Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/104

 84 Hijiory of Domejiic Manners cloth {the thurl-cloth), fhut the window quickly and leave him." Under the hall, when it was raifed above the level of the ground, there was often another vaulted room, which was the cellar, and which feems to have been ufually entered from the infide of the building. In the accompanying cut (No. <,^), taken from the celebrated tapeftry of Bayeux, are feen Harold and his companions caroufing in an apartment thus lituated, and approached by a ftaircafe from without. The objeft of this was, perhaps, partly to be more private, for the ordinary public hall at dinner times feems to have been invaded by troops of hungry hangers on, who ate up or carried away the provifions which were taken from the >>> rff [tb_„rff] No. 55. ANonnan Caroujal. table, and became fo bold that they feem to have often feized or tried to feize the provifions from the cooks as they carried them to the table. William Rufus eftablillied ufliers of the hall and kitchen, whofe duty it was to proted the guefts and the cooks from this rude rabble. Gaimar's defcription of that king's grand feaft at Weftminfter, contains fome curious allufions to this practice. After telling us that three hundred ufhers {iiffers, i.e. hidjjlers), or doorkeepers, were appointed to occupy the entrance pafTages {us), who were to Hand with rods to proted the guefts as they mounted the fteps from the importunity of the garfons— Cil