Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/445

 and Sentiments. 425 obfervances. Her ufual hour of rifing was feven o'clock, when llie heard matins 5 ihe then "made herfelf ready/' or dreffed herfelf, for the occu- pations of the day, and when this was done, flie had a low mafs in her chamber. After this mafs, fhe took fomething "to recreate nature," which was, in fa6l, her breakfaft, though it is afterwards ftated that it was not a regular meal. She then went to chapel, and remained at religious fervice until dinner, which, as we are further told, took place, "upon eating days," at eleven o'clock, with a firft dinner in the time of high mafs for the various officers whole duty it was to attend at table ; but, on faffing days, the dinner hour was twelve o'clock, with a later dinner for carvers and waiters. After dinner, the princefs devoted an hour to give audience to all who had any bufinefs with her ; ffie then flept for a quarter of an hour, and then fpent her time in prayer until the firft peal of even-fong (vefpers), when " ffie drank wine or ale at her pleafure." She went to chapel, and returned thence to fupper, which, on eating days, was ferved at five o'clock, the carvers and fervers at table having fupped at four. The ordinary diet in the houfe of this princefs appears to have been extremely fimple. On Sunday, Tuefday, and Thurfday, the houfehold was ferved at dinner with beef and mutton, and one roartj at fupper with "leyched" beef and roaft mutton 5 on Monday and Wednefday, they had boiled beef and mutton at dinner, and at fupper, the fame as on the three other days j on Friday, fait fiffi and two dilhes of freffi fiih ; and on Saturday, fait fiffi, one freffi fiffi, and butter, for dinner, and fait fiffi and eggs for fupper. After fupper, the princefs "difpofed herfelf to be tamiliar with her gentlewomen," with "honeft mirth j" and one hour before going to bed Ihe took a cup of wine, went to her privy clofet to pray, and was in bed by eight o'clock. The duchefs of York is of courfe to be looked upon as a model of piety and fobriety, and her hours are not perhaps to be taken as exaftly thofe of other people, and certainly not her occupations. In the French " Debat de la Damoifelle et de la Bourgeoife," the latter accufes the gentlewoman of late rifing. " Before you are awake," ffie fays, " I am dreffed and have attended to my duties ; do not therefore be furprifed if we are more diligent than you, fince you lleep till dinner- 3 I time."