Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/60

 40 Hijiory of Domed ic Manners CHAPTER III. THE CHAMBER AND ITS FURNITURE. BEDS AND BED-ROOMS. INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD AMONG THE ANGLO-SAXONS. CHARACTER AND MANNERS OF THE ANGLO-SAXON LADIES. THEIR CRUELTY TO THEIR SERVANTS. THEIR AMUSEMENTS. THE GARDEN j LOVE OF THE ANGLO-SAXONS FOR FLOWERS. ANGLO-SAXON PUNISHMENTS. ALMSGIVING. THE bower or chamber, which, as before ftated, was, in the original Saxon manfions, built feparate from the hall, was a more private apartment than the latter, although it was ftill eafy of accefi. In the houfes of the rich and the noble there were, as may eafily be fuppofed, feveral chambers, devoted to the different purpofes of the houfehold, and to the reception of vifitors. It was in the chamber that the lord of the houfehold tranfa6ted his private bufinefs, and gave his private audiences. We fee by the ftory of king Edwy that it was con- fidered a mark of effeminacy to retire from the company in the hall after dinner, to feek more quiet amufement in the chamber, where the men rejoined the ladies of the family ; yet there are numerous inftances which lliow that, except on feftive occafions, this was a very common praftice. In fome cafes, where the party was not an oftentatious or public one, the meal was ferved in a chamber rather than in the hall. According to the ftory of Olbert king of Northumberland and Beorn the buzecarl, as told by Gaimar, it was in a chamber that Beorn's lady received the king, and caufed the meal to be ferved to him which ended in confequences fo fatal to the country. We have very little information relating to the domeftic games and amufements of the Anglo-Saxons. They feem to have confided, in a great meafure, in mufic and in telling ftories. They had games of hazard, but we are not acquainted with their chara6ter. Their chief game was named twfd or tccjl, which has been explained by dice