FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   >>  
lphia, and the _Token_, published at Boston--may be expected in London. The foregoing are all the announcements we have been able to collect. We miss two or three established favourites; but we hope to make their promises the subject of a future paragraph. * * * * * THE GOOSE. In England the goose is sacred to St. Michael; in Scotland, where dainties were not going every day, "'Twas Christmas sent its savoury goose." The Michaelmas goose is said to owe its origin to Queen Elizabeth's dining on one at the table of an English baronet on that day when she received tidings of the dispersion of the Spanish Armada, in commemoration of which she ordered the _goose_ to make its appearance every Michaelmas. In some places, particularly Caithness, geese are cured and smoked, and are highly relishing. Smoked Solan geese are well known as contributing to the abundance of a Scottish breakfast, though too rank and fishy-flavoured for unpractised palates. The goose has made some figure in English history. The churlishness of the brave Richard Coeur de Lion, a sovereign distinguished for an insatiable appetite and vigorous digestion, in an affair of roast goose, was the true cause of his captivity in Germany. The king, disguised as a palmer, was returning to his own dominions, attended by Sir Fulk Doyley and Sir Thomas de Multon, "brothers in arms," and wearing the same privileged garb. They arrived in Almain, (Germany,) at the town of Carpentras, where, "A _goose_ they dight to their dinner. In a tavern where they were. King Richard the fire bet, Thomas to him the spit set; Fouk Doyley tempered the wood; Dear a-bought they that good;" for in came a _Minstralle_, or she-Minstrel, with offer of specimens of her art in return for a leg of the goose and a cup of the wine. Richard, who loved "rich meats," and cared little at this time for their usual accompaniment, "minstrelsy,"-- "--bade that she would go; That turned him to mickle woe. The Minstralle took in mind, And said, ye are men unkind: And if I may ye shall _for-think_ Ye gave me neither meat nor drink!" The lady, who was English, recognised the king, and denounced him to the king of Germany, who ordered the pilgrims into his presence, insulted Richard, "said him shame," called him _taylard_, probably for his affection for goose, and finally ordered him to a dungeon. But Richard, a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   >>  



Top keywords:
Richard
 

ordered

 
English
 

Germany

 
Thomas
 
Michaelmas
 
Minstralle
 

Doyley

 

bought

 

Minstrel


tempered

 

brothers

 

Multon

 

wearing

 

returning

 

dominions

 

attended

 

privileged

 

dinner

 

tavern


Carpentras

 

arrived

 

Almain

 

recognised

 
denounced
 
affection
 

finally

 

dungeon

 

taylard

 

called


pilgrims

 
presence
 
insulted
 

unkind

 

palmer

 

return

 

mickle

 

turned

 

accompaniment

 
minstrelsy

specimens
 
Scotland
 

Michael

 

dainties

 
sacred
 

paragraph

 

England

 

Christmas

 

dining

 
baronet