Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/263

 and Sentiments. 243 Mufeum (MS. Addit. No. 10,293, fol. 31), written in the thirteenth century, reprefents a queen feated in converfation, with her dog in her lap. The next cut (No. 174), from an iUumination in the interefting manufcript of the Roman de Mehadus in the Britifli Mufeum (MS. Addit. 12,228, fol. 310), belonging to the latter half of the fourteenth century (the reign of our Edward III.), reprefents the interior of a chamber, with two little dogs gamboling about. In the fingular work LnrLr No. 174. Interior of a Chamber, on domeftic economy, entitled the "Menagier de Paris," written about the year 1393, the lady of the houfehold is particularly recommended to think of the " chamber beafts," fuch as little dogs, the "chamber birds," &:c., inasmuch as thefe creatures, not having the gift of fpeech, could not alk for themfelves.* I have printed in the " Reliquiae Antiquae" a curious Anglo-Norman poem, of the beginning of the fourteenth century, written as a fatire on the ladies of the time, who were too fond of their dogs, and fed them delicately, while the fervants were left to lliort commons (Reliq. Antiq. vol. i. p. 155). Cats are feldom mentioned as pets. penser de vos bestes de chambre, comme petis chienni^s, oiselets de cliambre j et aussi la begiiine et vous pensez des autres oiseauls domesches, car ils nc pevcnt parler, et pour ce vous devez parler et penser pour eulx, se vous en avez. — (Mena- gier de Paris, ii. 62.) except
 * Item, que par la dicte dame Agnes vous faciez principalment et dlligemment