Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/408

 388 Hijiory of Dome/tic Manners with truth, to have been the ornament of the tent of Charles le Teme- raire, duke of Burgundy, when he laid fiege to Nancy in 1477, and was defeated and llain. It is of Flemilh workmanfliip, and no doubt pidurcs the manners of the Burgundian nobles and gentry, but at that time the court of Burgundy was the model of the failiionable life of weftern Europe. It happens, curioufly enough, that a few years later a rather obfcure French writer, named Nicole de La Chefnaye, compiling one of thofe allegorical dramas then fo popular under the title of " Moralities," took the ftory of this tapeflry as his fubjeft, and has thus left us the full explanation of what might otherwife have been not eafily underftood. The title of this morality is "La Nef de Sante" (the iliip of health), and a fecond title is " La condamnacion des bancquetz" (the condemnation of banquets) ; and its obje6t is to fliow the unhappy confequences of the extravagance in eating and drinking, which then prevailed. It opens with a converfation between three allegorical perfonages named Dinner, Supper, and Banquet, who declare their intention to lead joyous life evening and morning, and they refolve on imitating Paffe-Temps (paftime) and Bonne-Compagnie (good company). At this moment Bonne- Compagnie herfelf, who is defcribed as a dalhing damfel (gorriere damoifelle), enters with all her people, namely, Gourmandize (greedinefs), Friandize (daintinefs), PalTe-Temps, already mentioned, Je-Boy-a-Vous (I drink to you), Je-Pleige-d'Autant (I pledge the fame), and Acouftu- mance (cuftom). Each names what he prefers in good cheer, and Bonne- Compagnie, to begin the day, orders a collation, at which, among other things, are ferved damfons {prunes de Damas), which appear at this time to have been confidered as delicacies. There is here a marginal diredion to the purport that, if the morality fhould be performed in the feafon when real damfons could not be had, the performers muft have fome made of wax to look like real ones. They now take their places at table, and, while they are eating, Je-Boy-a-Vous calls the attention of the com- pany to the circumftance that Gourmandize, in his hafte to eat the damfons, had fwallowed a fnail. PalTe-Temps next propofes a dance, and choofes for his partner the lady Friandize, comparing her to Helen, and telling her that he was Paris. She, in reply, compares herfelf to Medea, and