Henry VII REALLY Loved the Voide.

French Restoration Sterling Silver Drageoir.

Among the Ordinances of the Court of King Henry VII were a number of very detailed directions on how to properly serve a “voide of spice”.  Well before Henry’s time, a voide was worthy enough of mention that on numerous occasions they were included in the chronicle histories of Froissart, Hall, Holinshed and perhaps others. These occurred at the end of the meals of kings and after ambassadorial meetings, etc. 

Presumably, the “voide” was far more wide spread among the nobility of Europe though not as worthy of chronicling.  No one is certain of the origin of the term.  It only occurs in English.  But voides do tend to occur when the hall is being “voided,” or cleared, after meals.

In French it is called simply servir vin et épices, “serving wine and spices”.  In at least the more august company, the French voide was served in a special compartmented box/dish called a drageoir.  The more expensive the drageoir the more impressive the experience.  The very best were made of solid gold, the next of solid silver, etc.

In England, as well, the material of the spice plate, wine decanter and cups was a sign of status.  Even plated gold and silver were worthy of mention in merchant’s homes.  Solid gold and silver bespoke royalty and wealthy nobles.  Less was a gaff or worse.

Scads of colorful information and entertainment.

Henry VII’s Ordinances are the only formal recorded rules for voides that would seem to exist.  At the end of a meal in the King’s hall:

the servant of the spicerie was wont to bring the spice-plate to the chamber, and the King's sewer [personal waiter] to take it of him and bring it into the presence with all other plates; and then the Lord Chamberlaine to give the sewer the assay [first taste], and that donne to committ it to the estates [senior nobility]. And in that season the cup-bearer, or in his absence an estate [senior nobleman] assigned by the discretion of the Lord Chamberlaine, to take the cupp for the Kinge and to goe forth with the spice-plates to serve the Kinge; the sewer, cupbearer, and chamberlaine for the Queene, to doe likewise; and the spice by them taken, the plates to be covered againe, and the sewers to take them againe, and to goe and stand above the cupboard, and the cupbearer, Knight or Lorde assigned for the time, to beare the cupp, to take and sett it on the cupboard.[1]

The spice plates had covers, we learn, which are ritually removed and replaced throughout the ceremony.  King and Queen are first to be served. 

Further on we learn that any bishop present must be served before even the King:

An esquire to bring the Bishopps spice-plate, and ere the King take his spice, he hath used to make a becke to the Bishoppe, that he should first take his;…[2]

After a nod of permission from the King, God’s representative takes his spice first.  God and King, then, are acknowledged in proper order.

While Henry gives us our only formal Ordinances, a 14^th century reference in Froissart’s Chronicles makes clear that the most august of the vin et épices of that time consisted of similar ceremonies.  When the Kings of England and France met at Calais in 1396:

The duke of Berry served the king of France with the comfit-box [drageoir], and the duke of Burgundy with the cup of wine. In like manner was the king of England served by the dukes of Lancaster and Gloucester. After the kings had been served, the knights of France and England took the wine and spices, and served the prelates, dukes, princes, and counts; and, after them, squires and other officers of the household did the same to all within the tent, until everyone had partaken of the spices and wine; during which time, the two kings freely conversed.[3] 

It is quite possible, then, that Henry’s particular focus on recording ordinances for his voides of spice, — one for each of a number of special royal circumstances — only informs us what was done in the Courts of Royalty already for centuries.  Regardless, a special love for the ceremony, on his part, is indicated.  The Court indulged as often as an excuse could be offered to do so.

As for just what the spices might have consisted of, the Ordinances are accompanied by a list of the spices in the King’s kitchen which include pepper, ginger, cloves, maces, cinnamon, nutmegs, oranges, lemons and sugar.[4]  Before those came available, in Henry’s time, the spices were more likely to refer to nutmegs, dates, prunes, quinces, comfits, raisins, currants, figs, and even rice.[5]

The derivation of the drageoir of the French vin et epices indicates as much.  It comes from Old French dragie, via Latin tragēmata, from Ancient Greek τραγήματα (tragḗmata, “dried fruits, sweetmeats”).[6]  In the 14^th century, the “spices” referred to dried fruits and sweetmeats, the other spices not yet being generally available at any price from the East.  Moreover, it is not clear that spices were put into the wine even in Henry's time.  The "spices" were served on plates which suggests that even then they were likely to have been "comfits" eaten in one hand while the wine was imbibed in the other.

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[1] Liber quotidianus contrarotulatoris garderobae (1787), 112.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Sir John Froissart’s Chronicle (1868) transl. by Thomas Johnes.  2, 619.  “Entretant on appareilla vin et épices; et servit du drageoir et des épices le roi de France, le duc de Berry; et de la coupe et du vin, le duc de Bourgogne; et le roi d'Angleterre, pareillement le duc de Lancastre, et le duc de Glocestre de vin et des épices. Le vin et les épices prises des deux rois, chevaliers de France et d'Angleterre reprirent les drageoirs, et les épices, et les coupes, et le vin; et servirent les prélats, les ducs et les comtes; et après les écuyers et gens d'office firent ce métier; et tant que tous ceux qui dedans la tente étoient eurent vin et épices ; et entretant sans nuls empêchemens, parlementèrent les deux rois ensemble. ”  Les Chroniques de Sire Jean Froissart (1852), ed. Buchon. 3, 258. 

[4] A Collection of Ordinances and Regulations for the Government of the Royal Household... Edw III to Wm & Mary (1790), 174.

[5] Skeat, Walter W.  The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer: Boethius and Troilus (1900), 506.

[6] Wiktionary.

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• History of the Medieval Fork… or Lack Thereof. March 28, 2019. “The Italian and also most strangers that are commorant in Italy, doe alwaies at their meales use a little forke, when they cut their meate.”
• Hedingham Castle 1485-1562 with Virtual Tour Link.  January 29, 2019. “Mr. Sheffeld told me that afore the old Erle of Oxford tyme, that cam yn with King Henry the vii., the Castelle of Hengham was yn much ruine,…”
• Dietary Rules for Barnacles: Innocent III to Gordon Ramsey.  March 4, 2019.  “The Barnacle was a marvel of God, a confusion to those in authority in such matters.  Their people turned to them for clarification.”
• Shakespeare’s Barnacles.  March 3, 2016.  “Prospero will wake, he fears, before they can murder him, and will cast a spell on them.”
• The King's Esnecce.  January 13, 2019.  “It comes as no surprise, then, that when Maud’s son, Henry Plantagenet, Count or Duke of most of the western territories of France, and, by terms of the treaty, heir to Stephen, next rose to the throne as Henry II, he was quick to arrange for the safest possible means of transit across the channel.”
• Check out the Medieval Topics Article Index for many more articles about this fascinating time.