Drunk with fresh air

My Week 18 of WolfCrawl

• On the table week 18

• Set up the pieces

• Beneath every murder, another murder

• White Lily

The last guests have staggered off in the grey of the morning, the dishes have been washed, the dining room has been swept and aired. The new sign has been put up (instead of “Wolf Hall”, it’s ‘Bring up the bodies’ - in my opinion, not the best marketing strategy for an inn! Why I am not consulted beforehand?)

So back to the weekly routine: what's been happening on the food front this week and, as always, a few finds to look at.

Too heavy a meal

Although only candied fruit is specifically mentioned, we can assume that a lot of food is being eaten this week in Wolf Hall, probably mainly game.

I like Henry for the first time: the food is heavy, too much wine, lots of exercise in the fresh air beforehand, the conversations form a pleasant background noise, so he takes a nap. Jane wakes him up, tapping the back of his hand “as if she were testing a cheese”. With cheese, you observe how the maturing process progresses by tapping the cheese wheel. Is Henry ready for the Seymours?

Still life with cheese and other foods on a table by Jacob Fopsen van Es, 1630

Public Domain

I would feel at home in London: “Being Londoners¹ they care about their bellies above anything else.” Or near Cromwell, who ensures that the royal retinue is always well supplied: ‘He knows this business inside out.’

Falcons

‘They see a flittering, flinching universe, a universe filled with their diner.’

Falconry as a sport for the high nobility- here are some examples of the effort that went into it: Falcon cap ca. 1520/30 belonging to Maximiliano VIII. Sforza, Falcon lure, 1550. Falcon cap ca. 1494-1508, belonging to Emperor Maximilian I. (grandfather of Charles V.)

©KHM-Museumsverband

Set up the pieces

The first chess game² we read about is a game between Cromwell and Rafe Sadler. They take ages to make each move, then stare at the board for a long time, knowing that whatever move they make, the result is checkmate. ‘We´re too good for each other” they say. ‘Perhaps we ought to play against other people’, suggests Rafe. ‘Later. When we wipe out all-comers’, answers Cromwell.

Now he plays against others. Edward Seymour has lost every game (so far).

Chess set by unknown artist, middle of the 16th century

©KHM-Museumsverband

Beneath every murder, another murder

Alessandro de Medici (1510-1537) was rumoured to be responsible for the alleged murder of Ippolito de Medici (probably died of Malaria see Simon's post for more info about this). Alessandro was later actually murdered by Lorenzino de Medici (1514-1548). And Lorenzino was also murdered, most likely on the orders of Cosimo I Medici (1519-1574). Compared to the Medici, the Tudors are almost a picture-book family.

Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici by Bronzino, 1545 (I wouldn't want to have a fight with him, from his facial expression and eyes (the different directions of gaze), better not to mess with him. Cromwell might have had a similar facial expression in his younger years as soldier).

Public Domain

White Lily

The white lily was a symbol for pureness and innocence and in paintings of the annunciation a white lily is often depicted. No wonder the king laughs and says that apart from the colour of this skin, Cromwell has nothing in common with a lily. Annuciation by Sandro Botticelli, between 1489 and 1490

Public domain

1. But one has to be careful with them, because they'll sell you for a boiled pudding and a leg of mutton.

2. Chapter ‘An occult history of Britain’ p 105