FORKS.

Some of our readers may be surprised to learn that the use of forks at table was not introduced into England earlier than the reign of James the First, and that we derived this piece of refinement from the Italians. The fact appears from the following curious extract from a book entitled, ‘Coryat’s Crudities, hastily gobbled up in five months’ Travells in France, Savoy, Italy, Rhætia (commonly called the Grisons country), Helvetia (alias Switzerland), some parts of High Germany, and the Netherlands.’ The book was first published in 1611. “Here I will mention,” says the traveller, “a thing that might have been spoken of before in discourse of the first Italian towne. I observed a custome in all those Italian cities and townes through the which I passed, that is not used in any other country that I saw in my travels; neither do I think that any other nation of Christendome doth use it, but only Italy. The Italian, and also most strangers that are commorant in Italy, do alwaies at their meales use a little forke, when they cut their meate. For while with their knife, which they hold in one hand, they cut the meate out of the dish, they fasten their forke, which they hold in the other hand, upon the same dish. So that whatsoever he be that sitting in the company of any others at meale, should unadvisedly touch the dish of meate with his fingers from which all at the table doe cut, he will give occasion of offence unto the company, as having transgressed the lawes of good manners; insomuch that for his error he shall be at least brow-beaten, if not reprehended in wordes. This forme of feeding, I understand, is generally used in all places in Italy, their forkes being for the most part made of yron or steele, and some of silver; but those are used only by gentlemen. The reason of this their curiosity is, because the Italian cannot by any means indure to have his dish touched with fingers, seeing all men’s fingers are not alike cleane. Hereupon I myself thought good to imitate the Italian fashion by this forked cutting of meate, not only while I was in Italy, but also in Germany, and oftentimes in England since I came home; being once quipped for that frequent using of my forke by a certaine learned gentleman, a familiar friend of mine, one Master Laurence Whitaker, who in his merry humour doubted not at table to call me Furcifer^[3], only for using a forke at feeding, but for no other cause.”

The use of forks was at first much ridiculed in England, as an effeminate piece of finery; in one of Beaumont and Fletcher’s plays, “your fork-carving traveller” is spoken of with much contempt; and Ben Jonson has joined in the laugh against them in his ‘Devil’s an Ass,’ Act V, Scene 4. Meercraft says to Gilthead and Sledge,

“Have I deserved this from you two? for all

My pains at Court, to get you each a patent.

Gilthead. For what?

Meercraft. Upon my project of the forks.

Sledge. Forks! What be they?

Meercraft. The laudable use of forks,

Brought into custom here as they are in Italy,

To the sparing o’ napkins.”