Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-08-08
THE SAXON HOUSE.
How our English Forefathers Lived

Tie house. either in Saxon or Norman
time, presented no kind of resemblance
to the Roman villa. 1t had no cloisters,
no hypocaust, no suite or sequence Of
rooms. This unlikeness is another proof,
if any we're wanting, that continuity of
tenue was wholly broken. IF the Saxons
went into Tendon, as has been suggested,
ppaceaby. and left the people &c carry on
their old life and their trade IN their own
way, the Roman and British architecture,
no new thing, but style grown up in
course of years and fitted to the climate,
would certainly have remained. That,
however. was not the case. The English
man developed his house from the patri-
arcbai idea. First there was the common
hall: in this the household lived, fed,
transac ed business, and made their cheer
in the evenings. Ii was built of timber,
and to keep out the cold draughts 1t was
lined with tapestry; at first simple cloth,
which in great houses were EN- 1rOldered
and painted; percLes OF various kinds
were affixed TO the walls. wherein the
weapons, the musical instruments, the
cloaks etc, were hung. The Lord AMI
Lady sat in a high seat not | am inciIn
ed to think, on a dias at the end Of the
hall, which would have beer cold for them,
but on a great chair near the ire, which
was burning in the middle of the ball.
have myself seen a college hall warmed
by a fire in a brazier burning under be
lantern of The hall. The furniture con-
sisted of benches the table was laid II
trestles. spread with a white doth, and
removed after dinner The hall was open
to all who came, on condition that the
guest left his weapon at the door. The
floor was covered with reeds, which made
a clean, soft. and warm carpet on which
company could, if they pleased, lie round
the FIRE. They had carpets or rugs also
but reeds were commonly used The trav-
eler who CHANGED TO find himself at the
ancient town Of Kingston on-HuIl, which
very few English people, and still fewer
Americans, have the curiosity TO explore,
should visit the Trinity House. There
among many interesting things, he will
find a hall where reeds are still spread,
but no longer So thickly as to form com
pete carpet believe this to be the last
survival of She reed carpet. The times Of
meals were the breakfast at about nine;
and the moon meat, or dinner, az twelve
and the"even meat, or supper, probably
at a movable time depending on the length
of the day When lighting was costly
and candles were scarce, the hours Of sleep
would be naturally longer in winter than
in summer In their manner Of living
the SaxOns we're fond Of vegetables, espec-
tally of the leek, onion, and gorlic Beans
they also mad these were introduced prob.
ably at the time when they commenced
intercourse with the outer worldl, pease.
radisnes, tumips, parsley, mint, sage
crass, rue, and other herbs They had
nearly all our modern fruits, though
many show by their names which arr
Latin or Norman, a latter introduction
They made use Of butter, honey, aud
cheese. They drank ale and mead. The
latter is still made, but in small quaint
ties. in S1mersetshire The Norman
brought over the custom Of drinking wine
From London Saxon and Norman, b
Walter Besaut, in Harper Magazine e.
july.
Father said senator son wbo b.
just arrived at Washington, u fuI
realize that | have many shortComings-
Yes. and have no doubt that this b oI.
Of them You are short and are comiI
10 tell me about It,