MAHAUT, COUNTESS OF ARTOIS 



tomb alone remains. But its very simplicity 

 is eloquent, for around it there seems to hover 

 that never-dying spirit of love and goodness and 

 beauty to which, throughout her life, Mahaut 

 contributed in such large measure, and which 

 was her real and lasting gift to the world. 



Life as mirrored in the Castle records gives 

 little else than a pleasing picture of Mahaut's 

 relations with all her dependants, as well as with 

 those with whom she was connected, whether 

 by ties of friendship, of politics, or of the 

 common courtesies of life. Her immediate 

 household was naturally her first care. Twice a 

 year, at Easter and All Saints, a distribution was 

 made of cloth and furs. Some of these, fine and 

 costly, were for those in personal attendance on 

 the Countess, whilst others were in the nature 

 of liveries. Others, again, of still coarser make, 

 such as Irish serge, with sheep or rabbit skin for 

 warmth in winter, were given to those of lowly 

 service or who had specially rough work to 

 perform. Her ladies-in-waiting, of whom there 

 were always two or three, appear to have received 

 for their services no money payment, but, over 

 and above the cloth and fur already alluded to, 

 gifts, on special occasions, of girdles and satchels 

 (very often jewelled), gold chaplets, and gold 

 and silver braid, jewelled, and used for twining 

 in the hair. In addition to this, presents of 

 jewels and silver cups were made to them by the 

 noble ladies who came to stay with the Countess, 

 just as she, on her part, presented similar gifts to 



97 H 



