Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/397

 and Sentiments. Z71 fcript of Froiflart in the Britilli Muleum (MS. Reg. i8 E. i), reprefenting the fatal mafque at the court of Charles VI. of France, in 1393, in which feveral of the courtiers were burnt to death, we have, in the king's palace, a chandelier exa6tly like that in our laft cut, except that each candleftick on the beam contains two candles — a '' double candleftick." This manufcript is of the latter part of the fifteenth century. It had been the cuftom, on feftive occafions, or in ceremonies where large apart- No. ■2.. Candle and Torch-holden. ments required to be lighted, to do this by means of torches which fervants held in their hands. This cuftom was very common, and is frequently fpoken of or alluded to in the mediaeval writers, Neverthelefs, the inconvenience and even danger attending it, led to various plans for fuperfeding it. One of thefe was, to hx up againft the walls of the room frames for holding the torches, of which an example is given in the accompanying cut (No. 247), reprefenting a torch-frame, ftill preferved in 3 c the