Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/414

 394 Hijlory of 'Dojnejiic Manners inftrument a fubftitute for the tabor. The valets with the dogs are again introduced, but we mifs the court fool. The remaining portions of the tapeftry reprefent the attack of the Difeafes, and the great havoc they made among the guefts. The banquet was known in England by that name, as well as by the name of rere-fupper. In the eRirious Englifh morality play, entitled " The Interlude of the Four Elements," printed early in the fixteenth century, the fame diftindion is made between the three meals as in the French morality defcribed above. Senfual-appetite, one of the chara6ters in the piece, leads Humanity to the tavern to dine, and orders a dinner of three courfes, with a choice variety of wines. As they are leaving after dinner, the taverner reminds them that they were to return to fupperj and then Humanity propofes a cup of "new" wine, as though wine was then valued for being new. Food and liquor were formerly adulterated in more diihoneft manner even than in modern times, and the taverner anfwers the demand jokingly — Ye Jhall have ivy tie as neive as can he, For I may tell you in pryvyte' Hit ivas hrned but yejier nyght. But he immediately adds — But than I have for your apetyte A cup ofiuyne of olde claret ; There is no better, by this lyght. After fupper they go to dance, and meanwhile Senfual-appetite goes to prepare the banquet : — IJhall at the toivne agayne Prepare for you a banket. Of metys that be mojt delycate, And mojt pleafaunt drynkes and ivynes therate, That is poffyble to get. Which Jh all be in a chamber feyre Preparyd poynt dcuyje (in perfection), With damajke ivater made fo ivell That all the hoivfe thereof Jhall fmell As it ivere Paradyfe. In