The past at our doors, or, The old in the new around us / by Walter W. Skeat.

  • Walter William Skeat
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The past at our doors, or, The old in the new around us / by Walter W. Skeat. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    CHAP. order of seniority, while the master and his family sat at a small round table near the fire. We all know how ill-mannered it is considered, even at the present day, for a guest to sit out of his place at table, and even in early Britain the question of precedence was held so important that by a law of Cnut any one sitting in his wrong place might be pelted out of it with bones thrown by the company, without privilege of taking offence. Our apparently modern fancy of two lovers eating off the same plate has come down to us from a chivalrous old custom, which was once an act of courtesy between friends, especially between knights and ladies. It gradually fell into disuse, though as late as 1752 the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton in accordance with the ancient custom, ate off the same plate at the head of their table. Trenchers, whence our modern expression ‘‘ a good trencherman ” is derived, were like “ platters,” occasionally to be seen in actual use in the reign of Queen Victoria, and they are yet used for certain meals ^ by the seventy scholars in college hall at Win- chester. They were of clean white wood, usually maple, and were often hollow on both sides, so that meat could be served on one side and then pudding on the other. ^ For bread and butter at breakfast, and also for tea and supper, though not now for dinner. Like Fr. tranche, the word once meant a slice of bread on which meat was served.
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