Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Gold and Silver

39

А kind of cruct is recшded among early Freвch tаЫе silver, "а douЫe neckcd bottlc in divisions, in ,vhich to place tvvo kiпds of liquor ,Yithout mixing them." А cнrious Ьit of t,аЫе sil,тer in F1·ance, also, ,vas the " alшsbox," into vvЬich cach gнcst ,пts supposed to put some picce of food, to Ье givcn to tl1e роог. , Spoons ,vere Yery сыlу in tЬеiг oгigin; St. Radegond is reported Ьу а contemporaгy to Ьаvе нsed а spoon, in feeding the Ыind and infirm. А qнaint book of instmc­ tions to children, called "The Babee's Booke," iп 1475, adviscs Ьу way of tаЫе maпners: And а later volume on tl1e sашс sнbjcct, in 1500, coш­ mcnds а proper respect for thc iшpleшcпts of the tаЫе: "Ne playe with spoone, treпcher, пе kпife." Spoons of curious form were cvidently madc all tЬе way from 1300 to the present day. In an old will, iп 1477, mentioп is madc of spooпs ",vt leopards hedcs p1·inted in the sponsclf," апd iп another, six spoons " wt owles at the encl of tl1e handles." Pгofessor ,vilsoн said, "А plated spoon is а pitiful imposition," анd l1e was right. If theгc is one aгticle of tаЫе seгvice iп which solidity of metal is of тоге impoгtance than iп another, it is the spoon, which шust perforce соте in "And whenever your potage to you s!шll Ье brought, Take your sponys and soupe Ьу no ,vay, And in your dish leave not your spoon, 1 pray!"