"LENTEN STUFFE" 37 



On the ancient arms of Yarmouth appear 

 what are known as " Yarmouth capons," 

 azure, three herrings argent. At a later date 

 the herrings were dimidiated with lions' heads, 

 the present form. 



It is not, however, to a Yarmouth man that 

 we miist go for an adequate, nay, dithyrambic 

 appreciation of the merits of the herring. 

 Thomas Nashe (1567), the satirist, author of 

 " Lenten Stuff e, or the Praise of the Red 

 Herring," was born at Lowestoft, and the 

 following are extracts, some in the original 

 language, from his description of Yarmouth 

 and its most famous product, the red herring, 

 which is simply the bloater more strongly cured, 

 the pickle having about one-sixteenth of its 

 weight in saltpetre added ; when the herring 

 has been cured in this mixture, it must be 

 hung in a current of air for twenty-four to 

 forty-eight hours before being smoked : — 



" A towne it is that in rich situation exceedeth 

 many citties, and without which . . . the swelling 

 Battlementes of Gurguntus, a head citty of Norffolke 

 and Suffolke would scarce retaine the name of a 

 citty, but become as ruinous and desolate as Thet- 

 forde or Ely." 



" Not any where is the word seuerer practised, 

 the preacher reuerentlier obserued and honoured, 

 iustice sounder ministred, and a warlike people 

 peaceablier demeanourd betwixte this and the Grand 

 Cathay, and the Strand of Prester lohn." 



" Doe but conuert the slenderest twinckling reflese 

 of your eiesight to the flinty ringe that engirtes it, 

 these towred walles, port-cullizd-gates, and gorgeous 



