376 



FURNITURE OF ROOMS 



Upstairs one of the rooms must have been a gallery, for it had 

 no chairs, but was full of curios and objets d'art. The bedrooms 

 of all the houses were also sparsely furnished. They nearly all 

 had large .bedsteads, evidently four-posters, with furniture of 

 different kinds, camlet lined with silk, yellow mohair, green or 

 crimson harratine, green serge, and other materials. The walls 

 were hung in most cases with materials of the same kind, blue 

 china, crimson harratine, tapestry, mohair, or Irish stich and 

 Dutch matting. There were curtains to the windows. One of 



FIG. 301. Chimney-Piece in the George Inn, Winchester. 



the smaller bedrooms had but a table and dressing-glass, a couple 

 of chairs and a box ; another had a " bewreau " and a card-table 

 in addition. The larger ones had two tables, half a dozen chairs, 

 stools, a nest of drawers, a bookcase, and a number of pictures. 

 It is noteworthy how seldom mention is made of a basin or 

 even of a dressing-table with a glass. This confirms what has 

 already been indicated that our ancestors of those days spent 

 but little time upon their toilet. Very few rooms had a carpet 

 but nearly every one had a hand-bell, some had as many as 

 four. 



