CHAPTER V. 



SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC ECONOMY, 



IT has been stated above that the elements of medieval 

 society were very few, and its economy simple and rude. 

 Below the nobles and great ecclesiastics were a body of 

 ;ntlemen and yeomanry, the latter differing from the former 

 ither in the comparative largeness of their estates ; the 

 inhabitants of towns ; and a mass of peasant proprietors, 

 rho were also labourers either by tenure or for hire. The 

 of maintenance as measured in money was small, land 

 fas cheap though very much subdivided, and the habitations 

 the people were small and inexpensive. The only products 

 architectural skill were churches, and perhaps castles; the 

 itter in the time of Edward the First being built on a larger 

 lie, and with more attention to the comfort of the inhabit- 

 its. Such castles, however, were occupied by the king and 

 ic great lords; the inmates of monastic or collegiate houses 

 dng closely packed, and very indifferently lodged. The 

 irniture, too, was rough and scanty, inventories of domestic 

 mveniences and utensils being very concise. The most 

 iluable part of the personal property possessed by our fore- 

 ithers consisted in clothing and metal vessels. The resources 

 the community were very limited. It is hardly necessary 

 say that there were no books, or very few, and that the 

 eat cost of artificial light was unfriendly to other than very 

 irly hours. The course of social life in country places must 

 ive been very uniform. In the absence of the lord, who 



