Some of our readers may be surprised to learn that the use of forks at
table was not introduced into England earlier than the reign of James
the First, and that we derived this piece of refinement from the
Italians. The fact appears from the following curious extract from a
book entitled, ‘Coryat’s Crudities, hastily gobbled up in five months’
Travells in France, Savoy, Italy, Rhætia (commonly called the Grisons
country), Helvetia (alias Switzerland), some parts of High Germany, and
the Netherlands.’ The book was first published in 1611. “Here I will
mention,” says the traveller, “a thing that might have been spoken of
before in discourse of the first Italian towne. I observed a custome in
all those Italian cities and townes through the which I passed, that is
not used in any other country that I saw in my travels; neither do I
think 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 meate.
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 the
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 forme of feeding, I
understand, is generally used in all places in 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 means indure to have his dish touched
with fingers, seeing all men’s fingers are not alike cleane. Hereupon I
myself thought good to imitate the Italian fashion by this _forked_
cutting of meate, not only while I was in Italy, but also in Germany,
and oftentimes in England since I came home; being once _quipped_ for
that frequent using of my forke by a certaine learned gentleman, a
familiar friend of mine, one Master Laurence Whitaker, who in his merry
humour doubted not at table to call me _Furcifer_[3], 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 o’ napkins.”
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Footnote 3:
Furcifer literally meant a slave, who, for punishment of some fault,
was made to carry a fork or gallows upon his neck through the city,
with his hands tied to it; hence it came to signify generally a rogue,
a villain.
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