[CH] Great Quotation from "Canterbury Tales"
Cameron Begg (begg.4@osu.edu)
Thu, 08 Oct 1998 09:14:39 -0500
Hi C-H's,
Randy quoted Chaucer:
"Woe to the cook whose sauce has no sting"
Close. It comes from the prologue to the "Canterbury Tales":
A Frankeleyn was in his compaignye;
Whit was his berd as is a dayesye.
Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.
Wel loved he by the morwe a sope in wyn,
To lyven in delit was evere his wone; [My kinda guy! -CB]
For he was Epicurus owene sone,
That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit
Was verraily felicitee parfit,
An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;
Seint Julian was he in his contree.
His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon,
A bettre envyned man was nowher noon.
Withoute bake mete was nevere his hous,
Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous,
It snewed in his hous of mete and drynke,
Of alle deyntees that men koude thynke.
After the sondry sesons of the yeer
So chaunged he his mete and his soper.
Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,
And many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.
=>Wo was his cook, but if his sauce wer
=>Poynaunt, and sharp, and redy al his geere.
His table dormant in his halle alway
Stood redy covered al the longe day.
At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;
The meanings are interesting. Taking the quotation literally, (Chaucer died
about 1400) what would impart the sharpness? They knew about black pepper
(very expensive though) and also herbs, berries and roots such as radish
and horseradish. Any specialists in Middle English Cookery on the list?
Not likely for a bunch of C-H's I guess. :-)
Regards, Cameron.