Tittle-Tattle; Or, the several Branches of Gossipping.
From a satirical print in the British Museum.
Here is the bill of a dinner given to the Lord Treasurer, the Chancellor, the Lord Chief Baron, and others not named, on 4th June 1573:—
| s. | d. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Imprimis | Bread, ale, and beer | 13 | 4 |
| Item | Two sorloines of beef | 10 | 0 |
| „ | Four gees | 7 | 0 |
| „ | Four joyntes of veale | 6 | 8 |
| „ | Six capons | 13 | 8 |
| „ | Three quarters of lambe | 4 | 0 |
| „ | A dozen of chickens | 5 | 0 |
| „ | A dozen of rabbites | 4 | 8 |
| „ | Half a dozen quayles | 6 | 8 |
| „ | For butter | 4 | 0 |
| „ | For eggs | 1 | 0 |
| „ | For vinegar, vergis barberius and mustard | 1 | 0 |
| „ | For spices | 1 | 0 |
| „ | For fruite | 6 | 0 |
| „ | For rose water and swete water | 0 | 8 |
| „ | For scrill and parsley | 0 | 6 |
| „ | For White Wine | 1 | 4 |
| „ | For flowers and strong herbes | 0 | 6 |
| „ | For sacke | 1 | 0 |
| „ | For fier | 5 | 0 |
| „ | For cook’s wages | 6 | 0 |
| „ | For boote hier | 1 | 4 |
| „ | For occupying plate, naperie and other necessaries | 5 | 0 |
Unfortunately these bills never contain the whole. It is of course impossible to believe that one shilling and fourpence represents the whole of the wine consumed on this occasion.
Ben Jonson thus ridicules the care and thought expended upon feasting:—
“A master-cook! why, he’s the man of men
For a professor! he designs, he draws,
He paints, he carves, he builds, he fortifies,
Makes citadels of curious fowl and fish,