Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/405

 and Sentiments. 385 the cages, efpecially that of the fquirrel, which is evidently made to turn round with the animal's motion, like fquirrel-cages of the prefent day. We have now frequent allufions to the keeping of birds in cages, and parrots, magpies, jays, and various linging birds, are often mentioned among domeftic pets. During the earlier half of the century of which vi& are now more efpecially fpeaking, the poems of Lydgate furnilh us with feveral examples. Thus, in that entitled "The Chorle and the Bird," we are told— The chorle (countryman) ivai gladde that he this birdde hadde take, Mery of chere, of looke, and of ■vlj'age. And in al hajie he caft for to make fVithin his houfc a pratie litelle cage, And zvith hir fonge to rejoife his corage. And in another of Lydgate's minor poems, it is faid of Spring,— JVhiche fejoun prykethe (stirs i.) freffhe corages, Rejoijfethe beajiys ivalkyng in ther pajiure, Caifith briddys to fyngen in ther cages, IVhan blood reneioyth in enjery creature. Among thefe, we find birds mentioned which are not now ulually kept in cages. Thus, in a manufcript of the time of Edward IV., we hnd a receipt for food for that favourite bird of the mediaeval poets, the night- ingale.* Small animals of various kinds were alio tamed and kept in the houfe, either loofe or in cages. The plot of fome of the earlier fabliaux turns upon the praftice of taming fquirrels as pets, and keeping them in cages J and this animal continued long to be an efpecial favourite, for its livelinefs and a6tivity. In one of the compartments of the curious tapeftry of Nancy, of the fifteenth century, which has been engraved by take and geve hym yelow antes, otherwyse called pysmerys, as nere as ye may, and the white ante or pysmers egges be best bothe wynter and somen, ij. tymes of the day an handful of bothe. Also, geve hym of these sowes that crepe with many fete, and falle oute of howce rovys. Also, geve hym whyte wormes that bieede betwene the baike and the tre." — Reliquiae Antiquae, vol. i. p. 203. 0. D M. Achille
 * This receipt is curious enough to be given here; it is as follows: — " Fyrst,