It was the Portuguese and Dutch traders who first imported tea to Europe, with regular shipments by 1610. It was with the marriage of Charles the II to the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza in 1662 that tea arrived in England, and began to impact all levels of society.
Tea mania swept across England as it had earlier spread throughout France and Holland. By early 18th century all levels of society in England drank tea, and it was quickly becoming a very expensive but necessary commodity. By 1750 tea had become the favored drink of Britain’s lower classes and black tea replaced Chinese tea to be spread in all levels of English society.
Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals-breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) experienced a “sinking feeling” in the late afternoon and then introduced afternoon tea.
There are three main types of tea—Black, Green, and Oolong.
Years ago, the milk was poured into the cup first, so as not to crack the porcelain. But it’s still a good idea to add the milk first, so as not to scald the fat in the milk.
“Low” Tea (served in the low part of the afternoon) was served in aristocratic homes of the wealthy and featured gourmet tidbits rather than solid meals. The emphasis was on presentation and conversation.
High Tea (or meat tea) is served around six o’clock and is a simple, hearty evening meal. It started in England as a ploughman’s or workingman’s supper served at the end of the work day, always including strong tea. It was the major meal of the middle and lower classes and consisted of mostly full-dinner items such as roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas and, of course, tea.
British Gentlemen and Gentleman Manners
The term gentleman was derived from the French gentilhomme in the 15th century, when it denoted a man of good family. In Great Britain it was long confined to a gentle class, even in the 19th century.
Historically the gentlemen manners are the aristocratic heritage traced back from the Renaissance Age to the Victorian Age because the upper-class people intended to show a sense of superiority. But with time going by these complicated rules are gradually simplified and spread to other social classes.
A Gentleman combines the skills of manners, conversation, conduct and personal integrity all rolled into a seamless package.
Questions
1. After America’s independence, why did it have a weak national government? 2. Is slavery system constitutional or unconstitutional? Why? Why did it become a major
issue in American Civil War?
因篇幅问题不能全部显示，请点此查看更多更全内容