of June. Then I would have a chair with a cushion beneath me, and a pillow under each elbow,"[1] &c. Y Paun Bach then goes on to describe the entertainment he desires to have. The fire is to be of ashen billets, without smoke or sparks; and the supper is to consist of wine, and swans,[2] and bitterns, and sundry spiced collops besides; and the servants, all dressed in one livery,[3] are to ply him continually with ale, and urge him to drink, for his own good and the honour of his entertainers.
In France, the practice of strewing rushes on the floor was also prevalent. We find the Seigneur Amanieu des Escas giving his instructions to the young men of his household on the Art of Love, "dans sa salle bien jonchée."—Ponies Provençales, cited by Ste. Palaye, I. 453.
- ↑
We trace the customs of a conntry in what may appear accidental expressions. Thus a cushion in a chair was one of the requisites of a Welsh establishment.
Three things proper for a man to have in his house,—
A virtuous wife,
His cushion in his chair,
And his harp in tone.In like manner it is particularly mentioned in the present tale, that Arthur had "a cushion of red satin under his elbow," p. 3; and that at the Castle where Kynon was received, on his way to the adventnre of the Fountain, the maidens, in doing him honour, "placed cushions both beneath and around him," when he sat down to meat, p. 6. In this latter instance, the cushions we find were covered with red linen.
- ↑ Swans appear to have been a great dainty in those days. Of the luxurious Monk in the Pilgrimage to Canterbury, Chaucer tells us, "A fat swan loyed he best of any rest."—line 206.
- ↑ Uniformity of dress in those who held the same office, appears to be dwelt upon with much satisfaction by the writers of the Middle Ages. In Geoffrey of Monmouth, the thousand young noblemen, who, at Arthur's Coronation Banquet, assisted Kai in serving up the dishes, were clothed like him in robes of Ermine. The same writer proceeds to tell us, that "at that Time Britain was arrived to such a pitch of Grandeur, that whether we respect its Affluence of Riches, Luxury of Ornaments, or Politeness of Inhabitants, it far surpassed all other Kingdoms." And he adds, "The Knights in it that were famous for Feats of Chivalry, wore their Clothes and Arms all of the same colour and Fashion. And the Women also no less celebrated for their Wit, Wore all the same Kind of Apparel."—Thompson's Translation.
In the Procession to Canterbury, Chaucer relates that
"An Haberdasher, and a Carpenter,
A Webbs, a Deyer, and a Tapiser,
Were alle yclothed in o livere,
Of a solempne and greto fratenite."—line 363.
