alphabet of terms and dishes [122]; but though I have pressed him
into the service, he has not contributed much as to the more
difficult points.

The Antiquarian Repertory, vol. II. p. 211, exhibits an
entertainment of the mayor of Rochester, A. 1460; but there is little
to be learned from thence. The present work was printed before No. 31
of the Antiquarian Repertory, wherein some ancient recipes in Cookery
are published, came to the Editor's hand.

I must not omit my acknowledgments to my learned friend the present
dean of Carlisle, to whom I stand indebted for his useful notes on
the Northumberland-Household Book, as also for the book itself.

Our chief assistance, however, has been drawn from a MS belonging to
the Editor, denoted, when cited, by the signature _MS. Ed._ It is a
vellum miscellany in small quarto, and the part respecting this
subject consists of ninety-one English recipes (or _nyms_) in cookery.
These are disposed into two parts, and are intituled, 'Hic incipiunt
universa servicia tam de carnibus quam de pissibus.' [123] The second
part, relates to the dressing of fish, and other lenten fare, though
forms are also there intermixed which properly belong to flesh-days.
This leads me to observe, that both here, and in the Roll, messes are
sometimes accommodated, by making the necessary alterations, both to
flesh and fish-days. [124] Now, though the subjects of the MS are
various, yet the hand-writing is uniform; and at the end of one of
the tracts is added, 'Explicit massa Compoti, Anno Dni M'lo CCC'mo
octogesimo primo ipso die Felicis et Audacti.' [125], i.e. 30 Aug.
1381, in the reign of Rich. II. The language and orthography accord
perfectly well with this date, and the collection is consequently