Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/342

 322 Hiftory of Dome ft ic Manners wine needs no bufli," that is, it will be eafily found out without any fign to direft people to it. A bufli fufpended to the fign of a tavern will be feen in our cut (No. 224) to the prefent chapter. Lydgate compofcd his poem of the " Storie of Thebes," as a con- tinuation of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," and in the prologue he defcribes himfelf as arriving in Canterbury, while the pilgrims were No. 217. The Canterbury Pilgrims. there, and accidentally taking up his lodging at the lame inn. He thus feeks and obtains permiflion to be one of the fellowfliip, and returns from Canterbury in their company. Our cut No. 217, taken from a fine raanufcript of Lydgate's poem (MS. Reg. 18 D. ii.), reprefents the pil- grims leaving Canterbury, and is not only a good illuftration ot the praftice of travelling in companies, but it furnilhes us with a charafteriftic pi6b.;re of a mediaeval town. This readinefs of travellers to join company with each other was not confined