Social life in Britain from the conquest to the reformation / compiled by G.G. Coulton.

  • George Gordon Coulton
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Social life in Britain from the conquest to the reformation / compiled by G.G. Coulton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    hit besemethe suche bloode. That peple dothe eite selde whete that is baken in an ove[n] ; the meites of whom be buttyr, mylke, and chese; whiche provoke a man to drynke methe and ale, whiche thei do use daily. Thei accompte that wyne most principalle whiche is moste redde, whiche peple usenge to drynke seasethe not from communicacion and talkenge of ydelele thynges. Salt and lekes be to theyme solace at meyte, and after; acomptenge that a grete solace to yiffe a caldron with potages to men syttenge abowte and to divide to every man his porcion, kepenge to hym the remanente. But the infortuny of flesche nyouthe1 theim moche, eitenge salmon hoote, ageyne the precepte of phisike. Whiche inhabite howses, whom thei make of litelle roddes; not nye to gedre, as thei use to make edificacions in cites. This peple useth to devoure the goodes of other men after that thei have devourede theire owne goodes, eitenge that thei fynde, returnenge after that to theire owne places, spendenge theire life in ydelnesse and in slauthe. The consuetude is of Walche men to giffe water to theire gestes to drynke. And if thei wasche theire feete, thei thenke that thei be wellecommen. Men of that cuntre vse in theire festes a crowde2, an harpe and trumpes. But at the deth of a man thei crye lyke to wrylde bestes in exaltenge the bloode of Troy, of whom they toke begynnenge. That peple thenkethe men nye to theyme by bloode whome a C. degrees do separate. Neverthelesse thei be obediente to pristes, worschippenge theyme as the angelles of God. The prophecy of Merlyne and wycche crafte was wonte to begile theyme and to move theim to batelles. But nowe thei chaunge theire maneres gretely in to better exercise thro the communicacion of Saxones. Thei tylle feldes and gardynes, and applye theim to inhabite townes, usenge haburgeones and goenge with schoes, refresch- enge theim in meites after curtesy, slepenge in beddes after the consuetude of Englische rather then after the maner of theim usede afore tyme. And if the cause be inquirede why thei lyve so now rather then in tymes afore, hyt may be ansuerede and seide that rychesse be the cause ther of, but 1 hurts. 2 small fiddle.
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