Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/474

 454 Hijlory of Domejiic Manners Andrew Cranewiie, of Bury, in 1558, enumerates "one cupborde in the hall, one plaine table with one leafe." He fpeaks further on, in the fame will, of " my beft folte {fold or folding) table in the hall, and two great hutches." In 1556, Richard Claxton, of Old Park, in the county of Durham, fpeaks of a " folden table" in the parlours, which was valued at two fhillings. Thefe folding tables appear to have been made in a great variety of forms, fome of which were very ingenious. Our cut No. 286 reprefents a very curious folding table of the fixteenth century, which was long preferved at Flaxton Hall, in Suffolk, but perilhed in the fire when that manfion was burnt a few years ago. As reprefented in the cut, which fliows the table folded up fo as to be laid afide, the legs pull out, and the one to the right fits into the lion's mouth, and is fecured by the pin which hangs befide it. The methods of lighting the hall at night were fhll rather clumfy, and not very perfeft. Of courfe, when the apartment was very large, a few candles would produce comparatively little effect, and it was there- fore found neceiTary to ufe torches, and inflammable malfes of larger fize. 1 2 No. 287. Crejet and Moon. One method of fupplying the deficiency was to take a fmall pan, or port- able fireplace, filled with combufiibles, and fufpend it in the place where light was required. Such a receptacle was ufually placed at the top of a pole, for facility of carrying about, and was called a crefTet, from an old French