Listen to Misson's ecstasies over our national dish—the Pudding. 'The Pudding is a Dish very difficult to be describ'd, because of the several Sorts there are of it; Flower, Milk, Eggs, Butter, Sugar, Suet, Marrow, Raisins, &c., &c., are the most common Ingredients of a Pudding. They bake them in an Oven, they boil them with Meat, they make them fifty several Ways: Blessed be he that invented Pudding, for it is a Manna that hits the Palates of all Sorts of People: a Manna better than that of the Wilderness, because the People are never weary of it. Ah, what an excellent Thing is an English Pudding! To come in Pudding time, is as much as to say, to come in the most lucky Moment in the World.'[260]
'FOUR FOR SIXPENCE,
MACKERELL.'
Of fish he says: 'In Proportion Fish is dearer than any other Belly-timber at London;' and as a matter of fact we hear very little about it as an article of food. The country, inland, was of course entirely dependent upon fresh-water fish, such as carp, jack, perch, etc. The London market was at Billingsgate (which kept up its reputation for its peculiar vernacular), but that was also waterman's stairs, and a place of departure for boats; and here was sold whatever fish was brought to London. A little before every Lent came vessels loaded with salt cod, which were sold at 1s. 6d. to 2s. a couple, and sometimes at 1d. per lb. Mackerel, on account of its perishable nature, was allowed to be sold on Sunday, as Gay notes, 'Ev'n Sundays are prophan'd by Mackrell cries.'
From Billingsgate the fish was distributed to the various stalls throughout London:—
You'll see a draggled Damsel, here and there,
From Billingsgate her fishy Traffick bear.
And these stalls are thus described:—
When fishy Stalls with double Store are laid;
The golden belly'd Carp, the broad-finn'd Maid,
Red speckled Trouts, the Salmon's silver Soul,
The jointed Lobster, and unscaly Soale,
And luscious 'Scallops, to allure the Tastes
Of rigid Zealots to delicious Fasts;
Wednesdays and Fridays you'll observe from hence,
Days, when our Sires were doom'd to Abstinence.
Care was taken for the preservation of salmon, as the following notice shows: 'Whereas by divers ancient statutes made to prevent the Destruction of the Fry and Brood of Salmons, it is ordained, That none shall be taken in any of the Rivers or Waters, wherein Salmon is taken, between the 8th of September and the 11th of November; and that none shall be taken in the Waters in the County of Lancaster between the 29th of September and the 2d of February; and by a late Statute, That no Salmons shall be taken in the County of Southampton and the Southern Parts of Wiltshire between the 30th of June and the 11th of November, nor be exposed to Sale under the Penalties thereby provided: These are to give Notice that all Salmons taken out of their Seasons, and exposed to Sale in London, will be destroyed, as many lately have been, by the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor of the said City, as not fit to be sold for Victuals, being taken out of their Seasons, contrary to the Statutes afore mentioned: And that every Person bringing before the Lord Mayor such unseasonable Salmons, shall have a Reward for the same, to be paid by the Company of Fishmongers, London, as the Lord Mayor for the time being shall think fit.'[261]
Our River Thames, then, was really the habitat of good fish, for we read: 'A Sturgeon was taken the last Week in the River near Stepney, which the Lord Mayor sent as a Present to Her Majesty.'[262]