Sum cochleis habilis, sed nec minus utilis ovis;
Num quid scis potius cur cochleare vocer?
[1010] Plin. Hist. Natur. xxi. 14. Columella, ix. 15, 13. That the
_ligula_ was smaller than the _cochlear_ is proved by Martial, viii. 23.
[1011] See this word in Pitisci, Lexicon Antiq. Rom.
[1012] Clemens Alexandr. Pædagog. lib. ii. p. 161. Posidonius relates,
in Athenæus, iv. 13, p. 151, that the Gauls used to take roast meat in
their hand and tear it to pieces with their teeth, or to cut it with a
small knife which each carried in his girdle. This was told as a thing
uncommon to the Greeks. Baumgarten, who quotes this passage in Algem.
Welgeschichte, xvi. p. 657, adds, that Posidonius said also that the
Gauls had bread so flat and hard that it could be easily broken. But
this circumstance I cannot find in Athenæus.
[1013] Sat. v. 65.
[1014] This word, according to the Swedish dictionaries, signifies thin
cakes, hard and crisp.
[1015] Homeri Odyss. xiv. 453.
[1016] De Arte Amandi, iii. 755.
[1017] Reisen, i. p. 268.
[1018] Rec. d’Antiq. iii. p. 312. tab. lxxxiv.
[1019] Bulletin des Fouilles, i. p. 17; ii. p. 131.
[1020] Galeoti Martii de Dictis et Factis Regis Matthiæ Liber. This
work has also been printed in Schwandtneri Script. Rerum Hungar. tom.
i. p. 548.
[1021] Coryate, in the year 1608, travelled for five months, through
France, Italy, Switzerland, and a part of Germany. An account of
this tour was published by him, in 1611, under the singular title
of Crudities, a new edition of which appeared in 1776. He travelled
afterwards to the East Indies, and in 1615 wrote in that country some
letters which may be seen in Purchas his Pilgrims, vol. ii.; also in
the second edition of the Crudities published in 1776. In page 90 of
the Crudities the author says, “Here j will mention a thing that might
have been spoken of before in discourse of the first Italian towne. J
observed a custome in all those Italian cities and townes through the
which j passed, that is not used in any other country that j saw in my
travels, neither do j thinke that any other nation of Christendome doth
use it, but only Italy. The Italian, and also most strangers that are
commorant in Italy, do alwaies at their meales use a little forke when
they cut their meat. For while with their knife which they hold in one
hand they cut the meate out of the dish, they fasten their forke, which
they hold in their other hand, upon the same dish; so that whatsoever
he be that sitting in the company of any others at meale, should
unadvisedly touch the dish of meate with his fingers from which all at
the table doe cut, he will give occasion of offence unto the company,
as having transgressed the lawes of good manners, insomuch that for his
error he shall be at least brow beaten if not reprehended in wordes.
This form of feeding j understand is generally used in all places of
Italy; their forkes being for the most part made of yron or steele,
and some of silver, but those are used only by gentlemen. The reason
of this their curiosity is, because the Italian cannot by any meanes
indure to have his dish touched with fingers, seeing all men’s fingers
are not alike cleane. Hereupon j myselfe thought good to imitate the
Italian fashion by this forked cutting of meate, not only while j was
in Italy, but also in Germany, and oftentimes in England since j came
home, being once quipped for that frequent using of my forke by a
certain learned gentleman, a familiar friend of mine, one Mr. Laurence
Whitaker, who in his merry humour doubted not to call me at table
_furcifer_, only for using a forke at feeding, but for no other cause.”
[The use of forks was at first much ridiculed in England, as an
effeminate piece of finery; in one of Beaumont and Fletcher’s plays,
“your fork-carving traveller” is spoken of with much contempt; and Ben
Jonson has joined in the laugh against them in his Devil’s an Ass, Act.
v. Scene 4. Meercraft says to Gilthead and Sledge:--
“Have I deserved this from you two? for all
My pains at court, to get you each a patent.
“_Gilthead._ For what?
“_Meercraft._ Upon my project of the _forks_.
“_Sledge._ _Forks!_ What be they?
“_Meercraft._ The laudable use of forks,
Brought into custom here as they are in Italy,
To the sparing of napkins.”]
[1022] Fischer’s Reise nach Madrid, p. 238.