Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/172

 152 Hijiory of 'Domejiic Maiiners diflies to the table in formal proceliion. Iheir approach and arrival were ufually announced by the founding of trumpets and mufic. The fervants were often preceded by muiic, as we fee in our cut No. 107, taken from a very fine MS. of the early part of the fourteenth century, in the Britilh Mufeum (MS. Reg. 2, B. vii.). A reprefentation of a fimilar fcene occurs at the foot of the large Flemifli brafs of Robert Braunche and his two wives at St. Margaret's Church, Lynn, which is intended as a delineation of a feafl: given by the corporation of Lynn to king Edward IIL Servants from both fides of the pidure are bringing in that famous dilli of chivalry, the peacock with his tail difplayed ; and two bands of minftrels are ulhering in the banquet with their fiirains ; the date of the brafs is about 1364 a.d. Thofe who ferved at the table itfelf, whole bufinefs was chiefly to carve and prefent the wdne, were of ftill higher rank — never lets than efquires — and often, in the halls of princes and great chiefs, nobles and barons. The meal itfelf was con- du6led with the lame degree of ceremony, of ^'hich a vivid pi6lure may be drawn from the dire6tions given in the work called the " Menagier de Paris," compofed about the year 1393. When it was announced that the dinner was ready, the guefts advanced to the hall, led ceremonioufly by two maitres d'hutel, who fliowed them their places, and ferved them with water to wafh their hands before they began. They found the tables fpread with fine table-cloths, and covered with a profufion of richly-ornamented plate, confifting of falt-cellars, goblets, pots or cups for drinking,