Note 80 — PEPTIC PRECEPTS.

“When four hours be past, after Breakfast, a man may safely taste his Dinner,—the most convenient time for dinner, is about eleven of the clocke before noone,—in 1570, this was the usual time of serving it in the University of Oxford,—elsewhere about noone,—it commonly consisted of boyled biefe, with pottage, bread and beere, and no more,—the quantity of biefe was in value an halfe-penny for each mouth,—they supped at five of the clocke in the Afternoon.”—Vide Cogan’s Haven of Health, 1584, p. 187.

Early hours were as Genteel in Dr. Cogan’s time, as late ones are now, 1821.

“Perhaps none of our Old English customs have undergone so thorough a change, as the hours of rising,—taking refreshment—the number of meals per day—and the time of retiring to rest.

“The stately dames of Edward IV.’s Court, rose with the Lark, despatched their dinner at eleven o’clock in the forenoon, and shortly after eight were wrapt in slumber.—How would these reasonable people (reasonable at least in this respect) be astonished could they but be witnesses to the present distribution of time among the Children of Fashion!—Would they not call the perverse conduct of those who rise at one or two, dine at eight,—and retire to bed when the morning is unfolding all its glories, and nature putting on her most pleasing aspect,—absolute insanity!!”—Warner’s Antiq. Cul. p. 134.

“The modern hours of eating are got to an excess that is perfectly ridiculous. Now, what do people get by this? If they make Dinner their principal Meal, and do not wish to pall their appetite by eating before it—they injure their health. Then in Winter they have two hours of candlelight before Dinner, and in Summer they are at table during the pleasantest part of the Day; and all this, to get a Long Morning,—for Idle People, to whom one would suppose the shortest morning would seem too Long.”—Pye’s Sketches, 12mo. 1797, p. 174.