New-York tribune., 1908-10-25

OF u
/. was thirteen and a hall feet long and SIX feet
II wide but historical critics have Int1nated that
/ in his time warlike chiefs had the vanity %
make their bedsteads much larger than was
1 necessary.-on purpose 70 give a terrlo-e
Il impression of their size. IN case their camp
Il furniture. should fall into an enemy hands
II 1t Is not known that there Is any form OF bed
\ stead from the four poster TO the French th-l
H NAV not be found described by writers OF repre-
/ sented In works Of art. Ulysses manufacturer
/ one for himself of olive wood Inlald with gold
I and ivory The bed rested sometimes on
| boards laid across the frame. on thongs OK
| oxhide stretched over one another. or on a
/ netting of cord Plato speaks OF bedSteadS
| made of solid silver AthenRuS describes them
| as made of ivory and embossed with beduti-
| fully wrought figures, and LucIan mas them
veneered with Indian tortoise SHELL inLiI
with gold. In TheNSaly beds were stuffed
with fine grass
According to Atheneus. etfeninate gentle
men sometimes slept on beds OF sponge.
| Fashionable people IN Athens slept uilIc' .J
! coverlets Of dressed peacock skins. with the
/ feathers on ClearChuS the author Ot a treatise
on sleep. describes the bed of PaPhlan prince
in such a way that one can hardly Neep MS
| ewes open while reading OF II. over the Sost
| mattresses supported by a silver footed bed
stead was flung short grained Sandman
| carpet of the most expensive KIND \ CoVerlet
of downy texture succeeded, and upon TINS
was cast costly counterPane OF Amorglnlan
| purple. Cushions variegated with the richest
| purple supported his head while two SOFT
Dorian pillows OF pale pink gently raised his
feet
| One of the greatest Improvements introduced
| by the. Greeks into the art of sleeping the
i practice of undressing before going To bed
thing unheard of until hit upon by their IN
vcntive genius Bed coverings were often
pcrfurned with fragrant essences from the
| East C1unterpdueS were not only pcrtuucd,
but embroidered with figures OF animals and
men The luxury of lIzine~s was celebrated
by Ephippus
How l delight
To roll upon the dainty CoverleJ~
| Breathing the perfume of the rose. and >tccpcl
In tears of myrrh'
Theocritus speaks of
Carpets OF purple. softer far than sleep.
| Woven IN MIleSidu looms
One Is reminded OF the fr pillow fad IN read
ING that, During the Middle Ages beds were
made of coarse canvas and hlled with straw 'r
leaves. These could be opened and the hitter
remlde daily. a. Is the custom to-day with
MATTRESSES in the old fashioned inns oi France
and Italy
In the time of Chauccr We are told that "\~
| "a general thing IN old England the Young men
of the house and the guests slept or table,
and benches in the great hail. where WOODEN
coyerletS and blankets We're provided for
warmth Servants and attendant slept on the
floor
Later on. in the time of the Tudor~. TN,
tour-poSt bcdstcld, an immense piece Ot
furniture having Cduapy supported It each
corner by the posts. became the fashionable
sleeping couch On some OF the earlier bed
stcadS the columns terminated with figure
representing the four evangelist In we-
dievl ballad there Is mention made ot the
four gospclers ON the four pillars. and heads o-
angels all Of one mold" The invocation still.
III Use IN some of the English country place
is an echo of this old custom
Matthew Mark. Luke. and John.
Bless the bed that sleep On
Two angels al my head
Four angels round my bed
Two To- watch, and two L. pray.
| And two 70 carry my soul away
| Coming down tp modern tIWc-. it h. noted
that the stature of the t.,llc-t distinguished
American Qur the late General Scott v.ts taller
than Lincolnl was never bclIcd bv h1S be,Stcdd
That article of furniture was more likely o. De-
| too short than too long
| Everyone has noticed the heroic size at
tnbutcd To- General Winfield Scott I'M hi.
statues and portraits Few of them are ,.Nte-
geratiuns ot ms real proportions. He Wa srN
feet four and hall inch,s high. and perfectly
formed. In his full dress uniform he presented
superb aPPearancc- 1t is sand that the