Stale and Hearty
Archdeacon and diplomat Peter of Blois was a frequent guest at the laden tables of King Henry II, but he had little appetite for the fare on offer.
1160
King Henry II 1154-1189
Archdeacon and diplomat Peter of Blois was a frequent guest at the laden tables of King Henry II, but he had little appetite for the fare on offer.
1160
King Henry II 1154-1189
Hollywood has made us familiar with the image of medieval kings at table with their nobles, the tables groaning under the weight of platters of venison and flagons of wine, and everyone rejoicing in plenty. What Hollywood does not tell us, but Henry II’s courtier Peter of Blois (?1130-?1211) does, is that most of it was well past its sell-by date.
abridged
I OFTEN wonder how anyone who has been used to the service of scholarship and the camps of learning can endure the annoyances of a court life. A priest or a soldier attached to the court has bread put before him which is not kneaded, nor leavened, made of the dregs of beer; bread like lead, full of bran and unbaked; wine spoiled either by being sour or mouldy - thick, greasy, rancid, tasting of pitch and vapid. I have sometimes seen wine so full of dregs put before noblemen that they were compelled rather to filter than drink it, with their eyes shut and teeth closed. The beer at court is horrid to taste and filthy to look at.
On account of the great demand, meat is sold whether it be fresh or not. The fish one buys is four days old, yet the fact that it stinks does not lessen its price. The servants care nothing whatever whether the unlucky guests become ill or die, provided they load their masters’ tables with dishes.
abridged
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
What did Peter of Blois say was annoying about court life?
The poor quality of the food served.
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Sometimes monks were invited to court. The food at court was not fresh. They were surprised.