Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-07-24

The Kind OF Dwellings in which Our
English Forefathers Lived.

The Kind OF Dwellings in which Our
English Forefathers Lived.
The house. either in Saxon or Nor
man time, presented no kind Of resem-
blance to the Roman villa. II had no
cloisters, no ~hypocaust. no suite II Sc
quence of rooms. This unlikeness Is
another proof. If any were wanting,
that continuity of tenure was wholly
broken. II 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 architec-
ture, no new thing, but a 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 house
hold lived, fed, transacted business
and made their cheer in the evenings.
1t was built of timber, and to keep out
the cold draughts it was lined with
tapestry; at first simple cloths, which
in great houses were embroidered and
painted; perches of various kinds were
affixed TO the walls, wherein the
weapons, the musical instruments, the
cloaks, etc, we're hung. The lord and
lady sat in a high seat not, l am in
clined 10 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.
l have myself seen a college hall
warmed by a fire in a brazier burning
under the lantern Of the hall. The fur
niture consisted Of benches. The table
was laid OF t~restles, spread with a white
cloth and removed after dinner. The
hall was open 10 all who came on con
dition 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 COM
pany 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 King
ston-on-Hull, which very few English
people and still fewer Americans have
the curiosity 10 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 a complete
carpet. / believe this 10 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 OF sup
per, probably at a movable time, de-
pending on the length of the day.
When lighting was costly and can
dies were scarce, the hours Of sleep
would be naturally longer in winter
/. than In the summer In their manner
Of living the Saxons were fond Of veg
etables, 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 world, peas, radishes, tur-
nips, parsley. mint, sage, cress, rue and
other herbs. They had nearly all our
modern fruits, though many show by
their names, which are Latin or Nor
man, a later introduction. They made
use of butter. honey and cheese.
They drank ale and mead. The lat
ter is still made, but in small quanti-
ties, in Somersetshire. The Norman
brought over the custom Of drinking
wine.-Walter Besant in Harper's.