ty of the practice, are somewhat curious in themselves, and worthy the perusal of your readers.
I find the distinction of seats, in relation to the position of the salt-vat, familiarly known to English writers as far back as 1597, at which time were published the earlier works of Joseph Hall, successively bishop of Exeter and Norwich, and one of our first legitimate satirists. As Hall's satires have never been printed in a commodious form, they may not have fallen into the hands of the generality of your readers, and as the one which contains the allusion to the custom in question is short, and affords a good example of that writer's style, I shall insert it at full length.
"A gentle Squire would gladly entertaine
Into his house some trencher-chaplaine;
Some willing man that might instruct his sons,
And that would stand to good conditions.
First, that he lie upon the truckle-bed,
Whiles his young maister lieth o'er his head.
Second, that he do, on no default,
Ever presume to sit above the salt,
Third, that he never change his trencher twice.
Fourth, that he use all common courtesies;
Sit beare at meales, and one half rise and wait.
Last, that he never his young master beat,
But he must ask his mother to define,
How many jerkes she would his breech should line.
All these observed, he could contented be
To give five markes and winter liverie."
In an entertaining old book, by Nixon, entitled, "Strange Foot-Post with a packet full of strange petitions," London, 1613, 4to, the author, speaking of the miseries of a poor scholar, makes the following observations:—
"Now, as for his fare, it is lightly at the cheapest table, but he must sit under the salt, that is an axiome in such places:—then having drawne his knife leisurably, unfolded his napkin mannerly, after twice or thrice wiping his beard, if he have it, he may reach the bread on his knife's point, and fall to his porrige, and between every sponefull take as much deliberation as a capon craming, lest he be out of his porrige before they have buried part of their first course in their bellies." (F. 3.)
In the works of our early dramatists there are not unfrequent allusions of a similar nature.
Thus, in the play called Cynthia's Revels, by Ben Jonson, I find the following passage:—
"Merc.He will censure or discourse
of any thing, but as absurdly
as you would wish.—His fashion is
not to take knowledge of him that is
beneath him in clothes.—He never
drinks below the salt."—Act II. Scene III.
And in the "Unnatural Combat" of Massinger, the same custom is alluded to.
"Stew:My Lord much wonders,
That you that are a courtier as a soldier,
In all things else, and every day can vary
Your actions and discourse, continue constant
To this one suit.
Belg.To one! 'tis well I have one
Unpawn'd in these days; every cast commander
Is not blest with the fortune, I assure you.
But why the question? does this offend him?
Stew.Not much, but he believes it is the reason
You ne'er presume to sit above the salt."
Act III. Scene I.
"It argues little (says Gifford on the above passage) for the delicacy of our ancestors, that they should admit of such distinctions at their board; but in truth they seem to have placed their guests below the salt, for no better purpose than that of mortifying them."
That this custom was not limited to our own island, but was familiar at least in France, is evinced by the following passage from Perat, who flourished about the middle of the sixteenth century. In speaking of the manners suitable to men of noble birth, in regard to the different kinds of ridicule and pleasantry, he says of one species, "Neque ejusmodi dicacitates nobilitatem honestant: quamvis enim clientium caterva, amicorum humiliores, totaque omnino infra salinum stipata cohors, scurrantem dominum, et (ut ait Flaccus,) imi Derisorem lecti, cachinnationibus suis insulsis adulari soleant; ii tamen," &c.—De Inst. Nob. p. 36.
The foregoing quotations, however curious in themselves, may, I fear, in regard to the subject which they are intended to illustrate, have appeared redundant or unnecessary to some of your readers, particularly after the satisfactory instances brought forward by J. M. of the prevalence of the same custom.
On a general view, it would form a
