Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-11-18
ON THE ANTIQUITY AND USE OF BEDS.

II universally the practice, the first ages r
kind sleep upon skins Of beasts II originally the
Of the Greeks and Romans. particularly be
Of the ancient Btons before the Roman invasion and
these skins spread the flor Of their apartments A
forwards they changed for loose ushes and heaher
the Welsh few years ago lay bn the former, and the High
anders of Scotland sleep he latter this present
In process Of time the Romans suggested to Inc iute
Bri,ons the use, and the foducton OF agriculture sup
piled them with the MEANS of the conveniency Of
beds The beds OF the Roman gentry at this period
generally filed with feathers, and those OF the inn with
soft down Of reeds But for hany ages the beds of the a
had been constantly conn osed Of straw il still formed
those Of the soldiers and oers the conquest Of Lanca
shire and from both cotntrymen learnt their But
appears to have been taken up only by the gentlemen,
the common Welsh had THEFT beds hnly stuffed with PUSHES
late the conclusion of t twelfth century and with the
gentlemen II continued many ages aierwad. Straw
used in the royal chambers Of England late the
close Of the thirteenth. Most Of tie PEASANTS cbout Man
chester lie char present. do kewse the poo
pie all Scotland in the Hghsid heath also il very
generally used as bedding by the gentry aud the
pose heath bed has been celebrated by travellers pc
cuar luxury, superior that yeiei by down in France
and Italy beds remain general this day But after
the above PERIOD beds ongr suffered 10 rest upon
the ground The better mode that hal an:eny prevailed in
the east and long before been introduced into Italy adopt
cd in Britain and they mounted pedestsls.
This however, equally confined the gentlemen. The
bed still continued the floor among the common people
And the goss custom that had prevailed from the beginning
retained by the lower Brtons the last and these
ground beds laid along the walls Of their houses, and
formed one common dormtoy for all the members OF the ia
mly The fashion continued universally among the inferior
ranks Of the Welsh within these iourn five ages aud with
the unciyized part Of the Hhlardcrs down TO
times And at great distance from Manchester,
in the neghbong Buxton, and within these fry seventy
years the persons that repaired TO the hath are all said 10
slept long chamber together h, upper part being aol
ted to the ladies' and the lower to the gentlemen and only
parttoned from each other by a curtain.
The dining discubtoy beds which the ancien,s lay
6yaf pnfth h.Is
were ordinarily ranged by square table, (whenee both The
table and the where they eat called hienian,)
in such that OF the sides oil the table
open and accessible the waters Each bed would hold
three four rarely ve persons These beds unknown
before the second Punc the Romans till then, down
on plain wooden benches in imitation OF the heroes Of
Homer, or Yauo expresses it. after the u The
Lacedemonans and Creans Scpo Aiicauus first made
innovation. He had brought from Carthage Of these
little beds called puncani, Grchac being Of wood COM
mon enough very low, stuffed only with straw hay, and
covered with goat sbeepskns, bg6inis pebus strut In
reality there great difference as 10 deicacy between
these new beds and the ancient benches but the Of
frequent bathing which began obtain NV socnng and
relaxing the body, put trying 10 rest themselves
conmod,usy by lying along than by sitting down. For the
ladies' il did not at first consistent with their modesy
adopt the mode Of lying accordingly they kept 10 The old
custom all tie time Of the commonwealth but from the FIRST
Caesars they cat their beds. For the youth, who had
yet put on the i0ga r they long kept ancient
discipline. When they admitted to table they only
on the edge OF the DEUS o. eH nearest rbauons never aS
Suetonius did the young Cssars, Caius and Lucos
the table Of Augustus but they set in limo oc0
Tacitus expresses it. I'D ct fui-d From the greatest SIM
pcty the Romans by degrees carried their dni beds TO the
most surprising msgnfcence. Plny
thing 10 sec them covered with plates Of syer adornd
with the sofest and the richest counterpanes Lampr
jus speaking Of Heoeabuus says he had beds Of solid sill
versoEdo argento hadn't ecs and tricnidres, and cub
crLrre We may add that Pompey, in his third triumph
brought In beds Of gold The Romans hal also beds where
on they studied and beds whecon the dad carried TO
the funeral pile.