Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1896-06-27
FROsTBURG, Md, SATURDAY, JUNE ~, 1896.

wore q short velvet cloak, trimmed with
fur, over a doublet and hose. The shoes
were pointed, as were the remarks
made by the irate parent, and generally
the shoes and remarks accompanied each
other when young tradesman sought
the hand of tho daughter, while she
had looked forward to 200 mile ride
on the crupper of a knight errant with
out stopping for feed or water.
In those days also the fool made no
effort to disguise his folly by going to
congress OF fussing with the currency,
but wore a uniform which designated
his calling and saved time in estimating
his value.
The clergy in those days possessed the
bulk Of knowledge, and had matters so
continued the vacant pew would have
less of hold ON people than it has to-
day, but in some way knowledge escap-
ed from the cloister and percolated
through the other professions, SO that
today in England out of good sized
family the pulpit generally has to take
what is left after the army, navy, poll
tics, law and golf have had the pick.
The Normans ate two meals a day
and introduced better cooking among
the Saxons, who had been accustomed to
eat very little except while under the
influence Of stimulants, and who there
fore did not realize what they ate. The
Normans went in more for meat vict-
nals, and thus the names of meat, such as
veal, beef, pork and mutton, are of Nor
man origin, while the names of the ami
mails in live state are calf, OK, pig and
sheep, all Saxon names.
The Authors club Of England at this
time consisted Of Geoffrey of Monmouth
and another man. They wrote their
books with quill pens, and if the au-
thorities did not like what was said the
author could be made to suppress the
entire edition for a weeks board, or for
a bumper of Rhenish wine with touch
of pepper sauce in it he would change
the Objectionable part by means of an
eraser.
1t was under these circumstances that
the Plantagenets became leaders in So
ciety and added their valuable real es-
tate i'll France to the English domin-
ions. In 1854 Henry Plantagenet was
thus the most powerful monarch in Eu-
rope and by wedding his son Geoffrey to
the daughter Of the Duke of Brittany
soon scooped in that valuable property
also.
He broke up the custom of issuing
pickpocket and felony licenses to his
nobles seized the royal stone piles and
other nests for common sneak thieves
and resolved to give the people chance
to pay taxes and die natural deaths. The
disorderly mobiles were reduced to the
ranks or sent away to institutions for
inebriates, and people began to permit
their daughters to go about the place
unarmed.
Foreign mercenaries who had long in
Tested the country were ordered to leave
it under penalty of having their person
al possessions confiscated and their own
carcasses dissected and fed to the wild
boars.
Henry next gave his attention to the
ecclesiastic power. He chose Thomas a
Beckett to the vacant portfolio as arch
bishop of Canterbury, hoping thus to Sc
cure him as an ally, but Beckett,
though accustomed to ride after four
in-hand and assume style equal to the
king himself, suddenly became extreme
ly devout, and austerity characterized
this child of fortune insomuch that
each day on bended knees he bathed the
chapped and soiled feet of 13 beggars.
Why ID beggars should come around ev-
cry morning to the archbishop's study
to have their feet manicured or how
that could possibly mollify an outraged
God the historian does not claim to
state, and, in fact, is not able to throw
any light upon it at the price agreed
upon for this book.
Trouble now arose between the king
and the archbishop, a protracted cool
ness, during which the kings pew grew
gray with dust, and he had to baptize
and confirm his own children in addi-
tion to his other work.
The king now summoned the prel-
ates, but they excused themselves from
coming on the grounds of previous ell
gagements. Then he summoned the no.
bles also and gave the prelates one more
chance, which they decided to avail
themselves of. Thus the Constitutions
of Clarendon" We're adopted in 1854,
and Beckett, though he at first bolted the
action Of the convention, soon became
reconciled and promised to fall into
line, though he hated it like sin.
Then the Roman pontiff annulled the
constitutions and scared Beckett back
again into his original position. This
angered the king, who condemned his
old archbishop, and he fled to France,
where he had tall time The pope
threatened to excommunicate Henry,
but the latter told him to go ahead, as
he did not fear excommunication, hav-
ing been already twice exposed to it
while young.
Finally Beckett was banished, but
after six years returned, and all seemed
again smooth and joyous, but Beckett
kept up the war indirectly against
Henry till one day he exclaimed in his
~l{lX6x{; ,