"Tables dormant." Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales speaks of these.* A smaller table stood upon the Daïs, or platform, at the upper end of the hall, where the Lord of the Castle and his guests ate.

Behind this, and frequently around the oaken walls, rich tapestries were hung. Midway at the right was usually a huge fire place and above it, sometimes, a sort of two-storied mantle shelf, where odd things were placed. A dresser stood at one end of the hall where the steward kept certain table articles, and occasionally a large chest was also part of the furniture. Above on the rafters perches were sometimes placed where curtains were swung or parts of the knights' attire hung up. Benches of a very plain style, and with room for two or three people, were placed about the hall, and a fine bench with tapestry or carpet thrown over was used at the Daïs. The sleeping rooms were but scantily furnished. The beds were very soft and rich in covering and at the foot a box was built in, known as the Hutch. We find this Hutch often spoken of in old romances of the day. Here treasures or jewels were kept over night. The chest was also used in the sleeping rooms.

The window forms a prominent place in all the houses and old illustrations of the Fourteenth cen* Description of the Frankleyn.

tury. It usually had a deep window seat; sometimes small panes of glass made a casement, sometimes only wooden blinds on hinges were used, and this, as well as other reasons, will account for all the drapery used in the middle ages; not only did they wish to keep out cold and draughts but, as we shall see, the principal occupation of the ladies of the day was the embroidering and weaving of cloths used for curtaining and hangings as well as banners and fine costumes. Balconies and outside galleries were frequently used, and from these, on festive occasions, gay cloths and banners used to be flung while the ladies above in their mixed costumes and quaint headdresses must have added very much to the picturesqueness of the scene.

A nobleman in his castle was like the mayor or governor of a city; so many people were under him, and as it was quite a common occurance for them to be attacked no wonder they tried to make their residences secure. The warder or porter at the gate, was very careful whom he admitted; when a guest arrived, the host frequently went down to the entrance to receive him, if he was of high rank, and escorted him into the hall. He had left his weapons with the porter, but a page took his hat and gloves

from him before he sat down, and as an old romancer

says

"But 'ere he satte in any sete
He saluted there, grete and smalle
As a gentille man shuld in halle.*

Within the castle gates the lives led were of course various. There were the lords, who were always skilled at arms and much given to fighting either in real war or the tournament. The squires were always the sons of gentlemen, young men who were sent to the great houses to learn the accomplishments thought worthy of their rank. These were, of course, chiefly skilled in horsemanship, and the use of the weapons of the day — bravery and constancy were leading virtues, and made many otherwise stupid men famous all over England. Next, the young squires learned to carve gracefully at table and to dance and sing well that they might be favorites in court society. Some of the ballads and light literature of the day they learned. If they went to Oxford or Cambridge Universities, Latin and French and other languages were acquired, with some logic and mathematics; but few young men of the day could do more than read and write, while many could not even accomplish so much. The women were fre

Weber's Metrical Romances.

quently more learned, but you see from their mode of life it was hard to be anything but narrow minded. Some of the monks held schools and to these the poor were invited.

The maidens in the castles were often ladies of gentle birth sent also to to be improved by refined associations and to be well brought up; they waited on the lady of the house, frequently performing menial services, and they were on very familiar terms with the nobleman's family and his guests. Besides these squires and maidens, innumerable servants were kept, and retainers who lived on the domain and were bound to obey the baron's bidding.

Home life had certain pleasures but not much continued peace in those warlike days; an old couplet will show you the hours of rising and eating;

"Lever (or rise) at six,

Disner (or dine) at dix (ten),

Souper (or sup) at six,

Coucher (or sleep) at dix."

but an earlier supper about four was frequently taken. Although the dinner hour was between nine and ten in the morning it lasted some time; in great houses being served with much ceremony. It came in three courses, and in spite of much we would call barbarous in the mode of eating, the cooking was very

elaborate and dishes made up in the most ornamental way. Music preceded the banquet; the squires carved and waited on the table, while the dishes were brought in by servants in a stately procession, on great occasions followed by minstrels performing on small harps, lutes, citterns etc.

The mode of eating required a great deal of personal cleanliness, I should think. Two people ate from the same trencher; and this until after Chaucer's day, was made of a huge slice of bread on which the meats were laid; old MSS. are full of allusions to manners of eating etc., and there is an old volume of instructions as to how to keep one's fingers out of the gravy, and how to keep one's face clean at table! Later on, I rejoice to say, silver platters were introduced, but in Chaucer's time no such thing was known, and fingers were used instead of forks!

After dinner the minstrels usually came in; these men went from castle to castle, and sang songs which were long accounts of history or people; sometimes of the ancestors of the baron in whose hall they sat. Gradually these stories became well known, and about Chaucer's day, were used by the preachers in order to interest their congregations. About the same time some monks put them into book form and they exist to-day in Latin and are, as you may well imagine, curi