130 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[Wo., 9. 
And so, with all the earnestness and heartiness 
which befit this happy season, when 
“No spirit stirs abroad ; 
The nights are wholesome; when no planet strikes, 
No fairy takes, no witch hath power to charm, 
So hallow’d and so gracious is the time,” 
do we greet all our friends, whether contributors 
or readers, with the good old English wish, 
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
SIR E. DERING’S HOUSEHOLD BOOK. 
The muniment chests of our old established 
families are seldom without their quota of ‘ house- 
hold books.” Goodly collections of these often 
turn up, with records of the expenditure and the 
“ doings” of the household, through a period of 
two or more centuries. These documents are of 
incalculable value in giving us a complete insight 
into the domestic habits of our ancestors. Many a 
note is there, well calculated to illustrate the pages 
of the dramatist or the biographer, and even the 
accuracy of the historian’s statements may often 
be tested by some of the details which find their 
way into these accounts; as for the more peculiar 
province of the antiquary, there is always a rich 
store of materials. Every change of costume is 
there; the introduction of new commodities, new 
luxuries, and new fashions, the varying prices of 
the passing age. Dress in all its minute details, 
modes of travelling, entertainments, public and 
private amusements, all, with their cost, are 
there; and last, though not least, touches of indi- 
vidual character ever and anon present them- 
selves with the force of undisguised and undeniable 
truth. Follow the man through his pecuniary 
transactions with his wife and children, his house- 
hold, his tenantry, nay, with himself; and you 
have more of his real character than the biographer 
is usually able to furnish. In this view, a man’s 
“household book” becomes an impartial auto- 
biography. 
J would venture to suggest that a corner of 
your paper might sometimes be profitably reserved 
for “notes” from these household books; there 
can be little doubt that your numerous readers 
would soon furnish you with abundant contribu- 
tions of most interesting matter. 
While suggesting the idea, there happens to lie 
open before me the account-book of the first Sir 
Edward Dering, commencing with the day on 
which he came of age, when, though his father was 
still living, he felt himself an independent man. 
One of his first steps, however, was to qualify 
this independence by marriage. If family tradition 
be correct, he was as heedless and impetuous in 
this the first important step of his life, as he seems 
to have been in his public career. The lady was 
Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Nicholas 'Tufton, after- 
wards created Karl of Thanet. 
In almost the first page of his account-book he 
enters all the charges of this marriage, the different 
dresses he provided, his wedding presents, &c. 
As to his bride, the first pleasing intelligence 
which greeted the young knight, after passing his 
pledge to take her for “richer for poorer,” was, 
that the latter alternative was his. Sir Nicholas 
had jockied the youth out of the promised 
“ trousseau,” and handed over his daughter to Sir 
Edward, with nothing but a few shillings in her 
purse. She came unfurnished with even decent 
apparel, and her new lord had to supply her 
forthwith with necessary clothing. In a subsequent 
page, when he comes to detail the purchases which 
he was, in consequence, obliged to make for his 
bride, he gives full vent to his feelings on this 
niggardly conduct of the father, and, in recording 
the costs of his own outfit, his very first words 
have asmack of bitterness in them, which is some- 
what ludicrous — 
“ Medio de fonte leporum 
Surgit amari aliquid.” 
He seems to sigh over his own folly and vanity in 
preparing a gallant bridal for one who met it so 
unbecomingly. 
SO UGLOs 
“My pesperate quarter! the $d quarter from Mi- 
chaelmas unto New Year’s Day. ; 
5 yards quarter of scarlett coloured satten for a 
doubiett, and to line my cassocke, at 16s. per yard, 
4l, 4s. 
5 yards halfe of fine scarlett, at 55s. per yard, to 
make hose cassocke and cloake [sic] - 141. 
7 yards dim of blacke rich velvett, att 24s, per yard, 
91. 
22 ounces of blacke galloune lace - = 26158. 
Taffaty to line the doublett = - - Ei bt 
5 [sie.] grosse of buttons, at 8s. the grosse - 10. 4s. 
pinkinge and racing the doublett, and lininge of y® 
copell - - - - - 8s, 
ffor embroideringe doublett, copell, and scarfe, 2/. 10s. 
5 dozen of smal] buttons - - - ls. 8d. 
Stickinge and sowinge silke - - - 14s. 
ffor cuttinge y® scallops - ” - Qs. 
holland to line the hose - - ~ 5s. 6d. 
Dutch bays for the hose - - - 4s. 6d. 
Pocketts to y° hose - - - - 10d. 
2 dozen of checker riband pointes - - 12s. 
drawinge y® peeces in y® suite and cloake - 5s. 
canyas and stiffninge to y® doublett - 3s, 6d. 
ffor makinge y® doublett and hose - - 18s. 
makinge y® copell - - - - 11.8s. 
makinge y® cloake - - - - 9s. 
Sum of this suite - 401. 2s. 
I must not occupy more of your space this week 
by extending these extracts. IEf likely to supply 
useful “ notes” to your readers, they shall have, 
in some future number, the remainder of the 
bridegroom’s wardrobe. In whatever niggardly 
array the bride came to her lord’s arms, he, at 
; 
ty 
