Note E283 — 47.

"There remaineth yet a third kinde of meats, which is neither fish nor flesh, commonly called white meats, as egges, milk, butter, cheese, which notwithstanding proceede and come of flesh, as egges from the henne, and milk from the cowe. Yet because they are not plainely flesh, they are permitted to be eaten upon the fish daies."—Cogan's Haven of Health, ed. 1612, p. 149.

"But how soeuer this case standeth, white meats, as milke, butter and cheese, which were neuer so deere as in my time, and woont to be accounted of as one of the chiefe staies throughout the Iland, are now reputed as foods appertinent onelie to the inferiour sort, whilest such as are more wealthie, doo feed vpon the flesh of all kinds of cattell accustomed to be eaten, all sorts of fish taken vpon our coasts and in our fresh rivers, and such diuersitie of wild and tame foules as are either bred in our Iland or brought ouer vnto vs from other countries of the maine."—Harrison, Descript. of England, ed. Furnivall, Part I. p. 144. White meats in Lincoln now mean the flesh of lamb, veal, rabbits, chickens, pheasants, etc.