Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/343

 and Sentiments. 023 confined to any clais of fociety, but was general among them all, and not unfrequently led to the formation of friendlhips and alliances between thofe who had previoully been Grangers to one another. In the interefting romance of "Blonde of Oxford," corapofed in the thirteenth century, when Jean of Dammartin came to feek his fortune in England, and was riding from Dover to London, attended by a faithful fervant, he overtook the earl of Oxford, who was on his way to London, with a numerous retinae of armed followers. Jean, having learnt from the earl's followers who he was, introduced himfelf to him, and was finally taken into his fervice. Subfequently, in the fame romance, Jean of Dammartin, return- ing to England, takes up his lodging in a handfome hotel in London, and while his man Robin puts the horfes in the liable, he walks out into the ftreet, and fees a large company who had juft arrived, confilling of fquires, fervants, knights, clerks, prieils, lerving-lads {garqons), and men who attended the baggage horfes {fonnniers). Jean alked one of the efquires who they all were, what was their bufinels, and where they were going j and was informed that it was the earl of Glouceller, who had come to London about fome bufinels, and was going on the morrow to Oxford, to be married to the lady Blonde, the objed of Jean's atfetlions. Next morning the earl began his journey at daybreak, and Jean and his fervant, who were mounted ready, joined the company. There was fo little unufual in this, that the intruders feem, for a while, not to have been noticed, until, at length, the earl obferved Jean, and began to interrogate him: "Friend," i'aid he, "you are welcome 3 what is your name ?" — urlmis, bien Jujics fcnc, Coment fu 'vofire non pek'f — Komance of Blonde, 1. 2,627. Jean gave him an alTumed name, laid he was a merchant, and ofl:ered to fell the earl his horfe, but they could not agree upon the terms. They continued converfing together during the reft of the journey. As they proceeded they encountered a Ihower of rain, which wetted the earl, who was falhionably and thinly clothed. Jean fmiled at the impatience with which he feemed to bear this milhap, and when alked to tell the caufe of his mirth, faid, " If I were a rich man, like you, I lliould always carry