Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/214

 194 Hijtory of Domejlic Manners CHAPTER X. AMUSEMENTS AFTER DINNER. GAMBLING. THE GAME OF CHESS. ITS HISTORY. DICE. TABLES. DRAUGHTS. I^HE dinner hour, even among the higheft ranks of Ibciety, was, as I have ftated, early in the forenoon ; and, except in the cafe of great feafts, it appears not to have been cuftomary to lit long after dinner. Thus a great part of the day was left on people's hands, to fill up with fome defcription of amufement or occupation. After the dinner was taken away, and the ceremony of wafliing had been gone through, the wine cup appears to have been at leaft once palled round, before they all rofe from table. The Camden Society has recently publiflied an early French metrical romance (" Blonde of Oxford," by Philippe de Reimes), which gives us a very interefting pi6ture of the manners of the thirteenth century. Jean of Dammartin is reprefented as the fon of a noble family in France, who comes to England to feek his fortune, and enters the fervice of an earl of Oxford, as one of the efquires in his houfehold. There his duty is to attend upon the earl's daughter, the lady Blonde, and to ferve her at table. "After the meal, they walli their hands and then go to play, as each likes beft, either in forefts or on rivers {i.e. hunt- ing or hawking), or in amufements of other kinds. Jean goes t-o which of them he likes, and, when he returns, he often goes to play in the chambers of the countefs, with the ladies, who oblige him to teach them French." Jean does his beft to pleafe them, for which he was qualified by his education, " For he was very well acquainted with chamber games, fuch as chels, tables, and dice, with which he entertains his damfel