Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/418

 398 Hijiory of L)o?7ieJlic Manners and then left the table to retire to their beds. But the lefs genteel of the company, the miller and the cook, with the fompnour, the yeoman, the reeve, and the manciple, remained "drinking by the moon," — that is, they had no candle. There was, however, one candle in the bedroom, which feems to have ferved to light the whole company, — for it is evident that they all flept in beds in one room, — and this candle was only put out when they were all gone to bed, which was the moment the Pardoner awaited to (leal away and purfue his intrigue. Next morning they were out of their beds fo early that they left the town on their homeward journey at funrife.