Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/471

 ajtd Sentiments. 4 j; i hall, for the feats of the principal perfons of the houfehold, or for the females. The furniture of the hall of William Lawfon, of Newcaftle- upon-Tyne, in 1551, confifted of one table of wainfcot, valued at twenty lliillings, two double counters, valued together at thirty lliillings, a drawer and two forms, eftimated at five Ihillings, two culliions and two chairs, alfo valued at five fliillings, five other cafiiions, valued at twelve fliillings, two carpet cloths and a cupboard cloth, valued together at ten Ihillings, and the hangings in the hall, eftimated to be worth fifty fliillings. This feems to have been a very well furnillied hall ; that of Robert Goodchild, parilli clerk of St. Andrew's in Newcaftle, in 1^57, contained an almery (or large cupboard), eftimated at ten fliillings; a counter "of the myddell bynde," fix fhillings ; a cupboard, three fliillings and fourpence ; five bafins and fix lavers, eight fliillings; feventeen "powder {pewter) doblers," feventeen fliillings ; fix pewter diflies and a hand-bafin, five fliillings ; fix pewter faucers, eighteen pence ; four pottle pots, five fliillings and fourpence, three pint pots and three quart pots, three fliillings; ten can- dlefticks, fix fliillings; a little peftle and a mortar, two fliiUings; three old chairs, eighteen pence ; fix old culliions, two fliillings ; and two counter-cloths. Much of the furniture of Englifli houfes at this time was imported from Flanders. Jane Lawfon, in the year laft mentioned, had in her hall at Little Burdon in Northumberland, " Flanders counters with their carpets." She had alfo in the hall, a long fide table, three long forms and another form, two chairs, three ftools, ^-ix new culliions and three old cufliions, and an almery. The whole furniture of the hall of the reftory houfe of Sedgefield in Durham, which appears to have been a large houfe and well entertained, confifted of a table of plane-tree with joined frame, two tables of fir with frames, two forms, a fettle, and a pair of treftles. The hall of Bertram Anderfon, a rich and diftinguiflied merchant and alderman of Newcaftle-upon-Tyne, in 1570, was furnillied with two tables with the carpets (table-covers), three forms, one dozen cufliions, half-a-dozen green cufliions, one counter with the carpet, two "bafinges" (bafins), and two covers, one chair, and one little chair. This is a ftriking proof of the rarity of chairs even at this late date. Buftet ftools, which are fuppofed to be the ftools with a flat top and a hole in the