Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-30
THE SAXON HOUSE.
Glance at the Dwellings and Habits of
Our English Forefathers.

A Glance at the Dwellings and Habits of
Our English Forefathers.
The house, either in Saxon or Nor
man time, presented no kind of resem-
blance to the Roman villa. It had no
cloister, no hypocaust, no suite or
sequence of rooms. This un1ikeliness
is another proof, if any were wanting,
that continuity of tenure was wholly
broken. If the SaXons went into Lon
don, as has been suggested, peaceably,
and left the people to 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 found fitted to the
climate, would certainly have re-
manned. That, however, was not the
case. The Englishman developed his
house from the patriarchal idea. First
there was the common hall In this
the household lived, fed, transacted
business and made their cheer in the
evenings 1t was built of timber, and
to keep out the cold draughts was lined
with tapestry; at first simple cloths,
which in great houses were embroid-
cred and painted; perches of various
kinds were affixed to the walls, where
on the weapons, the musical instru-
ments, the cloakS, etc, were hung. The
lord and lady sat in high seat; not, 1
am inclined to think on a dais at the
end of the hall, which would have been
cold for them, but on a great chair
near the fire, which was burning in the
middle of the hall 1 have myself seen
a college hall warmed by a fire in a
brazier burning under the lantern of
the hall. The furniture consisted of
benches; the table was laid on trestles,
spread with a white cloth, and removed
after dinner. The hall was open to all
who came, on condition that the guest
left his weapons at the door. The floor
was covered with reeds which made a
clean, soft and warm carpet, on which
the company could, if they pleased, lie
round the fire. They had carpets or
rugs also, but reeds were commonly
used. The traveller who CHANGED to
find himself at the ancient town of
Kingston-on-Hull, which very few En-
glish people, and still fewer Americans,
have the curiosity to explore, should
visit the Trinity house. There, among
many interesting things, he will find
hall where reeds are still spread,
but no longer SO thickly as to
form complete carpet. be-
lieve this to be the last survival of the
reed carpet. The times of meals were
the breakfast at about nine; the moon
meat or dinner, at 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 man
ner Of living the Saxons were fond of
vegetables, especially of the leek,
onion and garlic. Beans they also had
(these were introduced probably at the
time when they commenced intercourse
with the outer worldly. pease, radishes,
turnips, parsley, mint, sage. cress. rue
and herbs. They had nearly all our
modern fruits, though many show by
their names, which are Latin or Nor.
man, later introduction They made
use of butter. honey and cheese. They
drank ale and mead. The latter is still
made, but in small quantities in Som
ersetshire. The Norman brought over
the custom of drinking wine.-Walter
Besant, in Harper's Magazine.
Both Sides of the Question.-eYou