“Lordings, there is in Yorkshire, as I guess, A marshy country called Holderness, In which there went a limitour about To preach, and eke to beg, it is no doubt. And so befell that on a day this frere Had preached at a church in his mannere, And specially, above every thing, Excited he the people in his preaching To trentals, <1> and to give, for Godde’s sake, Wherewith men mighte holy houses make, There as divine service is honour’d, Not there as it is wasted and devour’d, Nor where it needeth not for to be given, As to possessioners, <2> that may liven, Thanked be God, in wealth and abundance. “Trentals,” said he, “deliver from penance Their friendes’ soules, as well old as young, Yea, when that they be hastily y-sung, — Not for to hold a priest jolly and gay, He singeth not but one mass in a day. “Deliver out,” quoth he, “anon the souls. Full hard it is, with flesh-hook or with owls* *awls To be y-clawed, or to burn or bake: <3> Now speed you hastily, for Christe’s sake.” And when this friar had said all his intent, With qui cum patre<4> forth his way he went, When folk in church had giv’n him what them lest;* *pleased He went his way, no longer would he rest, With scrip and tipped staff, *y-tucked high:* *with his robe tucked In every house he gan to pore* and pry, up high* *peer And begged meal and cheese, or elles corn. His fellow had a staff tipped with horn, A pair of tables* all of ivory, *writing tablets And a pointel* y-polish’d fetisly,** *pencil **daintily And wrote alway the names, as he stood; Of all the folk that gave them any good, Askaunce* that he woulde for them pray. *see note <5> “Give us a bushel wheat, or malt, or rey,* *rye A Godde’s kichel,* or a trip** of cheese, *little cake<6> **scrap Or elles what you list, we may not chese;* *choose A Godde’s halfpenny, <6> or a mass penny; Or give us of your brawn, if ye have any; A dagon* of your blanket, leve dame, *remnant Our sister dear, — lo, here I write your name,— Bacon or beef, or such thing as ye find.” A sturdy harlot* went them aye behind, *manservant <7> That was their hoste’s man, and bare a sack, And what men gave them, laid it on his back And when that he was out at door, anon He *planed away* the names every one, *rubbed out* That he before had written in his tables: He served them with nifles* and with fables. — *silly tales”
A cook of roughly the same moment, setting down the same dish.
2. A Capon and White Broth. 3. A boiled Gurnet. 4. A Dish of boiled Ducks or Rabbits. 5. A rosted Tongue and Udder. 6. A made Dish in Puff-Paste. 7. A Shoulder of Mutton with Oysters. 8. A Chine of Beef. 9. A Dish of Scotch Collops of Veal. 10. Two Geese in a Dish. 11. An Olive Pie. 12. A Pig. 13. A Loin of Veal. 14. A Lark Pie. 15. A Venison Pasty. 16. A Dish of Capons, two in a Dish or three. 17. A Dish of Set Custards.
Sources: The passage is from Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems, free to read in full at Project Gutenberg. The recipe is from Woolley, The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet of 1670, also free in full. Both are in the public domain in the United States. The binding above is ours — forest cloth, tankard stamp.