^4-^ THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS' 



the hall,*according to their numbers and rank, and 

 according to the ability of the hoil. They were 

 placed by threes-; and the diflies v/ere put on frefli 

 niflies. In thefe entertainments there was no p:o- 

 fufion, nor were any inccntiveG to cxcefs introduc':id. 

 I prefume they placed the difhcs on their knees, for 

 Giraldus informs us they had no table. The hod 

 and hodefs remained ftanding during the whole time, 

 to fee that every one was ferved with as much food 

 as he wanted.— -When the hour of red approached, 

 the domeftics fcattered a few rufhes along the fides 

 of the room, and covered thefe v/ith a hard and 

 rough cloth,, the produce of the country, by way 

 of a bed. On t jis they all laid down together, in 

 the fame drefs they had worn during the day. The 

 fire was kept burning all night in the middle of thfe 

 room ; and thofe who found themfelves cold, or 

 found the bed, from its hardnefs, uncomfortable, 

 occafionally reforted to ii". 



The drefs of the men at this period'.feems to have 

 confided . principally of a kind of fliirt, and a fmall 

 cloak : they ihaved away every part of their beards, 

 except a whif^er on the upper lip. Poth fexes were 

 very particular in preferving the whitenefs and ele- 

 gance of their teeth. They were almod continually 

 to be feen in the act of rubbing them, fome times 

 with a' piece of green hazel, and at other times with 

 a bit of -woollen cloth. Their invariable abdinence 

 from hot food tended greatly to preferve their teeth. 



In 



