Life In The Fourteenth Century.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 20, 15 May 1902, Page 29

Life In The Fourteenth Century.

Down to the year 1400 isuch things as glass wun'do.ws, wnt.mg-p.ipur o-n'd printed books little known m London. Ommneys were often made of wood. Class was vary dear, and only to be had in small pieces, so that few completely glazed windows were to be scon except imi churches In the houses of S'omu of the. \\eull,h\ liability, sets of glass window s wei c mado to he removed, and were taken from place to place as the owner ■changed his residence. Crock T ei.\ was almost unknown, except as a gieat rarity from Italy, and a glass or majolica basin or drinking-cup was worfh more than its weight m golid In the fine man.sii.ons the \isitor wo,uM havo fouaid a strange mixture of luxury and barbarism He would have seen the great hall used as a sleeping-place by tlie servants' of the family — the bniv lloor hem" their bed, and for a pillow a sheaf of rushes or straw / while m the chambers of the master and his eciVials he woaild haive seen the most elaborate and sumptuous couches, orna,nientf-d wath heraldic de\ ices of the richest kind, hung with \elvet or siLk and constructed of Ihe softest (lowtn No looking-glass, unless, perhaps, a .small hand mirror of metal , combs, ba.it no han-

brushes , no pins, and for fire perhaps a brazier with charcoal. Dinner in London in the fourteenth century was tihe middle meal. The Duchess of York dined at 11 a.m. and sfupipcd at 5. These early hours were general. The judges at Westminster sat only from 8 till 11 in the morning. Pretty much all labi'or was done by daylight. Canjdlelight was bnd and candles were dear. The only other artificial ligiht that was available was the light of tihe lira, which b.umed l'n the middle of the hall, tihe smoke sotmetimes escaping and sometimes not, through a hole in the roof. This interestinlg sort of fire was use,d to warm the" hall of Westminster School u/ntil the year 1850, if n,ot later, and it may still be seen in occasional use at Pens'hurst Place \n Kent. There was no wheeled traffic in London in the fourteenth century. Many burdens were laid upon the backs of men. and horses carried paaks and panniers. The roadways were roughly paved, an,d winter m,ud and summer dust were proveribial. In the absence of smoke the dressesi of dll ranks of people were much gayer than they are now. Knights rode about in plate armor on horses* weighted down under iron trappings pages running by their sides, sujuires' carrying their helmets before, ondl trains of ferocious-looking soldiers; tagging on behind. Monks in white robes and black hoods went about their errands, the Lord Mayor passed in gorgeous attire, attended by mace-bearei s and sword-bearers whose ollice was no sinecure among the tiurbiulent populace ; gorgeous banners floated e\ cry where, awl the chimneys and signs were of such an ingenuity and .splendor as nowadays 1 we never see