SC - translation, please

[L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt]

Thorvald wrote:

>> : : :  15. And then take of the Lamb's lettuce
>> : : :  16. And of these small birds
>> : : :  17.According to that which you have
>> : : :  18. Seat them in the pastie
>
>The modern "mâche", meaning "corn salad or lambs' lettuce", 
>makes little culinary sense here (salad greens in a meat pie?).
>Also, one needs to account for the French appearing in the plural.
>Also, the old spelling of "mâche" would probably have been "masche".
>Also, the OED has its earliest citation (1693) reading "a sort of 
>little Sallet..seldom..brought before any noble Company".
>
>I suggest that one should look further than lambs' lettuce for 
>a translation.  Try the Old French dictionaries in your local 
>university library.  Even 'tidbits', which was an inspired guess 
>but probably off the mark, is much better than lambs' lettuce.
>

The construction of meat pie in modern times often includes forcemeat balls,
etc. That's one possible interpretation if tidbits is correct. Alternately,
tidbits could refer to the livers, kidneys, hearts, etc. of the birds, all
of which still find their way into meat pies.

Just a thought.

Aoife

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