The Society of the Middle Ages
The sixth book of our author deals with the conditions of man, passing in review youth and age, male and female, serf and lord. Our extracts from it fall into three groups.
The first deals in great measure with the relations of family life We have an account of the boy and the girl (as they appeared to a friar 'of orders grey'), the infant and its nurse. However we may suspect Bartholomew of wishing to provide a text in his account of the bad boy, it is consoling to find that the 'enfant terrible' had his counterpart in the thirteenth century as well as the maiden known to us a14 who is 'demure and soft of speech, but well ware of what she says.'
The second group presents medieval society to us under the influence of chivalry. Suitably enough, we have beside each other most life-like picture of the base and superstructure of the system This, the man-free, generous' that, the serf-vile ungrateful, kept in order by fear alone, but the necessary counterpart of the splendid figure of his master. One of our writers to day has regretted the absence of a chapter in praise of the good man to set beside Solomon's picture of the virtuous woman. Bartholomew has certainly endeavored in the two chapters quoted here 'Of a Man,' and' Of a Good Lord,' to picture the ideal good man of chivalrous times. It may, however, be per-mitted us who look at the system from underneath, to sympathize with those of our fellows who freed themselves from bondage under Tyler and John Ball rather than with their splendid oppressors, and to recognize that the system however necessary in the thirteenth century, had lost its value when its lords had ceased to be such good lords as our author describes.
THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FATHERS.
The third group would naturaly consist of passages illustrating the
daily life of our ancestors, but the editor has found some difficulty in
getting together passages enough for the purpose without trenching on the
confines of other chapters. He has accordingly left them scattered over
the book, persuaded that the reader will feel their import better when
they are seen in their context. Such a book as this, is not open to the
objections urged against' pictures of medieval life drawn from romances,
that the situations are invented and the manners suited to the situation.
Here all is true, and written with no other aim than that of utilizing
knowledge common to all. Everywhere through these extracts little statements-a
few words in most cases-crop up giving us information of this kind; but
it would be impossible to do more than allude to them. Leaving our reader
to notice them as they are met with, the description of a medieval dinner
concludes the chapter. The chapter describing a supper which follows
it in. the original is too long for quotation, and is vitiated by
a desire to draw analogies. But one feature is noteworthy: Among the properties
of a good supper, 'the ninth is plenty of light of candles, and of prickets,
and of torches. For it is shame to sup in darkness, and perilous also for
flies and other filth. There-fore candles and prickets are set on
candlesticks and chandeliers, lanterns and lamps are necessary to burn.'
This little touch gives us the reverse of the picture, and reminds us of
the Knight of the Tower's caution to his daughters about their behavior
at a feast.
OF A CHILD
Such children be nesh of flesh, lithe and pliant of body, able and light
to moving, witty to learn. And lead their lives without thought and care.
And set their courages only of mirth and liking, and dread no perils more
than beating with a rod: and they love an apple more than gold. When they
be praised, or shamed, or blamed, they set little thereby. Through stirring
and moving of the heat of the flesh and of humours, they be lightly and
soon wroth, and soon pleased, and lightly they forgive. And for tenderness
of body they be soon hurt and grieved, and may not well endure hard travail.
Since all children be tatched with evil manners, and think only on things
that be, and reck not of things that shall be, they love plays, game, and
vanity, and forsake winning and profit. And things most worthy they repute
least worthy, and least worthy most worthy. They desire things that be
to them contrary and grievous, and set more of the image of a child, than
of the image of a man, and make more sorrow and woe, and weep more for
the loss of an apple, than for the loss of their heritage. And the goodness
that is done for them, they let it pass out of mind. They desire all things
that they see, and pray and ask with voice and with hand. They love talking
and counsel of such children as they be, and void company of old men.
They keep no counsel, but they tell all that they hear or see. Suddenly
they laugh, and suddenly they weep. Always they cry, jangle, and
jape; that unneth they be still while they sleep. When they be washed of
filth, anon they defile themselves again. When their mother washeth and
combeth them, they kick and sprawl, and put with feet and with hands, and
withstand with all their might. They desire to drink always, unneth they
are out of bed, when they cry for meat anon.
OF A MAID
Men behove to take heed of maidens: for they be tender of complexion;
small, pliant and fair of disposition of body: shamefast, fearful, and
merry. Touching outward disposition they be well nurtured, demure and soft
of speech, and well ware of what they say: and delicate in their apparel.
And for a woman is more meeker than a man, she weepeth sooner. And is more
envious, and more laughing, and loving, and the malice of the soul is more
in a woman than in a man. And she is of feeble kind, and she maketh more
lesings, and is more shamefast, and more slow in working and in moving
than is a man.
OF A NURSE,
A nurse hath that name of nourishing, for she is ordained to nourish
and to feed the child, and therefore like as the mother, the nurse is glad
if the child be glad, and heavy, if the child be sorry, and taketh the
child up if it fall, and giveth it suck if it weep she kisseth and lulleth
it still, and gathereth the limbs, and bindeth them together, and doth
cleanse and wash it when it is de-filed. And for it cannot speak, the nurse
lispeth and soundeth the same words to teach more easily the child that
can not speak. And she useth medicines to bring the child to convenable
estate if it be sick, and lifteth it up now on her shoulders, now on her
hands, now on her knees and lap, and lifteth it up if it cry or weep. And
she cheweth meat in her mouth, and maketh it ready to the toothless child,
that it may the easilier swallow that meat, and so she feedeth the child
when it is an hungered, and pleaseth the child with whispering and songs
when it shall sleep, and swatheth it in sweet clothes, and righteth and
stretcheth out its limbs, and bindeth them together with cradlebands, to
keep and save the child that it have no miscrooked limbs. She batheth
and anointeth it with good anointments.
OF A SERVANT
A servant woman is ordained to learn the wife's rule, and is put to
office and work of travail, toiling, and slubbering. And is fed with gross
meat and simple, and is clothed with clothes, and kept low under the yoke
of thraldom and serfage; and if she conceive a child, it is thrall or it
be born, and is taken from the mother's womb to serfage. Also if a serving
woman be of bond condi-tion, she is not suffered to take a husband at her
own will; and he that weddeth her, if he be free afore, he is made bond
after the contract. A bond servant woman is bought and sold like a beast
And if a bond servant man or woman be made free, and afterwards be unkind,
he shall be called and brought again into charge of bondage and of thraldom.
Also a bond servant suffereth many wrongs, and is beat with rods, and constrained
and held low with diverse and contrary charges and travails among wretchedness
and woe. Unneth he is suffered to rest or to take breath. And therefore
among all wretchedness and woe the condition of bondage and thralldom is
most wretched. It is one property of bond serving women, and of them
that be of bond condition, to grudge and to be rebel and unbuxom to their
lords and ladies, as saith Rabanus. And when they be not held low
with dread, their hearts swell, and wax stout land proud, against the commandments
of their sovereigns. Dread maketh bond men and women meek and low, and
goodly love maketh them proud and stout and despiteful.
OF A MAN,
A man is called Vir in Latin, and bath that name of might and strength.
For in might and strength a man passeth a woman. A man is the head of a
woman, as the apostle saith. And therefore a man is bound to rule
his wife, as the head bath charge and rule of the body And a man
is called Maritus, as it were warding and defending Matrem, the mother,
for he taketh ward and keeping of his wife, that is mother of the children.
And is called Sponsus also, and bath that name of Spondere, for that he
behoveth and obligeth himself. For in the contract of wedding he
plighteth his troth to lead his life with his wife without departing, and
to pay her his debt, and to keep her and love her afore all other. A man
bath so great love to his wife that for her sake he adventureth himself
to all perils; and setteth her love afore his mother's love; for he dwelleth
with his wife, and forsaketh father and mother. Afore wedding, the spouse
thinketh to win love of her that he wooeth with gifts, and certifieth of
his will with letters and messengers, and with divers presents, and giveth
many gifts, and much good and cattle, and promiseth much more. And to please
her he putteth him to divers plays and games among gatherings of men, and
useth oft deeds of arms, of might, and of mastery. And maketh him gay and
seemly in divers clothing and array. And all that he is prayed to give
and to do for her love, he giveth and doth anon with all his might And
denote no petition that is made in her name and for her love. He
speaketh to her pleasantly, and beholdeth her cheer in the face with pleasing
and glad cheer, and with a sharp eye, and at last assenteth to her, and
telleth openly his will in presence of her friends, and spouseth her with
a ring, and giveth her gifts in token of contract of wedding, and maketh
her charters, and deeds of grants and of gifts. He maketh revels
and feasts and spousals, and giveth many good gifts to friends and guests,
and com-forteth and gladdeth his guests with songs and pipes and other
minstrelsy of music. And afterward, when all this is done, he bringeth
her to the privities of his chamber, and maketh her fellow at bed and at
board. And then he maketh her lady of his money, and of his house, and
meinie. And then he is no less diligent and careful for her than he is
for himself: and specially lovingly he adviseth her if she do amiss, and
taketh good heed to keep her well, and taketh heed of her bearing and going,
of her speaking and looking, of her passing and ayencoming, out and home.
No man hath more wealth, than he that bath a good woman to his wife, and
no man hath more woe, than he that hath an evil wife, crying and jangling,
chiding and scolding, drunken, lecherous, and unsteadfast, and contrary
to him, costly, stout and gay, envious, noyfull, leaping over lands, much
suspicious, and wrathful. In a good spouse and wife behoveth these
conditions, that she be busy and f devout in God's service, meek and serviceable
to her husband, and fair-speaking and goodly to her meinie, merciful and
good to wretches that be needy, easy and peaceable to her neighbours, ready,
wary, and wise in things that should be avoided, mightiful and patient
in suffering, busy and diligent in her doing, mannerly in clothing, sober
in moving, wary in speaking, chaste in looking honest in bearing, sad in
going, shamefast among the people, merry and glad with her husband, and
chaste in privity. Such a wife is worthy to be praised, that en-tendeth
more to please her husband with such womanly dues, than with her braided
hairs, and desireth more to please him with virtues than with fair and
gay clothes, and useth the goodness of matrimony more because of children
than of fleshly liking, and hath more liking to have children of grace
than of kind.
OF A FATHER,
A man loveth his child and feedeth and nourisheth it, and setteth it
at his own board when it is weaned. And teacheth him in his youth with
speech and words, and chasteneth him with beating, and setteth him and
putteth him to learn under ward and keeping of wardens and tutors. And
the father sheweth him no glad cheer, lest be wax proud, and he loveth
most the son that is like to him, and looketh oft on him. And giveth to
his children clothing, meat and drink as their age requireth,
and purchaseth lands and heritage for his children, and ceaseth not to
make it more and more. And entaileth his purchase, and leaveth it
to his heirs. . . The child cometh of the substance of father and
mother, and taketh of them feeding and nourishing, and profiteth not, neither
liveth, without help of them. The more the father loveth his child, the
more busily he teacheth and chastiseth him and holdeth him the more strait
under chastising and lore; and when the child is most loved of the
father it seemeth that he loveth him not; for he beateth and grieveth him
oft lest he draw to evil manners and tatches, and the more the child is
like to the father, the better the father loveth him. The father is ashamed
if he hear any foul thing told by his children. The father's heart is sore
grieved, if his children rebel against him. In feeding and nourishing
of their children stands the most business and charge of the parents.
OF A SERVANT,
Some servants be bond and born in bondage, and such have many pains
by law. For they may not sell nor give away their own good and cattle,
nother make contracts, nother take office of dignity, nother bear witness
without leave of their lords. Wherefore though they be not in childhood,
they be oft punished with pains of childhood. Other servants there be,
the which being taken with strangers and aliens and with enemies be bought
and sold, and held low under the yoke of thraldom. The third manner of
servants be bound freely by their own good will, and serve for reward and
for hire. And these commonly be called Famuli.
OF A GOOD LORD,
The name lord is a name of sovereignty, of power, and of might.
For without a lord might not the common profit stand secure, neither the
company of men might be peaceable and quiet. For if power and might of
rightful lords were witholden and taken away, then were malice free, and
goodness and innocence never secure, as saith Isidore. A rightful lord,
by way of rightful law, heareth and determineth causes, pleas, and strifes,
that be between his subjects, and ordaineth that every man have his own,
and draweth his sword against malice, and putteth forth his shield of righteousness,
to defend innocents against evil doers, and delivereth small children and
such as be fatherless, and motherless, and widows, of them that overset
them. And he pursueth robbers and reivers, thieves and other evil doers.
And useth his power not after his own will, but he ordaineth and disposeth
it as the law asketh. . . . By reason of one good king and one good lord,
all a country is wor-shipped, and dreaded, and enhanced also. Also this
name lord is a name of peace and surety. For a good lord ceaseth war, battle,
and fighting: and accordeth them that be in strife. And so under a good,
a strong, d a peaceable lord, men of the country be secure and safe
For there dare no man assail his lordship, ne in no manner break his peace.
OF DINNER AND FEASTING
Meat and drink be ordained and convenient to dinners and to feasts, for at feasts first meat is prepared and arrayed, guests be called together, forms and stools be set in the hall, and tables, cloths, and towels be ordained, disposed, and made ready. Guests be set with the lord in the chief place of the board, and they sit not down at the board before the guests wash their hands. Children be set in their place, and servants at a table by themselves. First knives, spoons, and salts be set on the board, and then bread and drink, and many divers messes; household servants busily help each other to do everything diligently, and talk merrily together. The guests be gladded with lutes and harps. Now wine and now messes of meat be brought forth and departed. At the last cometh fruit and spices, and when they have eaten, board, cloths, and relief are borne away, and guests ', wash and wipe their hands again. Then grace is said, and guests thank the lord. Then for gladness and comfort drink is brought yet again. When all this is done at meat, men take their leave, and some go to bed and sleep, and some go home to their own lodgings.