Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/269

 atid Senti?nents. 249 to bed when darknefs approached 5 and this was the time at which guefts ordinarily took their leave. Thus, at January's wedding- feaft, in Chaucer, we are told that — Night, ivith his mantel, that is dark and rude, Gan overffrede themejperie aboute j For ivhich departed is the lujli route Fro January, -with thank on e'very fide, Hoom to her houfes lujiily thay ryde. — Cant. Tales, 1. 9C72. We mull not forget that thele remarks apply to the ieafons of the year when days were long, for the fcenes of moll of thefe romances and tales are laid in the fpring and fummer months, and efpecially in May. We have much lefs information on the doraeftic relations during winter. One reafon for keeping early hours was that candles and lamps were too expenfive to be ufed in profufion by people in general. Various methods of giving artificial light at night are mentioned, moft of which feem to have been confidered more or lefs as luxuries. At grand feftivals the light was often given by men hold- ing torches. In general, candles were ufed at fupper. The accompanying cut (No. 176), taken from the manufcript of the St. Graal already mentioned, reprefents a perfon fupping by ^°' ^7^- ^ Supper. candlelight. In the fabliau of " La Borgoife d'Orliens," a lady, receiving her lover into her chamber, fpreads a table for him, and hghts a great wax candle {grojje chandoile de cire). Lighting in the middle ages was, indeed, eftefted, in a manner more or lefs refined, by means of torches, lamps, and candles. The candle, which was the moft portable of them all, was employed in fmall and private evening parties 3 and, from an early period, it was ufed in the bed-chamber. For the table very handfome candleflicks were made, which were employed by people of rank, and wax-candles (cierges) were ufed on them. They were formed with an upright fpike (broche), on which the candle was ftuck, not, as now, placed in a focket. Thus, in a fcene in one of the fabliaux printed by Barbazan, a good l-ourgcois has on K K his