Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/313

 aiid Sentiments. 293 So, in the romance of " La Violette," at the feftivities given by the king, the guefts " diftributed themfelves in couples in the hall (i. e. a gentleman with a lady), one taking the other by the fnger, and i'o they arranged themfelves two and two " — pliant il orent affe's deduit. Par la Jale p aco'mfent tuit ; Li uns prent r autre par le doi, Si J" aranglerent dot et doi. — R-jman de la Violetfe, p. 10. In the curious poem entitled "La Court de Paradis," the fainted ladies in heaven are reprefented as thus walking and holding each other by the finger, — Vunc tint Pautre par les dois. — Barbazan, iii. 139. As a mark of great familiarity, two princes, Pepin's fon, Charles, and the duke Namles, are reprefented in the romance of " Ogier" as one, Charles, holding his hand on the duke's Ihoulder, while the duke held him by his mantle, as they walked along ; they were going to church together : — Kalles fa main U tint defus Vefpaule ; Namles tint lui par le mantel de path. Roman d"Ogier, p. 143. It may be remarked that fitting was equally a matter of etiquette with walk- ing, though we fometimes meet with ladies and gentlemen feated in a manner which is anything but ceremonious. In the annexed cut (No. 19S), taken from a manufcript of the fourteenth century, the reference to which I have unfor- tunately loft, a number of ladies, feated ^'"^ '9S- A Bifiop Preaching. on the ground, and apparently in the open air, are liftening to the admo- nitions of an epifcopal preacher. As I have introduced the fubjeft of the love of our foretathers for trees and flowers, Ibme account of gardening in the middle ages will not be