Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/438

 41 8 Hijiory of Domejlic Manjiers A long of the fifteenth century, printed in the colle6tion of fongs and carols edited for the Percy Society, the burthen of which is the neceflity of money in all conditions, defcribes the different ranks and their various afpirations in the following order : the yeoman who defires to become a gentleman, the gentleman who feeks to be a fquire, the fquire who would be a knight, the lettered man who feeks difiinftion in the fchools, the merchant who alpired to rife to wealth, and the lawyer who fought promotion at the bar. In the interefting " Recueil de Poelies Fran9oifes des xv^ et xvi*^ fiecles," by M. de Montaiglon (vol. iii. pp. 138, 147), there are two poems, probably of the latter part of the fifteenth century, entitled Les Souhaitz des Hommes (the wilhes of the men) and Les Souhaitz desFemmes (the wifiies of the women), in which the various claiTes are made to declare that which they defire moft. Thus dukes, counts, and knights defire to be Ikilful in warlike accomplifiiments ; the prefident in parlia- ment defires the gold chain and the feat of honour, with wifdom in giving judgment ; the advocate wilhes for eloquence in court, and for a fair bourgeoife or damoifelle at home to make his houfe joyful 5 the burgher wiilies for a good fire in winter, and a good fupply of fat capons ; and the clergy are made to wllh for good cheer and handfome women. The willies of the women are on the whole, perhaps, more charafterifiic than thofe of the men. Thus, the queen wifiies to be able to love God and the king, and to live in peace ; the duchefs, to have all the enjoy- ments and pleafures of wealth ; the countefs, to have a hulband who was loyal and brave 5 the knight's lady, to hunt the flag in the green woods; the damoifelle, or lady of gentle blood, alfo loved hunting, and wiflied for a hulband valiant in warj and the chamber-maiden took pleafure in walking in the fair fields by the river-fide ; while the bourgeoife loved above all things a foft bed at night, with a good pillow, and clean white fheets. That part of fociety which now comes chiefly under our notice had fallen into two claffes, that which boafted gentle blood, and the ungentle, or burgher clafs, and this was particularly fhown among the ladies, for the bourgeoife fought continually to imitate the gentlewoman, or damoifelle, who, on her part, looked on thefe encroachments of the other with great jealoufy. M. de Montaiglon has printed in the colle6tion jufl: quoted