Page:The Mabinogion.djvu/160

Rh —Page 105.

were formerly much more general than chairs. Wherever the latter are spoken of by oar old English writers, it appears to have been as an article of luxary, and even of magnificence; and ecere is every reason to believe that they were far from being common, even in the houses of the great. No mention whatever is made of chairs in the catalogue of the furniture in the chamber of the Bishop of Winchester, in 1266, where benches, or forms, are, however, particuarly enumerated.

"Et de L mensa cum tressellis in camera dom. episoopL Et v. formis in eadem camera."

This is also the case in the inventory preserved of the goods belonging to Contarini, a rich Venetian trader, at his house in St Botolph's-lane, A.D. 1481, and in that of the furniture of Skipton Castle, the great honour of the Earls of Cumberland, and one of the most splendid mansions of the North, A.D. 1572.

And the more general use of benches may be gathered from many passages in the elder poets. In the Geste of Sing Home, we find,— "Horne sett him abenche.

And in Piers Plowman's Crede, the author, describing the luxury of the monks, tells us of

{{center block|{{fqm|"}}An halle for an hygh kynge an houshold to holden.

With brode hordes abouten, yhenched wel clene."

Ellis remarks, that "from this usage our Court of King's Bench had its name."

{{center|{{smallcaps|Addanc.}}—Page 107.}} {{Smallcaps|In}} the Triads mention is made of the Addanc, or Avanc of the Lake, as an aquatic monster which exercised a mysterious influence over some tremendous inundation, there alluded to and generally considered to have been the universal deluge, of which event most primitive nations have preserved a traditional recollection. The drawing of the Avanc from the Lake was an exploit performed by the homed Oxen of Hu Gadam, or the Mighty, the hero who is {{smallrefs}}