The "Grotesque" Feast in the Prima Pastorum A.C. Cawley Speculum, Volume 30, Issue 2 (Apr., 1955), 213-217. ‘Your use of the ISTOR database indicates your acceptance of ISTOR’s Terms and Conditions of Use. A copy of JSTOR’s Terms and Conditions of Use is available at hup://www,jstororg/abouvierms.himl, by contacting ISTOR at jstor-info@umich.edu, or by calling ISTOR at (888)388-3574, (734)998-9101 or (FAX) (734)998-9113, No part of a JSTOR transmission may be copied, downloaded, stored, further transmitted, transferred, distributed, altered, oF otherwise used, in any form or by any means, except: (1) one stored electronic and one paper copy of any article solely for your personal, non-commercial use, ot (2) with prior written permission of JSTOR and the publisher of the article or other text, Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the sc printed page of such transmission. Speculum is published by The Medieval Academy of America. Please contact the publisher for further permissions regarding the use of this work, Publisher contact information may be obtained at hutpulwww.jstor.org/journals’medacad.html. Speculum ©1955 The Medieval Academy of America ISTOR and the ISTOR logo are trademarks of JSTOR, and are Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office For more information on JSTOR contact jstor-info@umich edu, ©2001 JSTOR bhupswww jstor.org/ Wed Feb 21 19:20:35 2001THE “GROTESQUE” FEAST IN THE PRIMA PASTORUM Br A. C. CAWLEY Wirut the passage of time the shepherds’ meal in the Prima Pastorum has come to be known as the “grotesque” meal or feast.! The main purpose of this article is to show that their meal is grotesque only in the sense that ils author achieves ‘humor of incongruity by mixing together aristocratic and plebeian dishes. Ev dence will be given that the playwright, like his own Third Shepherd, knew th culinary arts of his day “by clerge” (1. 240); and that some of his “gramery (L. 242) is especially reminiscent of the text of John Russell's Boke of Nurture represented by B. M. Harley MS, 4011.3 Presumably the contributions of the three shepherds to their meal, listed in stanzas 25, 26, and 27 of the play, are meant to represent the three courses of a lordly feast; their repast is not a humble two-course affair like the one “Pro inferiori parte Aule,” the menu of which has been preserved. The aristocratic dishes of the Prima Pastorum can easily be identified by reference to any me- diaeval cookery book. The first course of a flesh meal begins often enough with the Second Shepherd's “browne of a bore” (1. 212) and the First Shepherd's ‘mustard sauce (“Set mustard afore,” 1. 213). The boar's head is a traditional Christmas delicacy and is celebrated in many a carol, but it could also be the first item of a flesh meal at other times of the year.” As for the mustard that goes ith it, we have John Russell's testimony that “Mustard is meete for brawne.”* ‘The pestell [leg] of a sowe” (1. 216) at first sight looks unpromising as an cratic dish; but, in fact, “pestelles of porke” occur time and again as a first course of an aristocratic meal.? It is possible, however, that the singular 1 See, for example, S. B. Homingay, English Nativity Plae (Yale Studies in English, xxv (1909) p. 281, note on the Prima Paitoram, IL 212 MC M. Carey, The Wakefield Group in Be Towneley Cyele (Batinore, Marylee, 1980), p- 10 * Line references are to the Prima Pariorum in the BETS edition of the Toundey Playe, ES 71 som). 2 Printed by P. J. Puraivall in Barly Bnglish Meals and Monnere (B 1804), In his Preface (p. lexi) Purival dates the manuscript about “TT. Austin, Tso Filenth-Century Cookery-Books (ETS, OS 91 (1888), p- 68. * Apart fom the BETS volumes edited by Furaivall and Austin, works consulted include: A Collee- tion of Ordinances and Regulations forthe Government of the Royal Household... also Recip in Ancien Cookery Society of Antiquavies, London, 1700); R. Warner, Antiuitates Culinaria (Landon, Yo9n); T. Wright & JO, allvel,Relquice Antiqua, 2 vos. London, 1845); Liber Cure Ccorum (Phillogeal Society, London, 1868); T. Wright, A History of Domestic Mannore and Sentiments in Ennglond during he Middle Ages (London, 1862); A. Nopier, A Nols Boke af Cookry (London, 1882); ‘MJ. Webb, Barly English Recipes (Cambridge, England, 1987), * See Barly English Mealy, p- 48,1, 686; p. 8% 1.796; p. 264% IL 8 (“Theborishede ys furst mes" 23; Two Fiten-Century Conkery-Books, . 08, ¥ Bg in October: see Raliquiae Antiqua 1,88. * Eaiy English Seals, , 86,1 888. Thi, p. 164; A Collection of Ordinance, p. 440; A Noble Boke, pp. 18, 1. 0S 82 [1808], reprinted asa4 The “Grotesque” Feast in the “Prima Pastorum’* umber and feminine gender in the Prima Pastorum are ridiculous in intention. “Befe and moton’” (1. 20) also made their way into well-born stomachs during the first course of a flesh meal.” But when the First Shepherd adds that itis mutton “Of an eve that was roton” (1. 221), he is harking back humorously to his com- that all his sheep have died of the rot (Il 24-26). And his statement that loton” (1, 222) is a proverb: Cotgrave’s Dic- tionary under Mouton has “Chair de mouton manger de glouton: Pro. Flesh of Mutton is food for a glutton; (or was held so in old time when Beefe and Bacon ‘were your onely dainties)."" "The order of the dishes in the shepherds’ meal suggests the customary pro- gression from first course to second and third courses, since it was evidently usual for chickens and game birds to follow the brawn, pestlesof pork, beef and snutton.!* “Chekyns endorde [chickens glazed with egg-yolk!,” mentioned by the Third ‘Shepherd in I. 54, are found as an item in the second course of a sumpluous meal consumed in the year 1987." “Partryk” (|. 254) is found as “Partrich rosted” the third course of the same meal, while “Partrich” appears in the second course of a meal given “Atte the stalling of John Stafford, Archibisshope of Caunterbury”” in 1443." John Stafford and his guests, like the shepherds, also had an oppor- tunity of eating “A tart for alorde” (1. 285) or something like it, for “Tard rill” isted among the dishes of the second course of Stafford’ feast. In the Glossary under Ryal, the editor of Two Fifteonth-Century Cookery-Books notes that “The Cookeries also say ‘fit for a lords’ in same sense.” *“Veryose [verjuice]” in 1. 236 is sauce made from the juice of erab-apples or unripe grapes. The Third Shepherd is quite correct in serving it with a “A calf lyuer skorde” (1.296), for we learn from the Bote of Nurture that “‘verdius” is the proper sauce for “veel.”* And when the ‘Dhird Shepherd adds appreciatively (I. 237-289) that Good saws, "This isa restorete ‘To make a good appete heis saying what no less an expert than John Russell has also said: “hit provokithe a fyne apetide if sawee youre mete be bie.”"* When the Third Shepherd has fin- ished reciting the names of these delicacies, the First Shepherd sarcastically ob- serves that he speaks “all by clerge” (1. 240) and invites him to use his “gramery” to “reche vs a drynk” (J, 242). Although the other shepherds have a nodding 1% Barly English Meals, p. 48,1. 688% p. 64,1. 708; p. 16K; A Collection of Ordinances, p. $49; A Noe Bake, ph " Cotgrave, A Dictonarie of the French and English Tongues (London, 161). 2 Fg. Antiguiates Clinariae,p. 71: "Boreshed enarmed ... and therwith beef and moton, and pestels of porke; and therwith swan and congngerorted, and tart. At the seconde course... chekons fared and rosted ... At the thridde course. partic.” Tao Fifteenth Century Cookery Hooks, p68. A recipe for “Chike endured” is given ibid, p. 81, snd for “Chekyns endort” in A Noble Boke, p. 66. Tuo Fifteenth Contry Cookery-Bonks, p68 °° Early English Meal, p. 36,1. 534, Tid, p. 85,1. 890The “Grotesque” Feast in the “Prima Pastorum™ 215 acquaintance with the aristocratic menus of their day, itis clear that the Third Shepherd impresses them both with his culinary learning. In view of all these reminders of a lavish aristocratic meal, itis ridiculous to find that the high-class dishes are interlarded with plebeian delicacies like “a foote of a cowe” (1.218), “Two blodyngis [blood puddings)” in l 217, “an ox tayll that wold not be lost” (1. 225), and “two swyne gronys [snouts]” in|. 229. “All a hare bot the lonys” (1 230) is also suspect, for the OED quotations under Loin, sb. 1b (given below)” suggest that the loins were considered the tastiest morsel. Again, the “leg of a goys” (1.288), as distinct from a whole goose, may be humor- ‘ously meant, Tt would be vain to look for such items as these in the aristocratic menus and recipes of mediaeval England; they are the delicacies of humble folk, and they were never ceremoniously borne with “erakkyng of trumpes” to the dais in the hall. Similarly, in place of aromatie wines like “ypoeras to drynk with delite,”s the shepherds are content to drink down their repast with “good ayll of Hely” in 1. 244. (MS “hely” is usually taken to mean “Ely,” but it is more likely to be Healey in the West Riding of Yorkshire, near Horbury and Wake- field.) “The sequel to the shepherds’ mes! is found in Il. 80 ff. when they agree to put the remnants of their mock-feast into a basket and give them to the poor. This is a seasonable act of charity on Christmas Eve, but it will also be noticed that ‘one of the duties of the Almoner of a great household was to have the relies of a feast gathered up and given to the poor: Alle po broken met he kepys y wate, ‘To dele to pore men at be sate.” ‘The playwright’s mixing of high-class and low-class table del ludicrous gallimaufry that can never have existed except in his imagination. ‘That the meal is make-believe and has no factual existence is implied in the fol- lowing words of the Second Shepherd (ll. 281-282): We myster [need] no sponys Here at oure mangyng. ‘The obvious meaning of these words is that “we ean manage very well with our fingers” but the implication may be that make-believe food can be eaten easily enough without the help of spoons. ‘While the aristocratic dishes of the shepherds’ meal are to be found in many different recipes and menus of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, certain de- "4902, We shule flo the Conyng, ant make reste is loyne. 1486, Then the loynes of the hae lake ye not Forgete?” Early English Meal, p. 80 1.715, ‘Ct. “ale of Halton” in the meal ofthe Chester Shepherds’ Ply (BETS, ES 62 (1802), 1.117 emay be noted here that the dishes ofthe Chester shepherds areal of «homely kind The Towneley shepherds certainly go one better than their Chester counterparts, but there aes to be no evidence to support the statement that the grotesque feast of the Prima Pastorum “is mecely an account based on the Chester passage” (Carey, op. et p16). Early English Meats, p. 22, 730-740216 The “Grotesque” Feast in the “Prima Pastorum” tails of content and metrical form are strongly reminiscent of one particular text —represented by Harley MS. 4011 — of John Russell's Boke of Nurture." The Second Shepherd’s words (1 212) “Lot here browne of a bore’” and the First Shep- herd’sreply (1. 218) “Set mustard afore” are paralleled by the beginning of Russell’ ‘menu for “A dynere of flesche”: “Furst set forthe mustard & brawne of boore.”* ‘The first. course of Russell's dinner, like that of the shepherds’ meal, includes “Beeff, moton.”® Again, John Russell's menu is evidently for a flesh meal at Christmas, since the “soteltes” are concerned with the sacred events of the Christmas season and include An angelle goodly kan appere ‘and syngynge with a mery chere ‘Vncto sj shepherles yppon an hile Most striking of all perhaps, the characteristic nine-line “Wakefield stanza” is not far removed from the stanza-forms used in the description of “A dynere of flesche” and ‘‘A Dinere of Fische” in the Harley text of the Boke of Nurture. The Index of Middle English Verse describes the Boke of Nurture as written in “mono- thyming quatrains.” But while this is @ correct description of the meter of much of the work, it does not (for example) accurately describe the second stanza of the second course of “A dynere of flesche” (Harley text), which is an eight-line stanza rhyming aaaabaab.* Nor does it accurately describe the opening stanza of “A Dinere of Fische” in the same text—a stanza rhyming aabecbddbeehfagaf?” In the manuscript this is written as @ nine-ine stanza, with the b-rhymes as the es containing two medial rhymes. Such metrical experiments in the vicinity of the “Wakefield stanza” are noteworthy if only because they re- mind us that this stanza, unique though it is, has many congeners. It should be ‘emphasized that the elaborate stanza-forms described above are found only in the Harley text; the other texts all have groups of mono-rhyming lines corre- sponding to these stanza-forms. In conclusion, it may be noticed that the ludicrous effect in the Prima Pasiorum of mixing together aristocratic and plebeian dishes is quite different from the crudely grotesque effect gained in the Feest of Tottenkam by the invention of * Quotations fom this text are taken from Furnivall’s Barly English Meals, bt italic isnot used twindicte expansions. The writer las alaoconmilted Chethara MS, $008, which contnine a diferent version of Rass work, a wall as photographs of the texts in B. M. Royal MS. 17 D XV and Sloane MSS. 1815 and 2027, which ae often closer to one another and to Chatham than they are to the text of Harley MS. 411 ™ arly English Moos, p. 8,1 686. The other texts of the Babe of Nurture all have “yea at ye forth mostarde and beaune," asin Sloane MS. 1815, fo. 183 Thi, p48, 1 88, The other text alo have this detail. ¥ Tha, p49, I. 702-705. These Christmas subtleties are not found in the other texts, which all ‘agrooin having oubtltis ofa satirical kind: eg, instead ofthe subtlety ofthe angel appearing to the tre shepherds ona il, they have “oure dames tunge bath be palsy” (atin Royal MS. 17 D XV, fol, $454), oF some variant of this. P20, % Barly English Meal, p49, 11 697-708. Thi, p81, U. T8I-TH3,The “Grotesque” Feast in the “Prima Pastorum” 17 such patently absurd combinations as “gryndulstones in gravy And mylstones in ‘mawmany.""* Furnivall observes that “Several of the names of the dishes in Rus- sell are used burlesquely in the Feest of the Turnament of Tottenham.” But, the dishes burlesqued in the Feest are familiar ar “‘mawmany,” “blawndisare,” and the rest — which are by no means confined to, Russell. That is to say, there is no suggestion of a close connection between the Feest and the Boke of Nurture, as there may possibly be between the Prima Pas- torum and the text of Russell’s book represented by Harley MS. 4011. Ustvenstry oF Leeps ™ WC. Haalitt, Remains ofthe Barly Popular Potry of England (London, 1866, 1, 6 © Barly English Meal, pp. 100-10, 4 Tt would be too hazardous to use this alleged connection for attempting todate the composition ofthe Prima Pavtoram. MS. Huntington HMC1, which contains the Prima Pasa, is dated about 1400-85, so that it may have been possible for the Wabafild Master to have known the actual Harley manuscript (about 1460-70). But, supposing that @ conneetion really does exist between the Prima Pastorum and the text ofthe Boke of Nurture represented by Harley MS, 401, iis alao posible thatthe Wakefld Master knew an earlier copy of the sxe text.