78
Tahle-Forks.
[Book I.
they hold in the other hand, upon the same dish So that whatsoever hebe, that sitting in the Company of any otliers at meale, should unadvisedlytouch the dish of meate with his fingers, from which all at the table doecut, he will give occasion of offense unto the Company, as having trans-gressed the lawes of good manners; insomuch that for his error, he shallbe at least brow-beaten, if not reprehended in words. This forme offeeding, I ünderstand, is generally used in all places in Italy , their forkesbeing for the most part made of yron or Steele, and some of silver; butthese are used only by gentlemen. The reason of this their cunosity is,because the Italian cannot by any means have his dish touched with fin-gers, seeing all men’s fingers are not alike cleane—hereupon I myselfthought good to imitate the Italian fashion, by this forked cutting of meate,not only while I was in Italy, but also in Germany , and oftentimes in Eng-land since I came home : being once quipped for that frequent using ofmy forke, by a certain learned gentleman, a familiär friend of mine, oneMaster Laurence Whitaker, who in his merry humour doubted not tocall me Furcifer, only for using a forke at feeding.”
In this extract, we have a view of Italian gentlemen ‘ feeding’ in thebeginning of the 17th Century, and in the following one, we obtain an in-sight into British manners during the middle of it. Forty years after thepublication of Coryatt’s Travels, a Manual of Cookery appeared, con-taining the following instructions to British ladies, when at table. “Agentlewoman being at table, abroad or at home, must observe to keep herbody straighte, and lean not by any means upon her elbowes—nor by ra-venous gesture discover a voracious appetite. Talke not when you havemeate in your mouthe; and do not smacke like a pig—nor eat spoone-meat so hot that the tears stand in your eyes. It is very uncourtlyto drinke so large a draught that your breath is almost gone, and you areforced to blow strongly to recover yourselfe. Throwing down your li-quor as into a funnel, is an action fitter for a juggler than a gentlewoman.In carving at your own table, distribute the best pieces first, and it willappeare very decent and comely to use a forke ; so touch no piw.e of mealwithoutit.” This elegant extract is from ‘ The Accomplished Lady’s RiehCloset of Rarities .’ London , 1653. Neither knives nor forks were used atthe tables of the Egyptians. A representation of a feasting party is sculp-tured on a tomb near the pyramids, a copy of which is inserted in Vol. II,of Wilkinson’s interesting work. One gentleman holds a small joint ofmeat in his hand, two are eating fish which they retain in their fingers,while another is separating the wing of a goose with the same implements.