FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CENTURIES. 51 



"Peris in Syrippe. Take Wardons, and cast hem in a fair potte," 

 or, " Peris in Compost. Take pere Wardons and pare hem." 

 At Henry the Fourth's wedding-feast, these pears in syrup occur 

 twice, and are included in the same course as venison, quails, 

 sturgeon, fieldfare, &c. At the coronation feast of the same king, 

 we find quinces in " comfyte," and also " Pomedorreing " or 

 golden apple, supposed in this case, to stand for oranges, as this 

 rare fruit might be obtained for such a great occasion. Oranges 

 probably were occasionally brought to this country at an even 

 earlier date. It is said that in the eighteenth year of Edward I., 

 the Queen bought, out of the cargo of a large Spanish ship, 

 one frail of figs, one of raisins, one bale of dates, two 

 hundred and thirty pomegranates, fifteen citrons and seven 

 oranges.* 



Cherries were cultivated very extensively. The season of 

 gathering them is spoken of by Langland as " cherry-time." 

 This cherry-harvest, coming at the height of summer, was a time 

 of merry-making, and to it Gower compares the brief length of 

 human life, which 



"... endureth but a throw 

 Right as it were a cherry feast." Confessio Amantis. 



And Lydgate also uses the cherry-fair as a simile : 

 " This world is but a cherry fair." 



Cherries and strawberries were hawked in the streets of 

 London, and the cry of " ripe strawberries" was familiar even in 

 Lydgate' s time. 



" Then vnto London I dyd me hye 

 Of all the land it beareth the pryse 

 ' Hot pescodes ' one began to crye 

 ' Strabery rype ' and ' cherryes in the ryse ' f 

 One bade me come nere and by some spyse 

 Peper and safforne they gan me bede 

 But for lack of mony I myght not spede." London Lyckpeny. 



Peaches are mentioned by Lydgate among "the fruits which 

 more common be," but only inferior varieties were in cultivation. 



* Manners and Household Expenses. Ed. Beriah Botfield. Roxburghe 

 Club, 1841. 



f = branch, twig. 



4* 



