ABSTRACT
The common soldier's daily ration of two pounds of bread, one pound of meat and one bottle of wine. This issue bread was two-thirds wheat and one-third rye with and a mixture of bran and meal. Breakfast was eaten early. Supper was a more moderate meal. The four commodities on which the poor or labouring classes seem to have based their economy were cheese, beer, beef and bread. Once the Royalists got organised, they endeavoured to provide for their men methodically. Meat was preserved by salting, drying and pickling which did not improve the flavour at all and probably needed plenty of beer to wash it down. In times of high prices meat might disappear, and broth, made with peas and beans, take its place. Ideally, an army always kept a herd of animals with it, 'meat on the hoof' so to speak.
