. London . the Mermaid in Cornhill, orthe Mitre of Chepe. But of late my dinners have been smallthings, and I know not, what any town gallant could tell you,where to go for the best burnt sack or for sound Rhenish. The Mitre, then, on the chance. This tavern, a gabled house, stood at the end of a passageleading from Cheapside, near the corner of Bread long room spread for dinner was two steps lower thanthe street, and not too well lighted. A narrow table randown the middle ; upon it was spread a fair white cloth ; aclean napkin lay for every guest, and a knife. The table wasalready
. London . the Mermaid in Cornhill, orthe Mitre of Chepe. But of late my dinners have been smallthings, and I know not, what any town gallant could tell you,where to go for the best burnt sack or for sound Rhenish. The Mitre, then, on the chance. This tavern, a gabled house, stood at the end of a passageleading from Cheapside, near the corner of Bread long room spread for dinner was two steps lower thanthe street, and not too well lighted. A narrow table randown the middle ; upon it was spread a fair white cloth ; aclean napkin lay for every guest, and a knife. The table wasalready filled. Loaves of bread were placed at intervals ;they were of various shapes, round and square ; salt was alsoplaced at regular intervals. When we entered, the company TUDOR -75 stood up politely till we had found seats. Then all sat down again. We took our seats in a corner, whence we couldobserve the company. Stow whispered in my ear that thiswas a shilling ordinary, and one of the best in London, as was. THE OLD BILL AND MOUTH INN, ST. martins-le-grand{Now pulled down) proved by the number of guests. Your city gallant, hesaid, scents his dinner like a hound, and is never at shall dine well. We did dine well ; the boys brought us first roast beefwith peas and buttered beans. This, said the old man, is T 2 276 LONDON well—everything in season. At midsummer, beef and beans ;at Michaelmas, fresh herrings ; at All Saints, pork and souse,sprats and spurlings ; in Lent, parsnips and leeks, to softenthe saltness of the fish ; at Easter, veal and bacon, or at leastgammon of bacon, and tansy cake with stained eggs ; atMartinmas salt beef. Let old customs be still we are back in the days of bluff King Hal. Well,London was ever a city of plenty. Even the craftsman sitsdown to his brown bread and bacon and his ale. Harry,bring me a tankard of March beer—and another dish of beef,tell the carver. After the beef, we were served with roast capons andducks. T
Size: 1596px × 1566px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorbesantwa, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookyear1892
