Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/131

 and. Sentiments. 1 1 1 cated itlelf with no lefs rapidity to the combination of arches and planks of which the frame of the bed was compofed {ligna materies archarum et ajjeruni copiofa). Above the bed was a wooden frame (qua-darn tahularia Jlratura), on which he was accuftomed to pile the curtains, dorfals, and other fimilar furniture of the church. Neckam, in the latter part of the twelfth century, defcribes the chamber as having its walls covered with a curtain, or tapeftry. Befides the bed, he fays, there fliould be a chair, and at the foot of the bed a bench. On the bed was placed a quilt {culcitra) of feathers {plumalis), to which is joined a pillow 3 and this is covered with a pointed (punSiata) or ftriped {ftragulata) quilt, and a culhion is placed upon this, on which to lay the head. Then came llieets {Lintheamina, Unceuls), made fometimes of rich filks, but more commonly of linen, and thefe were covered with a coverlet made of green fay, or of cloth made of the hair of the badger, cat, beaver, or fable. On one fide of the chamber was a perche, or pole, projeding from the wall, for the falcons, and in another place a fimilar perch for hanging articles of drefs. It was not unufual to have only one chamber in the houfe, in which thei-e were, or could be made, feveral beds, fo that all the company, even if of dilferent fexes, llept in the fame room. Servants and perfons of lower degree might fleep unceremonioufly in the hall. In the romance of Huon de Bordeaux (p. 270), Huon, his wife, and his brother, when lodged in a great abbey, fleep in three dilferent beds in the fame room, no doubt in the gueft-houfe. Among the Anglo-Nor- mans, the chamber feems to have frequently, if not generally, occupied an upper floor, fo that it was approached by flairs. The out-of-doors amufements of this period appear in general to have been rude and boifterous. The girls and women feem to have been paflionately fond of the dance, which was their common amufement at all public feftivals. The young men applied themfelves to gymnaflic exercifes, fuch as wreftling, and running, and boxing; and they had bull- baitings, and fometimes bear-baitings. On Roman fites, the ancient amphitheatres feem flill to have been ufed for fuch exhibitions ; and the Roman amphitheatre at Banbury, in Oxfordfliire, was known by the title of "The Bull-ring" down to a very late period. The higher ranks among