Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/392

 372 Hijiory of Tiomeftic Manners paintings, in common houfes rude and merely ornamental, while in others of a better clafs they reprefented hiftories, icenes from romances, and religious fubjefts, much like thofe exhibited on the tapeftries themfelves. In the cut annexed (No. 242), taken from a beautifully illuminated manufcript of the romance of "Lancelot," in the National Library at Paris, No. 6784, we have a reprefentation of a parlour with wall paintings of this kind. Morgan le Fay is fhowing king Arthur the adventures of Lancelot, which Ihe had caufed to be painted in a room in her palace. No. 242. Morgan k Fay jhoiuing king Arthur the Paintings of the Adwntures of Lancelot. Paintings of this kind are very often alluded to in the old writers, efpe- cially in the poets, as every one knows who has read the " Romance of the Rofe," the works of Chaucer, or that fingular and curious poem, the "Paftyme of Pleafure," by Stephen Hawes. Chaucer, in his "Dream," fpeaks of — A chamber paint Full offtories old and divers. More than I can as noiv rcherfe. There was in the caftle of Dover an apartment called Arthur's Hall, and another named Guenevra's Chamber, which have been fuppofed to be fo