslings. The Queen and the children. Butchery, weekly, 50 sheep, 12 calves, 12 oxen, 12 pigs; and 120 salted porks a year. In poultry daily, 300 chickens, 36 kids, 150 pairs of pigeons and 36 goslings. [The Duke of] Orleans likewise. [The Duke of] Berry likewise. Monseigneur de Berry's folk say that on Sundays and great feasts they require 3 oxen, 30 sheep, 160 dozen of partridges and coneys in proportion, but I doubt it.—Since verified.—And certainly 'tis so on divers great feasts, Sundays and Thursdays, but most commonly on the other days 'tis 2 oxen and 20 sheep.—Note again that at the court of monseigneur de Berry the varlets and pages have livery of the ox cheeks, and the muzzle of the ox is carved asunder, and the mandibles be left for the livery, as is aforesaid. Item, the neck of the ox is also given in livery to the aforesaid varlets. Item, and that which cometh next to the neck is the best part of the beef, for that which is betwixt the front legs is the breast and that which is above is the shoulder. [The Duke of] Burgundy [is] to the King as Paris money is to money of Tournai. [The Duke of] Bourbon's household uses half as much as the Queen's. Item, without spending or paying out your money every day you may send master Jehan to the butcher and order meat by tally.

p. 223

After these things it behoveth to tell and speak of certain general terms that be used in the feat of cookery, and afterwards to show how you may know and choose the viands wherewith the cook worketh, as followeth: Primo, in all sausages and thick pottages, wherein spices and bread be brayed, you should first bray the spices and take them out of the mortar, because the bread which you bray afterwards requires that which remaineth from the spices; thus naught is lost that would be lost if 'twere done otherwise. Item, spices and bindings put into pottages ought not to be strained; nathless do so for sauces, that the sauces may be clearer and likewise the more pleasant. Item, wot you well that pea or bean pottages or others burn easily, if the burning brands touch the bottom of the pot when it is on the fire. Item, before your pottage burns and in order that it burn not, stir it often in the bottom of the pot, and turn your spoon in the bottom so that the pottage may not take hold there. And note as soon as thou shalt perceive that thy pottage burneth, move it not, but straightway take it off the fire and put it in another pot. Item, note that commonly all pottages that be on the fire boil over, and fall onto the said fire, until salt and grease be put into the pot, and afterwards they do not so. Item, note that the best caudle there is, is beef's cheek washed twice in water, then boiled and well skimmed. Item, one may know whether a coney be fatted, by feeling his sinew or neck betwixt the two shoulders

p. 224

for there you may tell if there be much fat by the big sinew; and you can tell if he be tender by breaking one of his back legs. Item, note that there is a difference among cooks between "sticking" and "larding", for sticking is done with cloves and larding with bacon-lard. Item, in pike the soft-roed are better than the hard, save when you would make rissoles thereof, for rissoles be made of the hard roes, ut patet in tabula. Of pike one speaketh of a hurling pike, a pickerel, a pike, a luce.

Item, fresh shad cometh into season in March. Item, carp should be very well cooked, or otherwise it is dangerous to eat it. Item, plaice be soft to the touch and dab the contrary. Item, at Paris the cooks of roastmeat fatten their geese with flour, neither the fine flour nor the bran, but that which is between the two which is called the pollen; and as much of this pollen as they take, they mix an equal amount of oatmeal therewith, and mix with a little water, and it remaineth of the thickness of paste, and they put this food in a dish on four feet, and water beside and fresh litter everyday, and in fifteen days [the geese] be fatted. And note that their litter maketh them to keep their feathers clean. Item, to give the flavour of game to capons and hens, it behoveth to bleed them by cutting their throats and straightway put them and cause them to die in a bucket of very cold water, and they will be as high on the same day as though two days killed. Item, you may tell young mallards from old ones,

p. 225

when they be the same size, from the quills of the feathers, which be tenderer in the young birds than in the old. Item, you may tell the river mallard, because they have sharp black nails and they have also red feet and the farmyard ducks have them yellow. Item, they have the crest or upper part of the beak green all along, and sometimes the males have a white mark across the nape of the neck, and they have the crest feathers very wavy.

Item, Ring doves be good in winter and you may tell the old ones for that the mid-feathers of their wings be all of a black hue, and the young ones of a year old have the mid-feathers ash coloured and the rest black. Item, you may know the age of a hare from the number of holes that be beneath the tail, for so many holes, so many years.

Item, the partridges whose feathers be close set and well joined to the flesh, and be orderly and well joined, as are the feathers of a hawk, these be fresh killed; and those whose feathers be ruffled the wrong way and come easily out of the flesh and be out of place and ruffled disorderly this way and that, they be long killed. Item, you may feel it by pulling the feathers of the belly.

Item, the carp which hath white scales and neither yellow nor reddish, is from good water. That which hath big eyes standing forth from the head and palate and tongue joined, is fat. And note if you would carry a carp alive the whole day, wrap it up in damp hay and carry it belly upmost, and carry it without giving it air, in a cask or bag.

p. 226

The season for trout begins in [blank] and lasts until September. The white trout be good in winter, and the red [salmon-]trout in summer. The best part of the trout is the tail and of the carp it is the head. Item, the eel which hath a small head, loose mouth, shining skin, undulating and glistening, small eyes, big body and white belly, is fresh. The other has a big head, yellow belly and thick brown skin. Hereafter follow divers dinners and suppers of great lords and others and notes, whereupon you may choose, collect and learn whatsoever dishes it shall please you, according to the seasons and to the meats which are native to the place where you may be, when you have to give a dinner or a supper.

I. Dinner for a Meat Day served in Thirty-one Dishes and Six Courses.

First course. [Wine of] Grenache and roasts, veal pasties, pimpernel pasties, black-puddings and sausages. Second course. Hares in civey and cutlets, pea soup [lit., strained peas, salt meat and great joints (grosse char), a soringue of eels and other fish. Third course. Roast: coneys, partridges, capons etc., luce, bar, carp and a quartered pottage. Fourth course. River fish à la dodine, savoury rice, a bourrey with hot sauce and eels reversed. Fifth course. Lark pasties, rissoles, larded milk, sugared flawns. Sixth course. Pears and comfits, medlars and peeled nuts. Hippocras and wafers.

p. 227

II. Another Meat Dinner of Twenty-four Dishes in Six Courses.

First course. Pasties of veal well minced with fat and marrow of beef, pimpernel pasties, black puddings, sausages; stuffed straws (pipefarces) and Norwegian pasties. Second course. Hares in civey and eel broth; bean soup [lit., strained beans], salt meat, great joints, to wit beef and mutton. Third course. Capons, coneys, veal and partridges, fresh and salt-water fish, some taillis with glazed meats. Fourth course. River mallard à la dodine, tench with sops and bourreys with hot sauce, fatted capon pasties, with gravy of the fat and parsley. Fifth course. A larded broth, savoury rice, eels reversed, some roast sea or freshwater fish, crisps and old sugar. The sixth and last course for Issue. Sugared flawns and larded milk, peeled nuts, cooked pears and comfits. Hippocras and wafers.

III. Another Meat Dinner

First course. Beef pasties and rissoles, black puree, lampreys with cold sage, a meat brewet of Almaign, a white fish sauce and a herbolace, great joints of beef and mutton. Second course. Freshwater fish, saltwater fish, a meat cretonnée, raniolles, a rosee of young rabbits and bourreys with hot sauce, Pisan bird tarts (i.e. Pisa in Lombardy and they be called Lombard tarts and

p. 228

there are little birds in the stuffing and henceforth in divers places they be called Lombard tarts). Third course. Tench with sops, blankmanger decorated, larded milk, croutes, boar's tai1 with hot sauce, bream and salmon pasties, boiled plaice and leches fried [fritters] and darioles. Fourth course. Frumenty, venison, roast fish, cold sage, eels reversed, fish jellies, capon pasties with hasty gravy.

IV. Another Meat Dinner

First course. Norwegian pasties, a cameline meat brewet, beef marrow fritters, soringue of eels, loach in water and cold sage, great joints and saltwater fish. Second course. The best roast that may be had and freshwater fish, a larded broth, a meat tile, capon pasties and crisps, bream and eel pasties and blankmanger. Third course. Frumenty, venison, lamprey with hot sauce, leches fried, roast bream and darioles, sturgeon and jelly.

V. Another Meat Dinner

First course. Beef and marrow pasties, hare in civey, great joints, a white coney brewet, capons and venison with sops, white porray, turnips, salt ducks and chines. Second course. The best roast, etc., a rosee of larks, a blankmanger, umbles and boar's tail with hot sauce, fat capon pasties, fritters and Norwegian pasties.

p. 229

Third course. Frumenty, venison, various sorts of glazed meats, fat geese and capons à la dodine, cream darioles and leches fried and sugared, bourreys of hot galentine, capon jelly, coneys, young chickens, rabbits and piglings. Fourth course. Hippocras and wafers for Issue.

VI. Another Meat Dinner

First course. Frizzled beans, a cinnamon brewet, a hare in black civey, a green eel brewet, red herring, great joints, turnips, tench with sops, salt geese and chines, rissoles of beef marrow, hastelettes of beef. Second course. The best roast that may be had, fresh and salt water fish, boiled plaice, bourreys with hot sauce such as lampreys, a gravy of shad the colour of peach blossom, a party blankmanger, Lombard tarts, pasties of venison and small birds, Spanish cretonnée, fresh herring. Third course. Frumenty, venison, glazed meats, fish jellies, fat capons à la dodine, fish roast, leches fried and darioles, eels reversed, crayfish, crisps and stuffed straws.

VII. Another Meat Dinner

First course. White porray, beef hastelettes, great joints, veal in civey, some garnished (houssié) brewet. Second course. Roast meat, salt and freshwater fish, Lombard raniolles, a Spanish cretonnée. Third course. Lampreys, shad, a rosee, larded milk and [sugared] croûtes in milk, Pisan i.e. Lombard tarts, cream darioles.

p. 230

Fourth course. Frumenty venison, glazed meats, bream and gurnard pasties, eels reversed, fat capons à la dodine. Issue is hippocras and wafers.¾Sally Forth (Boutehors): wine and spices.

VIII. Another Meat Dinner

First course. Great joints, Norwegian pasties, beef marrow fritters, cameline meat brewet, soringue of eels, loach in water, saltwater fish and cold sage. Second course. The best roast that may be had, freshwater fish, a meat tile, goat's flesh boiled and larded, capon pasties, bream and eel pasties and blankmanger. Third course. Frumenty, venison, glazed meats, lampreys with hot sauce, leches fried and darioles, roast bream, broth with verjuice, sturgeon and jelly.

IX. Another Meat Dinner

First course. White leeks, beef pasties, ducks and chines, hares and coneys in civey, a geneste of larks, great joints. Second course. Roast; boar's tail with hot sauce, a party blankmanger, goose dodines, larded milk and [sugared] croûtes, venison, glazed meats, jellies, [sugared] crusts in milk à la dodine, capon pasties, cold sage, cow's flesh parties and talemouse.

X. Another Meat Dinner

First course. Pea soup, herrings, salted eels, oysters in black civey, an almond brewet, a tile, a broth of pike and eels, a cretonnée, a green brewet of eels, silver pasties.

p. 231

Second course. Seawater and freshwater fish, bream and salmon pasties, eels reversed, a brown herbolace, tench with larded broth, a blankmanger, crisps, lettuces, losenges, orillettes and Norwegian pasties, farced luce and salmon. Third course. Frumenty, venison, glazed pommeaulx, Spanish puffs and chastletes, a roast of fish, jelly, lampreys, congers and turbot with green sauce, leches fried, darioles and a great entremet.

XI. Another Dinner

First course. Beef pasties and rissoles, black porray, lamprey gravy, a meat brewet of Almaign, a meat brewet garnished (georgé), a white fish sauce, a herbolace. Second course. Roast meat, saltwater and freshwater fish, raniolles, a rosee of little rabbits and birds, bourreys with hot sauce, Pisan tarts. Third course. Tench with sops, a party blankmanger, larded milk and [sugared] croûtes, boar's tails with hot sauce, capons à la dodine, bream and salmon pasties, plaice in water, leches fried and darioles. Fourth course. Frumenty, venison, glazed meats, a fish roast, cold sage, eels reversed, fish jelly, capon pasties.

XII. Another Dinner.

First course. Frizzled beans, a cinnamon brewet, hare in black civey, or a green brewet of eels, red herrings, great joints, turnips, tench with sops, salt geese and chines, rissoles of beef marrow.

p. 232

Second course. The best roast that may be had, fresh and saltwater fish, plaice in water, bourreys with hot sauce, a gravy of shad the colour of peach blossom, party blankmanger, Lombard tarts, pasties of venison and small birds, Spanish cretonnée, fresh herrings. Third course. Frumenty, venison, glazed meats, fish jelly, fat capons à la dodine, a fish roast, leches fried and darioles, eels reversed, crayfish, crisps and stuffed straws.

XIII. Another Meat Dinner

First course. A brewet of Almaign, cabbages, a soringue of eels, turnips, beef pasties, great joints. Second course. The best roast that may be had, fatted ducks à la dodine, freshwater fish, blankmanger, a herbolace, Norwegian pasties, crisps, larded milk, milk tarts. Third course. Capon pasties à la dodine, savoury rice, boar's tail with cold sauce, leches fried and sugared darioles. Fourth course. Frumenty, venison, glazed meats, eels reversed and a roast of breams. The boar's head for the entremet.

XIV. Another Meat Dinner

First course. White leeks with capons, duck with chines and roast chitterlings, leches of beef and mutton, a garnished brewet (georgé) of hares, veals and coneys. Second course. Capons, partridges, coneys, plovers, farced pigs, pheasants for lords, fish and meat jelly. Entremet borne on high: swan, peacocks, bitterns, herons and other things.

p. 233

Issue. Venison, savoury rice, capon pasties, cream flawns, darioles, eels reversed, fruit, wafers, estriers and clarry.

XV. Another Dinner in Twenty-four Dishes in Three Courses.

First course. Pea soup, salted eels and herrings, leeks with almonds, great joints, a yellow brewet, a salemine, saltwater fish, oysters in civey. Second course. Roast freshwater and saltwater fish, a Savoy brewet, a larded brewet of skinned eels. Third course. Roast breams, galentine, chine, peregrine capons, jelly, party blankmanger, boiled plaice, turbot à la soucie, cream darioles, lampreys with hot sauce, glazed meats, savoury rice, etc.

SUPPERS

XVI. Meat Supper in Four Courses

First course. Seymé, pullet aux herbes, brewet of verjuice and poultry, an espinbesche of meat boiled and larded, pickerells and loach in water, salted roach and chastelongnes. Second course. The best roast that may be had of meat and fish, and titbits of parsley and vinegar, galentine of fish, a white sauce on fish and meat livers. Third course. Capon pasties, biscuit of pike and eels, lettuces, and a herbolace, fish, crisps and stuffed straws. Fourth course. Jelly, crayfish, plaice in water, whitebait and cold sage, umbles with hot sauce, pasties of cow's flesh and talemouses. Pottage for an Issue, called jelly.

p. 234

XVII. Another Meat Supper

First course. Capons aux herbes, a comminée, peas daguenets, loach au jaunel, venison with sops. Second course. The best roast that may be had, jelly, party blankmanger, cream flawns well sugared. Third course. Capon pasties, cold sages, stuffed shoulder of mutton, pickerells à un rebouly, venison à la boar's tail, crayfish.

XVIII. Another Meat Supper

First course. Three sorts of pottage, capons whole in white brewet, a chawdon of salmon, venison with sops, loach with sliced eels thereon. Second course. Roast capons, coneys, partridges, plovers, blackbirds, small birds, kids; a blankmanger standing, etc.; luce, carp and bar, etc.; eels reversed ¾Pheasants and swans as entremets. Third course. Venison à la frumenty, pasties of doves and larks, tarts, crayfish, fresh herring, fruit, clarry, pastries, medlars, pears, peeled nuts.

XIX. A Fish Dinner for Lent

First course and service. Cooked apples, large Provençal figs roast, with bayleaves thereon, cress and sorrel with vinegar, pea soup, salted eels, white herring, gravy on fried salt and freshwater fish. Second course. Carp, luce, soles, roach, salmon, eels.

XX. Another Fish Dinner for Lent

First course. Cooked apples, etc., as above. Second course. Carp, luce, soles, roach, salmon, eels reversed à la boe (i.e. with thick sauce) and a herbolace.

p. 235

Third course. Roast pimpernels, fried whiting, powdered porpoise with water and frumenty, crisps and Norwegian pasties. Issue. Figs and raisins, hippocras and wafers as aforesaid.

XXI. Another Fish Dinner

First course. Pea soup, purée, civey of oysters, white sauce of broach and perch, a cress porray, herrings; salted whale, salted eels, loach in water. Second course. Fresh and saltwater fish, turbot à la soucie, taillis, a biscuit, eels in galentine. Third course. The fairest and best roast that may be had, white pasties, loach au waymel, crayfish, perches with parsley and vinegar, tench with sops, jelly.

XXII. Another Fish Dinner

First course. Pea soup, herrings, purée, salted eels, oysters, a salemine of broach and carp. Second course. Freshwater fish, a soringue of eels, Norwegian pasties and party blankmanger, a herbolace, pasties, fritters. Third course. The best roast, etc., savoury rice, tarts, leches fried and darioles, salmon and bream pasties, a chawdon. Fourth course. Taillis, crisps, stuffed straws, skirrit roots, fried pike, glazed dishes, congers and turnip au soucié, Lombard tarts, eels reversed.

XXIII. Another Fish Dinner

First course. Cooked apples, ripe figs, [wine of] Grenache, cress and pennyroyal, pea soup, chad,

p. 236

salted eels, herrings and salted whale, white brewet on perches and cuttle fish in a gravy on fritters. Second course. The best freshwater fish that can be found and saltwater fish, skinned eels, bourreys with hot sauce, tench with sops, crayfish, pasties of bream and plaice in water. Third course. Frumenty of porpoise, Norwegian pasties and roast mackerel, roast pimpernels and crisps, oysters, fried cuttle fish, with a biscuit of pickerells.

XXIV. Another Fish Dinner

First course. Pea soup, herring, salt eels, a black civey of oysters, an almond brewet, a tile, a broth of broach and eels, a cretonnée, a green brewet of eels, silver pasties. Second course. Salt and freshwater fish, bream and salmon pasties, eels reversed, a brown herbolace, tench with a larded broth, a blankmanger, crisps, lettuces, losenges, orillettes, and Norwegian pasties, stuffed luce and salmon. Third course. Porpoise frumenty, glazed pommeaulx, Spanish puffs and chastelettes, roast fish, jelly, lampreys, congers and turbot with green sauce, breams with verjuice, leches fried, darioles and entremet. Then Dessert, Issue and Sally-Forth. Hereinafter follow divers incidents likewise appertaining to the same matter. The arrangements which M. [the abbé] de Lagny made for the dinner which he gave to Monseigneur de Paris, the President, the Procureur and the Avocat du

p. 237

Roy and the rest of the Council amounting to eight covers [i.e. sixteen persons]. First, preparation of tablecloths, vessels for the dining hall and the kitchen, branches, greenstuff to set on the table, ewer sand hanaps with feet, two comfit dishes silver salt cellars, bread two days old for toast and trenchers. For the kitchen: two large pails, two washing tubs and two brooms. Note, that Monseigneur de Paris had three esquires of his own to serve him and he was served apart with covered dishes. And Monseigneur the President had one esquire and was served apart, but not with covered dishes. Item, at the bidding of Monseigneur the President, the Procureur du Rol was seated above the Avocat du Rol. The courses and dishes follow: two quarts of [wine of] Grenache, to wit [allowing] two persons to the half-pint (but that is too much, for a half-pint between three suffices, and let the seconds have some). Hot cracknels and ruddy apples roast with white comfits thereon, a quarter lb.; ripe figs roast, five quarters; sorrell, cress and rosemary. Pottages, to wit a salemine of six salmon and six tench, green porray and white herring, a quarter [lb.]; six freshwater eels salted the day before, and three stockfish soaked for a night. For the pottages: almonds, 6 lbs.; ginger powder 1/2 lb.; saffron 1/2 oz.; small spices, 2 oz.; cinnamon powder, 1/4 lb.; comfits, 1/2 lb. Sea fish: soles, gurnard, congers, turbot, salmon. Freshwater fish: luce, two Marne carps, bream. Entremets: plaice, lamprey à la boe. Roast: and

p. 238

more towels be needed and likewise sixteen oranges, porpoise in its sauce, mackerel, soles, bream, chad à la cameline, or with verjuice, rice with fried almonds thereon; sugar for rice and apples, 1 lb.; little napkins. For dessert: compost with white and red comfits spread thereon; rissoles, flawns, figs, dates, raisins, filberts. Hippocras and wafers are the issue. Hippocras two quarts (and this is too much, as is aforesaid concerning [the wine of] Grenache), two hundred wafers and supplications. And note that for each cover one allows eight wafers, four supplications and four efriers and that is generous allowance; and the cost thereof is 8d. per cover. Wine and spices are the Sally-Forth. Wash, grace and go to the withdrawing room; and then the servants dine and immediately afterwards [serve] wine and spices; and so farewell. The arrangements for the wedding feast that master Helye shall give on a Tuesday in May; a dinner only for twenty covers [i.e. 40 persons]. Service: Butter, none, because it is a feast day. Item, cherries, none, because none were to be had; and for this course nought. Pottages: Capons with blankmanger, pomegranates and red comfits thereon. Roast: On each dish a quarter of a kid; a quarter of kid is better than lamb; a duckling, two spring chickens and sauce thereto; oranges, cameline, verjuice and fresh towels and napkins therewith.

p. 239

Entremets: crayfish jelly, loach, young rabbits and pigs. Dessert: frument and venison. Issue: Hippocras and wafers. Sally-Forth: wine and spices. The ordering of the supper that is to be had on the same day is thus for ten covers [twenty persons]: Cold sage of the halves of chickens, little ducklings, and a vinaigrette of the same meats for the said supper in a dish. A pasty of two young hares and two peacocks (although some say that at the bridals of free folk there ought to be darioles), and in another dish minced kids with the heads halved and glazed. Entremets: jelly as above. Issue: apples and cheese without hippocras, because it is out of season. Dancing, singing, wine and spices, and torches for lighting. Now it behoveth [to set down] the quantity of the things abovesaid and their appurtenances and the price thereof and who shall purvey and bargain for them. From the baker, ten dozen flat white loaves, baked the day before and for a penny piece. Trencher bread, three dozens, half a foot wide and four inches high, baked four days before and let it be brown, or let Corbeil bread be got from the market. Wine cellar: three cauldrons of wine. From the butcher, half a mutton, to make sops for the guests and a quarter of bacon to lard them; the master bone of a leg of beef to cook with the capons, so as to have the broth to make blankmanger; a forequarter of veal to serve for blankmanger. The seconds a hind quarter of veal or calves feet, to have liquid for the jelly. Venison, a foot quartered.

p. 240

From the wafer-maker it behoves to order: first, for the bride's service, a dozen and a half of cheese gauffres, 3s.; a dozen and a half of gros batons, 6s.; a dozen and a half of portes, 18d.; a dozen and a half of estriers, 18d.; a hundred sugared galettes, 8d. Item it was bargained with him [that he should provide for] twenty covers for the wedding dinner and six covers for the servants and that he should have 6d. per cover and serve each cover with eight wafers, four supplications and four estriers. From the poulterer, twenty capons at 2s. Parisis [i.e. Paris money] apiece; five kids, 4s. Parisis; twenty ducklings, 3s. Parisis apiece; fifty chickens, 12d. Parisis apiece; that is to wit forty roasts for the dinner, five for the jelly and five at supper for the cold sage. Fifty young rabbits, to wit forty for the dinner, which shall be roast, and ten for the jelly and they shall cost 12d. Parisis apiece. A lean pig for the jelly, 4d. Parisis; twelve pairs of pigeons for the supper, 10d. Paris the pair.¾(It behoves to ask him concerning the venison.) In the market, bread for trenchers, 3 dozen [loaves.] Pomegranates for blankmanger three, which will cost [blank]. Oranges, fifty, which will cost [blank]. Six green cheeses and one old cheese and three hundred eggs. And wot you that each cheese should furnish six tartlets and also three eggs must be allowed to each cheese. Sorrel to make verjuice for the chickens, sage and parsley to make the cold sage, two hundred blaundrel apples.

p. 241

Two brooms and a pail for the kitchen and some salt. From the saucemaker, three half pints of cameline for dinner and supper and a quart of sorrel verjuice. From the spicer, ten lbs. of almonds, 14d. the lb.¾Three lbs. of hulled corn, 8d. the lb.¾One lb. of powdered colombine ginger, 5s.¾Half a lb. of ground cinnamon, 5s.¾2 lbs. of ground rice, 2s.¾2 lbs. of lump sugar, 16s.¾One oz. of saffron, 3s.¾A quarter [lb.] of cloves and grain [of Paradise] mixed, 6s.¾Half a qr. of long pepper, 4s.¾Half a qr. of galingale, 5s. Half a qr. of mace, 3s. 4d.¾Half a qr. of green bay leaves, 6d.¾2 lbs. of large and small candles, 3s. 4d. the lb., which amounteth to 6s. 8d.¾Torches of 3 lbs. apiece, six; flambeaux of 1 lb. apiece, six; to wit, 3s. a lb. when purchased and the ends to be taken back at 6d. less per lb. From him spices for the chamber, to wit candied orange peel, 1 lb., 10s.¾Citron, 1lb., 12s.¾Red anise, 1 lb., 8s.¾Rose-sugar, 1 lb., 2s.¾White comfits, 3 lbs., 10s. the lb.¾From him hippocras, 3 quarts, 10s. the quart, and he will find all. Sum total of this spicery came to twelve francs, counting what was burnt of the torches, and little was left of the spices; thus half a franc can be allowed per cover. At the Pierre-au-Lait [milk market] a seer of good milk, neither curdled nor watered, to make frumenty. In the [Place de] Grève, a hundred Burgundy faggots, 13s.; two sacks of coal, 10s. At the Porte-de-Paris: branches, greenery, violets, chaplets, a quart of white salt, a quart of coarse salt,

p. 242

a hundred crayfish, a half pint of loach, two earthenware pots, one of a sester for the jelly, the other of two quarts for the cameline. Now have we first the service in general and secondly where the things be to be found. Now behoveth it, thirdly, to know the ordainers and officers needful thereto. First, there is needed a clerk or varlet to purchase greenery, violets, chaplets, milk, cheese, eggs, logs, coal, salt, vats and washing tubs both for the dining hall and for the butteries, verjuice, vinegar, sorrel, sage, parsley, fresh garlic, two brooms, a shovel and other small things. Item, a cook and his varlets, who will cost two francs in wages without other perquisites, but the cook will pay varlets and porters, and there is a saying "the more covers, the more wages". Item, two knife-bearers, whereof one is to cut up bread and make trenchers and saltcellars of bread and they shall carry the salt and the bread and the trenchers to the tables and shall make for the hall two or three receptacles, wherein to throw the large scraps, such as sops, cut or broken bread, trenchers, pieces of meat and other things; and two buckets for carting away and receiving broth, sauce and liquid things. Item, one or two water-carriers be needed. Item, a big and strong sergent to guard the portals. Item, two esquires of the kitchen and two helpers for the service of the kitchen, one of whom shall go bargain for the kitchen things, pastry and linen for six tables; for the which there be needed two large copper pots for twenty covers, two boilers, four strainers, a

p. 243

mortar and a pestle, six large cloths for the kitchen, three large earthenware pots for wine, a large earthenware pot for pottage, four wooden basins and spoons, an iron pan, four large pails with handles, two trivets and an iron spoon. And he shall likewise purvey the pewter vessels; to wit ten dozen bowls, six dozen small dishes, two dozen and a half large dishes, eight quart[pots], two dozen pint [pots], two almsdishes. Item concerning the house; wherein be it known that the hôtel de Beauvais cost Jehan du Chesne four francs; tables, trestles et similia five francs; and the chaplets cost him fifteen francs. And the other esquire of the kitchen or his helper shall go with the cook to the butcher, the poulterer, the spicer, etc., to purvey and choose the things, have them borne home and pay for the carriage thereof; and they shall have a hutch shutting with a key, wherein they shall keep the spices etc., and they shall distribute all things according to reason and measure. And afterwards they or their helpers shall gather up that which remaineth and put it away safely in baskets in a closed hutch, to prevent wale and excess by the meynie. Two other esquires be needed for the service of the dining hall, and they shall give out spoons and collect them again, give out hanaps, pour out whichsoever wine be asked for by the guests at table and collect the vessels again. Two other esquires be needed for the wine cellar, who shall give out wine to be carried to the dresser, the tables and elsewhere, and they shall have a varlet to draw the wine.

p. 244

Two of the most honest and skilled [esquires] shall accompany the bridegroom and shall go with him before the dishes. Two stewards to seat the guests and make them rise, and a sewer and two servants for each table, who shall serve and take away, throw the remnants into the baskets and the sauces and broths into the buckets and pails and receive and bring the dessert dishes to the esquires of the kitchen or others that be ordained to keep them and they shall carry nought elsewhere. The office of steward is to purvey saltcellars for the high table; hanaps, four dozen; covered gilt goblets, four; ewers, six; silver spoons, four dozen; silver quart [pots], four; alms dishes, two; comfit dishes, two.

A woman chaplet-maker, who shall deliver garlands on the wedding eve and on the wedding day. The office of the women is to make provision of tapestries, to order and spread them and in especial to dight the chamber and the bed that is to be blessed. A laundress for folding [? sheets]. And note that if the bed be covered with cloth, there is needed a fur coverlet of half vair; but if it be covered with serge, embroidery, or counterpane of sendal, not so. The arrangements for the Hautecourt wedding, for twenty covers [i.e. 40 persons] in the month of September. Service: raisins and peaches or little pasties. Pottages: civey, four hares and a veal; or for blankmanger, twenty capons, 2s. 4d. apiece, or pullets.

p. 245

Roast: five pigs, twenty young capons, 2s. 4d. apiece; forty partridges, 2s. 4d. apiece. Mortrews or [line blank in MS.]. Jelly: ten chickens, 12d.; ten young rabbits, one pig; crayfish, a hundred and a half. Frumenty, venison, pears and nuts. Note that for the frumenty three hundred eggs be needed. Tartlets and other things, hippocras and wafers, wine and spices. Supper.¾Gravy of twelve dozen small birds or ten ducks, or a larded broth of fresh venison. Pasties of forty young hares, twenty chickens, forty pigeons; forty darioles or sixty tartlets. Nota that three small birds to a cover sufficeth; nathless when one has capon gizzards vel similia, one allows three small birds and half a gizzard therewith to a cover. The Quantity of the Things Aforesaid. From the baker, ut supra concerning the preceding wedding [feast]. From the pastrymaker, ut supra. Wine cellar, ut supra. From the butcher, three quarters of mutton to make the sops for the guests, a quarter of bacon for larding, a forequarter of veal for the blankmanger; for the servants, venison. From the wafer maker, a dozen and a half of readymade cheese wafers, to wit made of flour kneaded with eggs and leches of cheese rolled therein, and eighteen other wafers kneaded with eggs and without cheese. Item, a dozen and a half of gros bastons, to wit flour kneaded with eggs and ginger powder beaten in with

p. 246

it and made in the shape and size of a chitterling, and then set between two irons on the fire, Item, a dozen and a half of other bastons and as many portes. Item, on the aforesaid wedding eve behoveth it to send (over and above the things that be made by the aforesaid wafer-maker) fifty blaundrell apples, the chaplets and the minstrels. Item, from the aforesaid wafer-maker, the provision for the wedding day, ut supra concerning the preceding wedding. From the poulterer, the roasts, poultry and venison, ut supra. In the market at the Porte-de-Paris the things appertaining thereto, ut supra. From the sauce-maker, a quart of cameline for the dinner and for the supper two quarts of mustard. From the spicer, spices for the chamber: comfits, rose-sugar, sugared nuts, citron and manus-christi; four lbs. in all. Item, hippocras. Kitchen spices: white powder, 1 lb.; fine powder, 1/2 lb.; cinnamon powder, 1/2 lb. for blankmanger. Small spices, 2 oz. Lump sugar, 3 lbs.; three pomegranates; white and red comfits, 2 lb.; almonds, 6 lbs.; flour of rice, 1 lb.; a quart of hulled wheat. From the wax chandler were bought torches and flambeaux at 3s. the lb., and at 2s. 6d. for the returned ends. Item, for the hire of linen, to wit, for six tables, three large copper pots, for sixteen bowls, two boilers, two strainers, a mortar, a pestle, six large cloths for the kitchen, three large earthenware pots for wine, a large earthenware pot for pottage, four basins, four wooden

p. 247

spoons, an iron pan, four large pails with handles, two trivets and a spoon of pierced iron; for this 56s. Parisis. Pewter vessels: ten dozen bowls, six dozen small dishes, two dozen and a half large dishes, eight quart [pots], two dozen pint [pots], two alms dishes; for all this 16s. In [the Place de] Grève ut supra concerning the other wedding. Note that because they were widowed they were wedded in the early morn in their black robes and then put on others. Note concerning the extra payments for Jehan du Chesne's wedding. To the cook 4 1/2 francs and helpers and porters 1 franc; in all 5 1/2 francs. To the concierge of Beauvais, 4 francs; for tables, trestles, et similia, 5 francs. To the chaplet maker, 15 francs. Water, 20s. Minstrels 8 francs, without the spoons and other gratuities; and they will play on the wedding eve and the acrobats [likewise]. Sergents, 2 francs. Greenery, 8s. Flambeaux and torches, 10 francs. Kitchen vessels, cloths, towels and glasses, 7 francs. Pewter pots, 4 francs.