Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/450

 386 ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. (lehilcs — ptitrefactos, and others were found to be old or of no value. There •were originally three capcUani, whose duties appear to have been set forth with considerable precision ; ' at the Reformation the number was reduced to one, and the services were performed in the ancient church until about 1G90, when it became ruinous. "We then proceed to the hall, probably the ancient Aula Arthiiri, which, with the king's kitchen and other offices, appears to have occupied the space on the north-east side of the Keep." The simple furniture of the hall deserves attention ; it comprised five standing tables, namely on fixed legs, such as the Frankelein's " table dormant in his halle," in Chaucer's Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, which " stodc redy covered alle the long day." There were also moveable tables, composed of boards placed on trestles, long forms, and a table called " Coppcbord." This last is described in another Indenture as " j. tabicula pro ciphis supponendis," the primary meaning of the term being simply a little side-table on which the cups were placed, — not a closet, as the word is now used. In the curious account of the Feast in the Middle Temple Hall, as formerly given on All Saints' Day, mention is made of " the cupboard in the middle of the hall ; " its position having been apparently in front of the dais, and a table is still there placed, at which grace is said, but the cups have long since forsaken it.^ Some provision for comfort appears in the Castle Hall in the form of a screen before the chimney, and there was an empty barrel to receive the broken victuals, doubtless by way of alms, which at more stately tables were ])lacod in the ship {ncf or navis pro eh'inosinis), which sometimes circulated on wheels, like a modern decanter-waggon.^ Tlic alms' bucket still continues in use at Winchester College, and it is placed under the charge of one of the scholars, who is styled Olhc pra'fcctus. There was also found in the Aula a barrel " pro armaturis rollandis." Armour of mail was cleaned from rust by a simple process of friction, namely by rolling it in a barrel, probably with sand, and this continued in use as late as 1G03. as appears by the inventory of Ilengrave Hall, where was found in the armoury — " one barrel to make clean the shirts of mailc and gorgetts." Eastern nations, by whom mail is still worn, brighten it, as Sir S. Meyrick observes, by shaking it in a sack with bran and sand. Vinesauf describes the warriors of CoDin- do Lion as wiiirling their hauberks for this purpose, — " llotantur loricie iie rubigine squallescant." A curious tenure of land is found in a dncument of the tinu's of King John, Monast. Angl., Caley's edit., vol. vi., p. 02."). It was held " ]iro servicio rotandi unam loricam semel in anno," &ic. In another also of the Hovor Castle ' See l).'irfll's Dovor Ca.stlo, p. -J.'J ; liviry, tliiit is without iloors." Clnfje's Lyon'rt lliHtory of Dovor, vol. ii. p. .'JG. lli'ii>,'nive, p. I'J. 'I'lio "spcr" wuh tlio - Darcll, p. 'M'). HiTt-cii nt tlio lower end of the hull ; a •' l)iii(iliile, Ori;^. .Jiiriil. p. 201. See triiiiiiiir sij^iiitieH, in eiirpi-ntry, a pro- the note in I'roinptoriuni riirvulonini, jeetin;( Kupjiort, ami in rootin;;, a piece of p. 10!), on the wonl •' (.■upijurii<-,((/«;l''M with the iiIbo, Mr. J. G. Nieliols' (JloHsary to the joiHtH. 'I'Ik'hc eupl">:iriU were evidently Unt<in InventoricH, p. -ll. In tiic Indiii- Hinall Hide-talilcH, ami rieli e:ir|)etH of lure for liniMin:; tlif hall at lliiii,'nni- in tapcHtry were nscd to cover them. Tho LViM, in thin paMHaj^i- - -" 'I'Ih- Haid hall to livery en|il((iardM appear to have been have '1 coberilH, one benithe, al the Mpei', formed with Hinall elciHctx and doorH. with a tremor, and another at the hyjjher * .See Mr llndHon 'rnrner'n UuafjcH of tabliit i-ndi', without a tremor ; and the Domc-Hlic! l/ife, .Archieol. .louriial, vid. ii. cobardtt they bo inad<; tho faeyon of p. 2(i(i.