Monday, May 6, 2013

Boke of Kervynge, part 3 (into modern English)




Here follows the names of wines.

Red wine / White wine/ claret wine/ osey [a wine from Burgundy], capryke [one source says it is from souther Italy but the place name if from Belgium], campolet [possibly a wine from white grapes called campole], Rhenish wine Malvesy [or Malmsey, a strong sweet wine]/ bastard/ tyerre romney [strong, sweet wine]/ Muscadell [strong, sweet wine]/ Clarry [sweetened/spiced wine]/ raspys [or Raspise]/ vernage [strong, sweet wine]/ vernage wine cut/ Pyment [made with honey and grapes] and hippocras [sweetened/spiced].


To make Hippocras

Take ginger/ pepper/ pepper/ grains [of paradise]/ [cassia?]/ cinnamon, sugar and turnsole/ then see [that] you have five or six bags for your hippocras to run it [through them] & a perch that your runners [straining bags] may hang on/ then you must have 6 pewter basins to stand under your bags/ then see [that] your spice is ready/ & your ginger well pared or beat to powder/ then see [that] your cinnamon sticks are well coloured & sweet cassia is not too gentle in operation cinnamon is hot or dry/ grains of paradise are hot and moist/ ginger/ long pepper and sugar are hot and dry/ turnsole is wholesome/ red wine for colouring. Now know the proportions of your Hippocras then beat your powders each by them self & put them in bladders & hang your bags [making] sure they do not touch each other/ but let each basin touch, let the first basin hold a gallon and each of the other [basins] hold a pottle [2 quarts/1.9 litres]/ then put in your basin a gallon of red wine and into this your powders and stir them well/ Then put them into the first bag and let it run/ then put them into the second bag/ then take a piece in your hand and test if it is strong of ginger/ and season [or flavour] with cinnamon/ and if it is strong of cinnamon/ season it with sugar/ and see that you let it run though six runners [or straining cloths]/ & your Hippocras shall be the finer/ then put your Hippocras into a closed vessel and keep the receipt/ for it will serve for sewes [sewes- stews, broths ~ sewer, someone who sets the table] / then serve your sovereign with wafers and Hippocras. Also see [that] your compost be fair and clean/ and your ale [is] five days old or men drink it/ then keep your house of office clean & courteous of answer to each person/ and see [that] you give no person no pulled drink/ for it will break the scab. And when you lay the cloth, wipe the board clean with a cloth [likely a small cloth for wiping things clean]/ then lay a cloth, which is called a couche [a cover], Have another man (your fellow) at one end [of the cloth] and you holding the other end/ then draw the cloth straight, the fold on the outer edge/ take the outer part and hang it even/ then take the third cloth and lay the fold on the inner edge/ and lay (estat)[area of middle rank] with the upper part half a foot broad/ then cover your cupboard and your ewery with a diaper [type of absorbent weave] towel/ then take your towel about the neck and lay that one side of the towel upon the left arm/ and there on lay your sovereigns napkin/ and lay on your arm sevel loaves of bread with three or four trencher loaves  with the end of the towel in the left hand as the manner is/ then take your salte seller in your left hand and take the end of the towel in your right hand to bear in [hold] spoons and knived/ then set your salt on the right side where your sovereign shall sit and on the left side [of] the salt, set your trenchers/ then lay your knives and set your bread on loaf by another/ your spoons and your napkins folded fairly by your bread and trenchers, spoons and knives/ and at every end of the table, set a salt cellar with two trencher loaves/ & if you will, wrap your sovereign’s bread stately. [To do this], you must square and proportion your bread and see that no loaf is bigger than the other/ and then you shall make your wrapper manly/ then take a towel of reynes [fine linen], 2 ½ yards long and take the towel by the end double and lay it on the table/ then take the end of the fold, a handful in your hand and wrap it hard and lay the end so wrapped between two towels upon that end so wrapped, lay your bread, bottom to bottom, six or seven loaves/ then set your bread mannerly in form/ and when your sovereign’s table is thus arranged, cover all the other boards with salt trenchers and cups. Also see your ewery [drinking/washing vessels] be separated with basins and ewers and water hot and cold/ and see [that] you have napkins, cups, and spoons/ & see [that] your pots for wine and ale are clean and to the surnap [cloth for hand-washing or napkin] make your curtesy with a cloth under a fair double napery/ then take the towels end next [to] you/ & the other end of the cloth on the other side of the table and hold these three ends together and fold them together that a pleat pass not a foot abroad/ then lay it even [and] there it should lay. And after measure, wash with that, that is at the rough end of the table/ you must guide it out and the marshal must convey it/ and see [that] on each cloth, the right side be outward and draw it straight/ then you must rise the upper part of the towel and lay it without on groaning/ and at every end of the towel, you must convey half a yard that the sewer may make estate reverently and let it be. And when your sovereign has washed, draw the surnap even/ then bare the surnap to the middle of the board & take it up before your sovereign & bare it into the ewery again. And when your sovereign is set, see [that] your towel be about your neck/ then make your sovereign curtesy/ then uncover your bread & set it by the salt and lay your napkin, knife & spoon before him/ then kneel on your knee until the “purpayne” [pure-bread, definition is unclear, possibly someone who handles this job] pass eight loaves/ & see [that] you set at the end of the table, four loaves at a mass/ and see that every person has a napkin and spoon/ and wait well to the sewer how many dishes be covered and so many cups you cover/ the you serve forth the table mannerly that every man may speak you courtesy [of your courtesy]. 

Here ends the butler and panter,
Yeman of the seller and ewery. And here
Follows serving of flesh. 

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