This was the diet which bred that hearty race of mortals who won the fields of

Cressy and Aging Court. The renowned King Arthur is generally looked upon as the first

who ever sat down to a whole roasted ox, which was certainly the best way to preserve

the gravy, and it is further added that he and his knights sat about it at his round

table and usually consumed it to the very bones, before they would enter on any debate

of moment. The Black Prince was a professed lover of the brisket, not to mention the history

of the Seerloin or the institution of the Order of Beefeaters, which are all so many evident

and undeniable marks of the great respect which are warlike predecessors have paid to this

excellent food. The tables of the ancient gentry of this nation were covered thrice

a day with hot, roast beef, and I am credibly informed by an antiquary who has searched

the registers in which the bills of fair of the court are recorded, that instead of tea

and bread and butter which have prevailed of late years, the maids of honour in Queen Elizabeth's

time were allowed three rumps of beef for their breakfast. Now that Dominic, as you will

well know, because you sent that quote to me, was Joseph Addison writing in the Tatler

in 1710 about roast beef, and today we are looking at England, our own native land,

and you have chosen as your theme, this great theme of roast beef and the role that it's

played in notions of liberty and distinctiveness and John Bull and all that kind of stuff.

Yes, well at England Tom, I mean so much to choose one because of course we are both

English, but I thought why not choose one of the most English things of all, which is

roast beef or indeed beef and liberty. That's the theme of today's podcast. Now of course,

for you this is slightly, it's ambiguous ground isn't it, because while I'm sure you

would style yourself a very patriotic Englishman, you are not as fair to say, one of life's

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