G4 EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 



lamented his fate whilst occupied with his task. It 

 was true, he said, he had not died of hunger or thirst, 

 but this was all owing to his courage and strong sinews ; 

 yet, what would these avail against the supernatural 

 powers of the Boyl-yas. " They will eat me at night, 

 whilst worn-out by fatigue I must sleep." However, 

 the mussels were brought, and Mr. Grey made a meal 

 of them.* It is not only of late years that Mytilus 

 edulis has been thought worthy to grace our tables, for in 

 1390 we have the following recipes given in a "role" of 

 ancient English cookery, compiled by the master cooks 

 of King Richard II., called the ' Forme of Cury :' — 



"Muskelsin brewet (broth), 122. — Take muskels (mus- 

 sels), pyke them, seeth hem with the own broth (in their 

 own liquor) . Make a lyor (mixture) of crustes i.e. of 

 brede) and vinegar ; do in onyons my need, and cast the 

 muskels thereto, and seeth it, and do thereto powder, with 

 a lytel salt and safron. The samewise make of oysters. 



" Cawdel of Muskels, 124. — Take and seeth mus- 

 kels, pyke (pick) hem clene, and waishe hem clene in 

 wyne. Take aim andes and bray hem. Take some of the 

 muskels and grynde hem, and some hewe small. Draw 

 (mix up) the muskels yground (that are ground) with 

 the self (same) broth. Wryng the almandes with faire 

 (clean) water. Do all this togider. Do thereto verjous 

 (verjuice) and vinegar. Take whyte of lekes, and par- 

 boil hem wel. Wryng out the water, and hew hem small. 

 Cast oile thereto, with onyons parboiled, and mynced 

 small. Do thereto powder, fort, safron, and salt ; a lytel 

 seeth it, not to stondyng (too thick), and messe it forth. "f 



" Soyer's Recipe for Cooking Mussels. — Take 3 dozen 



* Yol. ii. pp. 84, 85. 



f ' Antiquitates Culinarise,' by the Rev. Richard Warner, p. 23. 



