FORKS.

261

for a table fork, is not to be found in any of the old Latin writers. The old translation of the Bible only explains thework Xfeayfa by fuscinula.

It is the opinion, we understand, of a learned Italian,that the ancient Romans used the instruments they calledligulee instead of forks. Now these instruments bad somedistant resemblance to our tea-spoons. Hence we must con-clude that they and our ancestors used no forks, because hadthey had any thing answering the purpose, even in effect,it must have had a name.

In the east we understand it was, and is still, customaryto dress their victuals until it becomes so tender that theycan easily pull it in pieces. We are told by modem tra-vellers that if an animal be dressed before it has lost itsnatural warmth, it becomes tender and very savory. Thisis the oriental custom, and has been so from the most re-mote antiquity.

Formerly, all articles of food were cut up in small piecesbefore they were served up to table ; the necessity for whichpractice will appear, when we remember they usually tooktheir meals in a recumbent posture upon beds. Originally,for cutting meat, persons of rank kept an officer they calledscissor, carpus, carptor; Apuleius calls him diribitor, whoused a knife, the only one placed at the table, which, inopulent families had an ivory handle, and was ornamented withsilver.

Their bread was never cut at table ; it needed it not,being usually baked thin, somewhat resembling the passovercake of the Jews ; this is not understood to have been uni-versal notwithstanding.

The Chinese use no forks; however, to supply them, theyhave small sticks of ivory, often of very fine workmanship,inlaid with silver and gold, which each guest employs topick up the bits of meat, it being previously divided.The invention of forks was not known two' centuries ago inEurope , where people eat the same as they now do inTurkey.

In the New -Testament 1 we read of putting handsinto the dish. Homer also, in bis 14th Odyssey, 453, andOvid , in his De Arte Amandi, iii. v. 755, mention the samecustom.

In the quotation from the sacred writings, we observe,that the guests had, it is presumed, no instrument to help

1 *0 ti iwExptSai;, tiTrif auTotf Ei? ex t I7 JxJixa 0 ptr' i/au ilr tf

thin. St. Mark’s Gospel, xiv. 20.