Butchers meat young or old, new or stale, and many other remarks, and First of Beef.

AS for the Pieces I leave to every one to chuse as they like, or have occasion; but if it be right Ox-beef, it will have an open, the fat if young, of an Oyly softness, and crumbling between your Thumb and Finger; If old, it will be rough & spungy, full of skins and strings; If young, the flesh will be a plea­sant Carnation red, the fat whitish; If old, it will be a dark duskey Colour, the fat enclin­ing to yellow.

Cow-Beef, This is known by its closer grain [Page 3]and if young of a cherry colour; the fat white and not so brittle as the former; if old, in­dent it with your Finger, and the lean will in a little time rise again and fill the hollow­ness, the fat will be tough, and shrivel up between your Finger and Thumb.

Bull-Beef: This looks of a dusky red, in the feeling it is brawny and tough, not to be pinched or easily broken with your Nailes the fat gross and fiberous, smells strong and ravenish, if you rub it warm between your finger and Thumb.

Newness and Staleness, If new, it will be of a lively colour, and feel cool; if stale duskey, the veins where they appear black, the meat will feel some what warm and clammy, in­dented, it will sink down spungy.

Lamb fresh, or stale kill'd. If a fore-quarter view the Neck vein, if it be of a bright blew colour it is fresh, if of a very dusky inclining to green, it is stale, and near tainting, not fit to keep, but may indifferently serve for present spending; if keept cool: As for the hind quar­ter, put your Finger under the Kidney, and if it be a pleasant sent it is fresh, if not stale kill'd; bend also the Huckle bone, if it be ply­able; it is new, if stiff, stale.

Veal. In the shoulder the Vein directs you [Page 4]as in the fore-quarter of Lamb; If any clammy stabbiness, or spots of green appear, it is grow­ing musty or tainting: The loyn first taint un­der the Kidney, the Neck & Beast at the upper ends first shewing a faint yellow, then a dus­ky green which is the worst symptom of raint­ing: The Leg flabby, clammy, or the Veins appearing dusky or green, I bid you beware of such a purchase:

The flesh of a Bull-calf, is more redder and firm grained than that of a Cow-calf, the fat more curdling and firmer,

Mutton young or old, fresh or stale, Weather, Ewe or Ram Mutton, Rot, &c:

IF young the flesh will pinch up tender and full again; but if old, it will remain so, especially in the skinny part. if young the fat will easily part from the flesh; if old not but with difficulty as being skinny and fibe­rous. Ewe-mutton is of a close grain, the fat white and oyly, if pinched the flesh of a ligh­tish red; if Weather, the grain is more open, the fat some what more firm, the skinny fal­ling sooner when pinched up: If Ram-mutton the flesh will be a very deep yet dusky red, the Fat spungy, pinched up it soon wrinkles, the flesh, pressed rises presently, is brawny and [Page 5]tough; the fat rubbed between your Fingers cast a scent Ravenish.

Pig new or stale. Turn out the leaf of the belly, if the fat be clammy or inclining to gree­nish it is stale; if of a bright clean white co­lour new, if the nose or mouth slaver or be clammy, it is stale, if clean and dry new, if the hindhochs be stiff it's new, if very limber stale

Pork and Brawn. In Pork the flesh pinching and breaking; the fat soft and oyly, denotes it young, the contrary old; if the Skin hip tender with your nails, it is young, if hard and ruckling then old, or of a Hog that has not been gelded till well grown.

If the flesh of a Boar, or Hog, gelded when well grown, the flesh will be hard, the fat tough, and in scenting have a different smell from o­ther Pork, rawish and strong, the fat be full of fibers, &c.

To know the legs or hands, whether new or stale, put your finger between the bone and flesh, and if upon smelling there be any ill scent, it is turning, or if the skin be clammy, the ben­ding of the joynt over limber, the like is to be feared. If you find many knots like hail shot, in the fat the Pork is measly, the fore-line, hind-line, &c. may be known the same way.

Brawn young or old, is known by the thinness [Page 6]or thickness of the skin, if young the fat will be oyly and crumble, if old rough and moulder as it were between your finger and thumb.

To discover defects in dryed Hams, or other Bacon.

FOr the first, thrust a sharp pointed Knife under the bone, and if it come out with­out much greasing, and presently scented, cast a pleasant Savour, the Ham is good, if the contra­ry not; then try the fat on the edges, raise a sli­ver, if it be white, firm and well scented, it is good; if yellowish, and of a greasy softness, it be­gins to be rusty there, and thus you may try other Bacon.

To recover tainted flesh Venison, &c. Have an Earthen vessel with a cover all over full of lit­tle holes, lay in the flesh with sweet herbs on the top & bottom, cover all them with a cloath, dig a hole in the ground, and cover the vessel in it with earth, let it ly twenty four hours, and it will take away the ill scent, this especially for Venison is very proper, & will recover it when much tainted, & to know if Venison be tain­ted, try it under the bones with a knife, as you do the Hams, for there it first begins to taint.

Poulterers ware, to know whether new or stale, young or old, fat or lean, with Eggs or not:

A Wild Duck. If a true wild Duck, it has a reddish small Foot? If fat it is hard [Page 7]and thick on the belly, if lean the contrary, if limber footed new, if dry footed stale.

A Capon. If young the spurs are short and blunt, his Legs smooth, but see they be natu­rally so, and not so ordered by the Poulterers knavery, if this be suspected, pinch the breast, and if your thumb and fingers goes in easily, it is young, if not, it is old, if a true Capon, it will have a fat vein on the side of the breast, and a thick rump and belly, if stale it will have an open and loose vent, if new a close and hard one.

A Pullet. If a true one her legs and breast are smooth, & in the breast she pinches very tender, if with Egg the belly will feel soft, but if not more strait, or if with Egg, the vent will be open, if not hard and close, if new a hard vent, if stale an open one.

Turkey Cock, or Hen, Turkey Pouts. A Tur­key Cock young is known by the smoothness and blackness of his Leggs, and a short spur, If new the Eyes will appear lively, the Foot limber; if stale the Eyes sunk and the foot dry; The same observe by the Turkey Hen; but if she be with Egg, she will have a fast open vent, but if not, her vent will be close and hard, and so for newness and staleness the Turkey-pout is known as the Cock.

A Cock. If his spurs naturally are short and dub­ed he is young; if horny and sharp old, if his ven [...] be hard and fast he is new if open and loose stale.

Of a Goose. If the tame Goose has but a few hair and her bill and foot yellowish she is young; bu [...] full of hairs and the bill and foot red denotes he [...] old: if new she has limber foot, if stale a dry one.

A wild Goose, if red footed and full of hairs she is old, but if white footed & without hairs young. A braud Goose when pulled if smooth is young but hairy old; their newness or staleness to be known as the first.

Chickens, Goslings, young Ducklings. If dry pulled they are stiff, if new and a close vent; if stale lim­ber and their vent greenish, if water pulled rub [...] their breasts with the tip of your finger, if new they are rough, but if stale they are slippery and clammy, so of Goslings, green Geese, young Ducklings, &c.

A Swan. If old full of hairs, if young smooth, if new limber footed, if stale dry footed.

Pheasant Cock or Hen. The first, if young has dubed spurs, but old small and sharp: If new a close and firm vent, if stale an open and flaby vent.

The second, if young has smooth Legs, and a curious fine grain of flesh, if old hairy and rough legged, if with Egg a fast open vent; if not a close vent, as for new or stale the same with the Cock.

Heath and Pheasant-pouts. Heath-pouts, if new will be stiff and white in the vent; if fat hard in the vent, if stale dry footed and hard in the vent and touched hard on the breast will peel, and the same tokens are to know the Pheasant-pout.

The Bustard, This in all respect is to be noted, and known as the Turkey.

The Partridge, If old their Bills will be white, and Legs of a blewish Colour; if young their Bills black, and Legs yellowish, If new a fast vent, if stale a green and open one, and if touched will peel. Yet by feed­ing on green wheat their crops may be tain­ted though these marks discover it not, and to know it smell at the mouth.

Wood Cock and Snip. The Wood-cock, shows its farness by its thickness and hard­ness, Youngness by the smoothness of its Legs, staleness by the running of its Nose, Morishness of its throat and dry footedness.

The Snipe if fat, has a fat vein on the in­side under the wing, and handles thick in the vent: The other marks observe as in the Wood-cock.

Of Doves. Pigeons, Plover, &c. To distin­guish these and not be cheated. The Turtle Dove has a blewish Ring about its neck, and the other part mostly white:

The Stock Dove, is larger then the wood Pigeon.

The Ring Dove, is less then the Stock Dove.

The Dovehouse Pigeon is of a moderate size.

When old they are red Legged, if new and fat they feell full, and fast in the vent; and are limber footed, but if stale have a flaby vent.

And by this rule you may know the good­ness or badness of gray or green Plover, Thrush, Tielfare, Mavis, Larks, Wood­larks, Black-birds, and all small Birds what­soever,

To know the Hare, Laveret, Rabbit, or Coney.

THe Hare. If new and clean killed it will be white and stiff, but stale the the flesh blackish in many places and limber, if the cleft of her Lip spread much, and her claws are blunt she is old, but if the contra­ry she is young.

The Leveret: The Marks to be observed for the staleness and newness is the same with the Hare: But to know whether it be a true Leveret feel the near foot, and if there be a small bone or knob it is a true one, but if that is wanting 'tis a Hare.

The Rabbit or Coney. If new she will be stiff and the flesh white and dry, but if stale limber, the flesh bluish and slimmy: If it be a right Coney, it will have a small gristly knot, on the outside of the forefeet, a little [Page 11]above the Joint, if old the claws will be long and rough, and long gray hairs stand out amongst the wool; if fat your Eyes may in­form you by looking into her belly, if dis­eased the Liver will be waterish or putrified.

Fish new or stale, to distingush the kinds of a likeness, know their goodness, and of salted and pickled fish. &c.

A Lobster. If this be new, the Tale will flap too when opened like a Spring, the Fish being boiled: If stale it will be limber. To know if it be full and not spent, open it on the knuckle or bending the Tail, and if there it fill, the shell be hard and rise again when dented by your Finger it is full; but if papy and soft it is spent, and of no value: If you suspect the clause to be filled with Wa­ter, pull out the plugs, and when at any time you buy, trust not to the weight, but to your further search.

Sturgeon good or bad. If it be bad, having lost its pickle and made up again, it will crumble and grows rough between your Fin­ger and Thumb, the skin be rough and flob­by; but if good, it will cut like Wax, feel oylly, have some small blew gristles or sin-news like Veins, streaking here and there; [Page 12]which in the bad will look dusky, or of a rusty colour: If good the skin is tough and firm, having a fat oyly substance under it, not easily parted from the flesh, which will look white and cast a pleasing scent, the flakes not opening kindly.

Boild Salmon. If good the scales will be of a bright azure colour, shining and many standing up, the Fish of a blushing colour, hard or firm, oylly and the flakes parting kindly. If bad, brittle and rough; if long boiled and standing without pickle, clammy and of a faint scent.

Prawns and shrimps. If new their Tails bending stiffly inward hard and well scented if stale the Tails limber, of a faint smell, the Eyes loose and sinking.

Crabs great and small. If new the claws stiff, the Eyes not easily moved, and of a bright red, where the parts are to be red the scent under the Throat pleasant, but the con­trary of these Signs denotes them to be stale boiled and nought.

Place and Flounders. If they are not alive and you suspect them stale, it is known by their limberness, the shirvling of their sins, dulness & sinking of their Eyes, & a greenness where the guts ly, a clammyness over them [Page 13]if not just washed; if they are new, they will be stiff, their Eyes look well, and all the contrary appear.

To know these assunder, the place is spotted with red or orange coloured spots on the Back the Belly of an earthy white, the Flounder is without spots clouded on the Back, and the Belly of a whitish inclyning azure.

Maids and Thorn-back. If stale their Eyes dull sinking low, their vents flabby and slim­my, and they limber, their Bellies changing to greenish. These are supposed to be one and the same Fish, but the Maid growing old, has knobs and prickles sprouting on her Back; and then is cold a Thorn-back.

Breem, Pike, Carp. Grayhing, Mullet, Terch, Barble, Trout, Whiting, Roach, Dace, Smelts, Eels, and the like.

TO know these or any the like Fish if stale, look if their Eyes appear dull, and sinking, their fins cripling up their Bodies, particularly their Tailes limber, and a clam­myness about their mouths, their vents flabby and open; they then are stale, but the contrary marks show them not to have been long dead, and that however they may spend well enough if not long keept.

Herrings and Macrel. These growing stale loose the redness about the Gills, and their bright shining colour grows limber, their Eyes dull and sinking, their fins contract and the water succers within their Gills grow blackish or a dusky red, and of an ill scent; their bellies grow loose and their vent Flaby.

Salt Cod and old Ling. These are good if pinching up the Flakes, they rise well, and feel oylly; when the bone parts clean from the Flesh and they have a true colour and scent: But if the flesh be rough, crumbling the skin crackling or shivering: Then they have been ill cured, or met with some mischance, so that they are good for little and to be reje­cted.

Other Marketings, as how to chuse Butter, Cheese, Bread; English and outlandish Fruits, and not be cheated.

OF Butter. When you buy Butter, re­ceive not the taste from the Teller, but with a knife take it your self, for many times there is a good bit placed to decoy you, when all the rest is bad, perhaps made up of rank salt Butter, by working of it in water, which takes out the Salt and rank smell but leanness little or no nourishment in the Butter, [Page 15]so that melted it turns to greasie oyl or whey­ish substance.

If you buy salt Butter, and it be in cask, thrust your Knife in the cleft about the middle of the cask, some hoops being taken off to prevent being cheated by the tops being pack­ed; and smell presently to it, if it has a strong smell it is rank and nought.

Of Eggs. If you have not an oppertunity to caudle them hard, then put against the Sun, if the Whites look of a Muddy or Dusky colour; the Yolk, not lying even in the middle, or broken they once decaying, if not already ad­dled, if you have none of these Advantages; shake them, and if they squash or swag much, they are stale and wasted if not addled; though indeed, new Eggs may a little shake, though little to be heard or felt.

Of Cheese, If the larger sort of Cheese be rug­ed or rough coated, try it well, least there be Worms or Weavels in it, or little Mites. If it be over moist and spungy, it is subject to May­ots, the effects of ill making; if it appear to be perished, try the extent of it with the Cheese Iron, that you may know what you buy, and not be imposed on.

Of Bread, If you find little knobs in your Bread, old stale or musty Bread has been mash­ed among it: If it taste sweet, it is grown Corn: If gritty, it is made of smotty washed Corn. And none of these are very nourishing, & there­fore to be eschewed: If Rye be mixed with [Page 16]Wheat, it will be known by the over moistness and any reasonable Pallat may taste it.

Of Fruits. If pulling the stalks of Pears o [...] Apples, they come out without breaking the Fruit, is rotten at core, how sound soever i [...] appear outwardly, for mustiness small at top and if any, it will there give you the Sent.

Pricked Oranges and Lemons, are known by the Softness and some Spots, also a fading of the Colour, the fullness and emptyness by the Ballance of the Hand; If the Seed in Pom­granets, rather they are wasted: If a Melleon be Hollow, the top end will be rough, and rived.