THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE APPLE AND PEAR. 
17 
The early English ballad, “ The Jew’s Daughter,” which is supposed to refer to the murder 
of a child at Lincoln in 1256, for which some Jews were tried and executed, and their goods 
confiscated, says :— 
“ She pulled an apple red and white 
To entice the young thing in; 
She pulled an apple white and red 
And that the sweet bairn did win.” 
(Bell’s Early English Ballads). 
This ballad has, however, also been supposed to refer to an Italian or German legend. 
Chaucer mentions cider (1360). 
“ This Sampson never Sider drank ne wine.” 
“ The Monke’s Tale,” 14061. 
Shewing that cider was a well known drink in his day. 
Good Master William Langland, of Cleobury Mortimer, in 1362, evidently knew what a good 
apple was, for in that curious, quaint poem of “ Piers Ploughman ,” he says :— 
“ I preicle Piers tho to pulle a down 
An appul and he wolde, 
And suffre me to assaien 
What savour it hadde.” 
( Vision of Piers the Ploughman). 
The inference is clear, that bad apples must have been common, and that he did not mean 
to eat this one, if he didn’t like it. 
Fuller states that Pippins were first introduced into England in the 16th year of Henry VIII. 
(1525) by Leonard Mascal, who brought them “from over the sea” and planted them at Plumstead, 
in Sussex, a small village on the north side of the South Downs, near the Devil’s Dyke.” This 
statement is quoted by most fruitgrowing authorities, and it is extremely probable that Mascal did 
introduce a lot of Pippins ; but as all plants from pips are called “ Pippins”—it is quite possible 
that these “ Pippins” were mere stocks for grafting. A seedling whose fruit proves good enough to 
grow often retains its name of “Pippin” and Mascal’sPippins may therefore have been approved kinds 
of apples—but if so, many varieties existed in England long before his time. Mascal is also said 
“ to have brought the first carp to England, and thus to have furnished at one time our orchards and 
our ponds with the rarest variety of each kind.” 
Noakes in his “Monastery and Cathedral of Worcester,” (1866) referring to a date circa 
1533, says, “There is no mention of cider, or home-made wine, or vineyards at Worcester 
Monastery, though we know that the vine was much cultivated in this county and neighbourhood,” 
p. 180. And again, cider is not alluded to in the Worcester Rolls till a comparatively late period, 
though we know the beverage was so called in Chaucer’s Monks’ tale, middle of fourteenth Century. 
It probably existed from a very early period under some other name or as wine,” p. 300. And again, 
circa 1662, a hogshead of cider then cost £1 146- o d., while ditto of strong beer was but £1 4.S. o d. 
Bottled cider was sold at 6 d. a bottle in 1720, equal to 3^. of present money,” p. 305. 
