Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/266

 246 Hi ft or y of Domejlic ManJiers carpets {fur les tapis) ; but thefe were no doubt embroidered cloths thrown over the feats. Floor-carpets were fometimes ufed in the chambers, but this was uncommon, and they feem to have been more ufually, like the hall, ftrewed with ruflies. It appears that fometimes, as a refinement in gaiety, flowers were mixed with the rufhes. In a fabliau in Meon (i. 75), a lady who expefits her lover, lights a fire in the chamber, and fpreads rufhes and flowers on the floor — rient a r oft el, lo feu efelaire, Jons et flors efpandre par Vaive. There was an efcrin, or cabinet, which flood againft the wall, which was often fo large that a man might conceal himfelf behind it. The plot of feveral mediaeval ftories turns upon this circumftance, Chefts and coffers were alfo kept in the chamber 3 and it contained generally a fmall table, or at leaft the board and trefliles for making one, which the lord or lady of the houfe ufed when they would dine or fup in private. The praftice of thus dining or fupping privately in the chamber is not unfrequently alluded to in the old ftories and romances. Supper, however, being the fecond meal in the day at which the whole houfehold met together, was generally a more public one, and was held, like the dinner, in the hall, and with much the fame forms and fervices. It was preceded and clofed by the fame wafliing of hands, and the table was almoft as plentifully covered with viands. After having waflied, the company drank round, and it feems to have been the ufjal cuftom, on leaving the fupper-table, to go immediately to bed, for people in general kept early hours. Thus, in one of the pious ftories printed by Meon, in defcribing a royal fupper-party, we are told that, " when they had eaten and waflied, they drunk, and then went to bed" — Slant orent mengie^fi la-verent. Puis iurent, et couchier alerent. And in another ftory in the fame colledion, the lady receives a ftranger to fupper in a very hofpitable manner — " when they had eaten leifurely, then it was time to go to bed" — S^ant orent meng'ie par loijir, Sifuheured-alergefir. Sometimes,