Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/484

 464 Hijiory of Domejiic Maimers attendance of fervants, and the guefts were counted off not, as before, in couples, but in fours, each four being confidered as one party, under the title of a mefs, and probably having a diili among them, and ferved by one attendant. This cuftom is often alluded to in the dramatifts, and it is hardly neceflary to obferve that it was the origin of our modern term in the army. The plate, as well as the porcelain and earthenware, ufed at table during the greater part of this period, was fo richly diverfified, that it would require a volume to defcribe it, nor would it be eafy to pick out a fmall number of examples that might illuftrate the whole. Our No. 293. K,Kfe-raj.s. cut No, 293 reprefents a peculiar article of this period, which is not unde- ferving of remark, two knife-cafes, made of leather, ftamped and gilt. From what has been faid, it will be feen that our popular faying of " the roaft beef of old England," is not fo literally true as we are accuftomed to fuppofe. While, however, the ftyle of living we have been defcribing prevailed generally among the higher ranks and the richer portion of the middle clafles, particularly in towns, that of the lefs affluent clafTes remained fimple and even fcanty, and a large portion of the population of the country probably indulged in fleili meat only at intervals, or on occafions when they received it in their lord's kitchen or hall.