OF SIX MEDLEVAL WOMEN 



protracted, or that the knight delays his de- 

 parture from day to day, sometimes to his own 

 and the lady's undoing. 



Beside such varied ministrations, the woman 

 of the Middle Ages rode to the chase, went out 

 hawking, snared birds with nets, ferreted rabbits, 

 spun, wove, and embroidered. Embroidering 

 was a really formidable occupation, for the great 

 hall, and each room, had its special hangings, 

 and on fete-days every inch of wall-space was 

 covered. One set would picture an Arthurian 

 legend, and others again were made bright with 

 flowers, lilies, roses, and columbines. The lady 

 and her maidens often girls of noble birth, 

 whom it was customary to send to some castle 

 to complete their education worked at the 

 countless yards such decoration involved, and 

 chatted the while, it may be, of some coming 

 marriage or tourney, or perchance one among 

 them would tell a story, and so time passed 

 merrily enough. Then for the educated woman, 

 of whom there were many, Latin verse offered a 

 wide field of delight, and the woman of the 

 Middle Ages read and loved her Virgil just as 

 we of to-day read and love our Shakespeare. 

 When the daylight had faded, there was always 

 chess-playing, dancing the carole, and singing, 

 and by the thirteenth century little pastoral ballets, 



in which a knight, and a shepherdess and her 



xxiv 



