Food History

I didn’t mean to make a second series of posts so close to the last. This is quite different to the biscuit and scones posts, though, and I found the thought of presenting it as a short series more than somewhat irresistible. It’s the dedicatory epistle (or, as the title has it “The Epistle Dedicatory” to Hannah Woolley’s 1675 The Gentlewoman’s Companion: or, A Guide to the Female Sex. I’ve kept the spelling and grammar unsullied and am trying to post it in reasonable amounts. The posts will last until I run out of epistle. If you have any questions, I’ll do a post trying to answer them at the end.

Advice to young women:

“Returning from School, make haste home, not gaping on every idle object you meet with by the way. Coming into the house, apply your self immediately to your Parents, and having saluted them according to your duty, acquaint them with what proficiency you have made in your learning that day, be not absent when Dinner is on the Table, but present when Grace is said, and sit not down before you have done your obeisance to your Parents, and the company then present. Keep your Clothes from greasing, by pinning or keeping your napkin rite about you; and receive what is given you, thankfully. Be not talkative at Table, nay, nor do not speak, unless you are askt a question. Eat not your meat greedily, nor fill your mouth too full; and empty your mouth before you drink; and avoid smaking in your eating. Grease not your fingers as those that are slovenly up to the knuckles. You will show yourself too fancy by calling for fawce or any dainty thing. Forbear putting both hands to your mouth at once; nor gnaw your meat, but cut it handsomely, and eat sparingly. Let your nose and hands be always kept clean. When you have dined or sup, rise from the table, and carry your trencher or plate with you, doing your obeisance to the company; and then attend in the room till the rest rise.”

“Gentlewomen, the first thing you are to observe, is to keep your body strait in the Chair, and do not lean your Elbows on the Table. Discover not by any ravenous gesture your angry appetite; nor fix your eyes too greedily on the meat before you, as if you would devour more that way than your throat can swallow, or your stomach digest.

If you are invited abroad, presume not on the principal place at the Table, and seem to be perswaded with some difficulty to be seated, where your Inviter hath chosen in his opinion the most convenient place for you. Being a Guest, let not your hand be first in the Dish; and though the Mistress of the Feast may out of a Complement desire you to carve, yet beg her excuse, though you are better able to do it than her self.

In carving at your own Table, distribute the best pieces first, and it will appear very comely and decent to use a Fork; if so, touch no piece of meat without it.