I9II.] IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY. 499 



dye-stuffs, and other oriental products were coveted and secured as 

 far as possible. 



Life as a whole became more luxurious. In Germany four meals 

 a day supplanted the three of an earlier period ; and the ideal hero 

 was a mighty trencher-man. According to the Pseudo-Turpin, 

 Charles the Great ate " a whole quarter of a lamb, two fowls, a 

 goose, or a large portion of pork ; a peacock, a crane, or a whole 

 hare" at a meal. Luxury in dress, at least among the middle classes, 

 was not confined wholly to the oriental products. Fashion began its 

 despotic sway for Germany and other parts of western Europe in 

 the twelfth century, and those who could not afford the Byzantine 

 stuffs might in their domestic weaves imitate the prevailing styles 

 of long trains and full sleeves almost sweeping the ground. Shoes 

 for both men and women changed in style almost every year ; some- 

 times the toes were long and pointed, extending up toward the 

 knees ; at other times, short and broad. Other items of extrava- 

 gance might be mentioned, such as the enormous head-dresses, wigs 

 and other false hair ; but enough has been indicated. 



Another great source of expenditure was building. The mon- 

 archs spent large sums on their castles and residence halls, and the 

 nobles and citizens followed their lead. Palaces, cathedrals, for- 

 tresses, country houses, town halls, hospitals and other edifices were 

 going up in all the leading centers. The cost of building was greatly 

 increased by the general substitution of stone for wood, and by the 

 frequent use of lead for the roofs. Great cjuantities of this metal 

 were exported from England to various places in France, and even 

 to other parts of Europe. 



The second cause of the rise in the cost of living was the increase 

 in the amount of money available. Western Europe was just chang- 

 ing from Natural- to Gcldzcirfschaff. The author of the " Dialogus 

 de Scaccario," who wrote about the beginning of the last quarter 

 of the twelfth century, says that he had been told of the former 

 custom by which all payments to the treasury were made in kind, 

 and that he had seen a man who had witnessed the bringing in of 

 the provisions from the various parts of the country. In fact, in 

 the reign of Henry I. of England the sheriff's obtained their receipts 



