One hundred years ago
The Ministerial Fish Dinner was held on Wednesday, and was signalised by a curious freak of literary effort in the preparation of the menu. This was composed in very elaborate old English, being headed, 'Ye annuale Whytebaite Dinner of Hyr Majestye's Ministers, on Wednesdaie, ye 14th August, 1878, atte ye hostelrie yclept ye Shippe, atte Greenwiche. This bile of ye fare is drawn in playne Englyshe, without any cloake of Frenche or other foreygne tongue, for the sadde and sobere comforte of friendes, and that ye rnaye knowe what ye are asked to accept.' The salmon collops are described as, 'Ye salmonne inne collopes, with ye sauce in ye Cyprus fashonne.' And the bill of fare ends with, 'Ye dinner will be servyd after ye mannere of ye Russian people. Ye guestes are bydden to eate after ye Hungarie mannere.' It is certainly odd how the spirit of antic is spreading under the present Government. This certainly is a harmless antic, but as certainly quite devoid of humour, and only defensible as being appropriate to the Session of much less harmless antics which it concludes. The political harlequinade ends, fitly enough, in grotesque spellings and in a flat pun.
Spectator, August 17 1878
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