Notes and Illustrations. 243 
daies in the yeare together with Wednesday and Friday and Satur- 
day, you shall see that the one halfe of the yeare is ordeined to 
eate fish in.”—Cogan’s Haven of Health, ed. 1612, p. 138. 
“‘It is lawfull for euerie man to feed vpon what soeuer he is able 
to purchase, except it be vpon those daies whereon eating of flesh 
is especiallie forbidden by the lawes of the realme, which order is 
taken onelie to the end our numbers of cattell may be the better 
increased, and that aboundance of fish which the sea yeeldeth, more 
generallie receiued. Beside this, there is great consideration had 
in making of this law for the preseruation of the nauie, and main- 
tenance of conuenient numbers of sea faring men, both which 
would otherwise greatlie decaie, if some meanes were not found 
whereby they might be increased.”—Harrison, Descript. of Eng. 
part i. p. 144. 
The following menu for a fish day is given in the Liber Cure 
Cocorum, p. 54, ed. Morris: 
‘‘ For a servise on fysshe day. 
Fyrst white pese and porray pou take, 
Cover py white heryng for goddys sake ; 
Pen cover red heryng, and set abufe, 
And mustard on heghe, for goddys lufe ; 
Pen cover salt salmon on hast, 
Salt ele ber wyth on pis course last. 
For pe secunde course, so god me glad, 
Take ryse and fletande fignade, 
Pan salt fysshe and stok fysshe take pou schalle, 
For last of pis course, so fayre me falle. 
For pe iii cours sowpys done fyne, 
And also jamprouns in galentyne, 
Bakun turbut and sawmon ibake 
Alle fresshe, and smalle fysshe pou take 
Perwith, als trou3te, sperlynges, and menwus with al, 
And loches to horn sawce versance shal.” 
See also the Babees Book, ed. Furnivall, p. 50. 
10. 60. ‘‘Setteth his soule vpon sixe or on seauen,” that is, risks 
his life on the cast of a die. 
11. “Sit downe Robin and rest thee.” I was inclined to think 
that this was the burden of some ballad, but Mr. Chappell, to 
whom I applied, is of opinion that it was not. 
“An habitation inforced,” etc., z.e. it is better to settle down, 
even late in life, than not at all. Comp. chap. 10, stanza 8, p. 19. 
12. 1. Fora great portion of the year the only animal food eaten 
was in a salted state. In the autumn as much meat was cured as 
would last the winter; and until the pastures had been for some 
time abundant, that is, not until Midsummer, there were no means 
of fattening cattle. After the winter months, veal and bacon were 
welcomed as the precursors of fresh beef; and those who lived 
