Page:The child's pictorial history of England; (IA childspictorialh00corn).pdf/105

 *ents, and strangers, all together; for, when there were no inns, it was usual for travellers to stop at any castle, or monastery, on the road, where they were never refused lodging and entertainment.

23. There were no table cloths, and the dishes and cups were mostly of wood, but they were well filled with meat, game, fish, or poultry, which, with bread and ale, constituted the rude, but substantial fare.

24. The Baron, with his friends, sat at an upper table, which was served with wine; and, sometimes he would have his hounds lying at his feet, and his favorite hawk, upon a perch, beside him.

25. The supper, at five o'clock, was just like the dinner, and these were the only regular meals at that period.

26. I said there were no inns in those days, which reminds me to speak of the difficulty and danger of travelling. The roads were very bad and lonely, often running through forests and across wide heaths, infested with robbers.

27. Then there were no public conveyances of any kind, nor any way of making a journey, but on horseback, or on foot; and, as to stopping at the country towns, there was very little accommodation to be had there, for they were poor