The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-12-14
Old Time Discomf0rtg.

Only three hundred years ago, even
rich people lived in mud huts, while
Kings and cardinals knew nothing of the
luxury of glazed windows and elegant
furniture, even in beautiful, wealthy Eng.
land, whence many of our ancestors
came, and from which not only our
language. but nearly all our laws and
customs have been obtained. In place
oi our downy carpets, their carthen
floors were strewn with hay; instead Of
geslight, they had only torches or lamps
OF the .udest make; and even chimneys
were unknown in England until the thir.
teenth century. Previous to that period.
the blnzng logs were piled on stone in
the centre of the CHIEF apartments, while
inc smoke made lts escape through n
hole in the roof The manufa .lure of
glass for windows was first introduced in
1907, plates Of horn being made to sup.
ply it's place until then. Beckett. the
Archbishop of Canterbury, was charged
with eitenlnacy, because he had clean
straw spread over the floor Of his dining.
room every morning in winter, and fresh
oulrushes in summer, in order that
SUCH OF his guests ~ could not find
room Oh the benches might sit down on the
floor and eat comfortably. The royal bed
of even the third Henry consisted merely
OF a litter OF loose rushes and leather
without either sheets, pillows, or counter.
pane; and it WAS not until the close Of
the fifteenth century that straw was discGr.
ded from the sleeping apartments of the
n'onarchs of England. We are told hy
verltable historians that Henry III. was
the first English king who ever wore a
shirt and even the luxurious Henry
VIII. knew nothing of the comforts of
irenl stockings, their place being supplied
by cloth hose" not very unlike Chinese
stockings Of the present day, which were
simply ill.shapen bags for the feet, com
posed of unbleached shifting. AS these
bags" possess no elasticity. they cannon
be fitted to the foot or ankle, but must
be made double the size of an ordinary
stocking, in order to be pulled over the
heel and instep.
Those were emphatically the days of
straw beds and bare floors. of smoky CELL
ings and unglazed windows, days OF
ieathern doubieta in place Of linen shirts,
OF wooden shoes and no stockings; while
such convenicnces as forks and glasses,
watches, bonnets. books and coaches, ami
even soap, were almost unknown. Tables
were not used to eat on, but only o
board, brought out when needed, and
laid aside when the meal was over. The
family and guests were called together hy
the sound Of horn; and. the cloth
which wsR, until the reign of Elizabeth,
only piece of tapestry or coarse carpet
was not spread on the board until all
were seated. Rude wooden bowls and
platters, and sort of rough, ungazed
crockery, about as elegant rs our roofing
tiles, were the chief tableware known in
England, till the art Of glazing crockery.
was discovered by Palissy, about the
middle of the sixteenth century. Horns
were also used for drinking; and. as
they could not stand upright, 1t became
as soon as they were filled. Hence origi-
a drinking glass; and hence may also
have been acquired the habit of drinking
to excess, for which our Saxon ancestors
were noted. It would be we'll il this
habit had not been handed down 80 faith.
fully TO some Of their deacendants
Each man uaually had his horn, which
he carried about with him wherever he
went. They were sometimes elaborately
carved and ornamented with gold or sil.
yer, and In such cases were considered Of
sufficient value to be left by will to q
favorite heir, just as We would bequeatb
valuable jewels or costly plate. Another
use made Of the drinking. horn in those
days was to give 1t in pledge of q con
tract or conveyance Of an estate, in the
way we now witness by seal; and one
family are said to have held their land
from Canute the Dane with no other
proof thnn the possession of his drinking
horn.