Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/276

 256 Hijlory of Domejiic Maijners CHAPTER XII. THE BED AND ITS FURNITURE. THE TOILETTE ; BATHING. CHESTS AND COFFERS IN THE CHAMBER. THE HUTCH. USES OF RINGS. COMPOSITION OF THE FAMILY. FREEDOM OF MANNERS. SOCIAL SENTIMENTS, AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS. IT was now a matter of pride to have the bed furniflied with handlbme curtains and coverings. Curtains to beds were fo common, that being "under the curtain" was ufed as an ordinary periphrafis for being in bed ; but thefe curtains appear to have been fufpended to the ceiling of the chamber, with the bedftead behind them. With regard to the bed itfelf, there was now much more refinement than when it was fimply fluffed with flraw. Beds among the rich were made with down (duvet) ; in the " Roman de la Violette" we are told of a bed made of l-ofu — perhaps of flocks. From the vocabulary compofed by Alexander Neckam early in the thirteenth century, we learn that the bed was covered much in the fame way as at prefent. Firff, a "quilte" was fpread over the bed ; on this the bolfler was placed ; over this was laid a " quilte poynte" or "raye" (courtepobite, or counterpane) 5 and on this, at the head of the bed, was placed the pillow. The fheets were then thrown over it, and the whole was covered with a coverlet, the common material of which, according to Neckam, was green fay, though richer materials, and even valuable furs, were ufed for this purpofe. In the " Lai del Defire," we are told of a quilt (coilte), made in checker-wife, of pieces of two different forts of rich flufi', which feems to have been con- fidered as fomething extremely magnificent — Sur on bon lit pert apuice ; La coilte fu a ejchekers De deus pailki benfaiz e chers. Among all clalfes the appearance of the bed feems to have been a fubje6t