VII.

23

BOOK made. 21 Bede once mentions that two candles

were lighted. 22

HAND-BELLS also appear. At one time twelve are stated to have been used in a monastery. A disciple of Bede sends to Lullus, in France, “the bell which I have at my hand.”24 A silver mirror is also once mentioned. 25

Of bed-furniture, we find in an Anglo-Saxon's will bed-clothes (beddreafes), with a curtain (hryfte), and sheet (hoppscytan), and all that thereto belongs; to his son he gives the bedreafe and all the clothes that appertain to it. 28

An Anglo-Saxon lady gives to one of her children two chests and their contents, her best bed-curtain, linen, and all the clothes belonging to it. To another child she leaves two chests, and “ all the bedclothes that to one bed belong." She also mentions her red tent(giteld). On another occasion we read of a pillow of straw.

A goat-skin bed. covering was sent to an Anglo-Saxon abbot. 29 In Judith we read of the gilded fly-net hung about the leader's bed. 30 Bear-skins are sometimes noticed as if a part of bed-furniture. There is a drawing of a Saxon bed and curtain in Claud. B. 4., which may be seen in Strutt, Horda Angelcynn, pl. xiii. fig. 2. The head and the bottom of the bed seem to be both boarded, and the pillows look as if made of platted straw. Not to go into a bed, but to lie on the floor, was occasionally enjoined as a penance.

28

31

32

For their food and conviviality they used many CHAP. expensive articles. It was indeed in these that their abundant use of the precious metals principally appeared. We perpetually read of silver cups, and sometimes of silver gilt. Byrhtric, in his will, bequeaths three silver cups. *2

Wulfur bequeaths four cups, two of which he describes as of four pounds' value. 33 Wynfleda gives, besides four silver cups, a cup with a fringed edge, a wooden cup variegated with gold, a wooden knobbed cup, and two smicere scencing cuppan, or very handsome drinking cups. 34 In other places we read of a golden cup, with a golden dish*; a gold cup of

35 immense weight*; a dish adorned with gold, and

36 another with Grecian workmanship. 37 gave a golden cup, weighing four marks and a half.38 The king of Kent sent to Boniface, the Anglo-Saxon missionary in Germany, a silver bason, gilt within, weighing three pounds and a

On another occasion, a great silver dish of excellent workmanship, and of great value, is noticed. 40

Two silver cups, weighing twelve marks, were used by the monks in a refectory, to serve their drink. i Two silver basons were given by a lady to a monastery.“ A king, in 833, gave his

. gilt cup, engraved without with vine-dressers fighting dragons, which he called his cross-bowl, because it had a cross marked within, and it had four angels projecting like a similar figure 43 ; two

A lady

half. 39

42

VII.

BOOK silver cups, with covers, in one place44; five silver cups in another 45

; and such like notices, sufficiently prove to us that the rich and great among the Anglo-Saxons had no want of plate. At other times we meet with cups of bone 46, brazen dishes 47, and a coffer made of bones. 48 We

may

infer that the less affluent used vessels of wood and horn. A council ordered that no cup or dish made of horn should be used in the sacred offices. 49

Horns were much used at table. Two buffalo horns are in Wynfleda's will. 50 Four horns are noticed in the list of a monastery's effects. Three horns worked with gold and silver occur52 ; and the Mercian king gave to Croyland monastery the horn of his table, “that the elder monks may drink thereout on festivals, and in their benedictions remember sometimes the soul of the donor, Witlaf." 53 The curiously carved horn which is still preserved in York cathedral was made in the Anglo-Saxon times, and deserves the notice of the inquisitive, for its magnitude and workmanship.

Glass vessels, which are among the most valuable of our present comforts, were little used in the time of Bede and Boniface. A disciple of Bede asked Lullus, in France, if there were any man in his parish who could make glass vessels well; if such a man lived there, he desired that he might be persuaded to come to England, because, adds he, “ we are ignorant and helpless in this art.” Bede mentions lamps of glass, and vessels for many

uses.55

Glass became more used in the conveni- CHAP.

VI. ences of domestic life towards the period of the Norman conquest.

Gold and silver were also applied to adorn their sword-hilts, their saddles and bridles, and their banners.56 Their gold rings contained gems; and even their garments, saddles, and bridles, were sometimes jewelled."

The presents which the father of Alfred took with him to Rome deserve enumeration, from their value, and because they show the supply of the precious metals which the Anglo-Saxons possessed; we derive the knowledge of them from Anastasius, a contemporary : a crown of the purest gold, weighing four pounds; two basons of the

purest gold, weighing *** pounds; a sword, bound with purest gold; two small images of the purest gold; four dishes of silver gilt; two palls of silk, with golden clasps; with other silk dresses, and gold clasps, and hangings. To the bishops, priests, deacons, and other clergy, and to the great at Rome, he distributed gold, and among the people, small silver.58 A few years afterwards, we learn from the same author, that the English then at Rome presented to the oratory in the pontifical palace, at Frescati, a silver table, weighing several pounds. In the age before this, we read of gold and silver vessels sent presents to Rome.60

Gold and silver roods, or crosses and crucifixes, are frequently mentioned 6); also a silver graphium,

* * *

59

55 Bede, p. 295. 56 Dugd. Mon. 266. ib. 24. Bede, iii. 11.

57 Aldhelm de Laud. Virg. 307. Eddius, 60. 62. 3 Gale Script. 494. Dugd. Mon. 24.

68 Anastatius Bibliot. de Vit. Pontif. p. 403. ed. Rom. 1718. 59 Ibid. 418.

60 Bede, iv. c. 1. 61 Wulf. Will. ap. Hickes Diss. Ep. 54. Ingulf, 9. Dugd. 233.

BOOK
VII.

63

or pen.

62 The crown of the Anglo-Saxon kings is described by the contemporary biographer of Dunstan as made of gold and silver, and set with various gems. They used iron very commonly, and often tin.

The Anglo-Saxons seems to have been acquainted with the precious stones.

In the MSS. Tib. A. 3., twelve sorts of them are thus described :

“ The first gem kind is black and green, which are both mingled together; and this is called giaspis. The other is saphyrus; this is like the sun, and in it appear like golden stars. The third is calcedonius ; this is like a burning candle. Smaragdus is very green.

Sardonix is likest blood. Onichinus is brown and yellow. Sardius is like clear blood. Berillus is like water. Crisoprassus is like a green leek, and green stars seem to shine from it. Topazius is like gold; and carbunculus is like burning fire.

64

The odoriferous productions of India, and the East, were known to our ancestors, and highly valued. They frequently formed part of their presents. Boniface sent to an abbess a little frankincense, pepper, and cinnamon , to another person, some storax and cinnamon.65 So he received from an archdeacon cinnamon, pepper, and costus.66 A deacon at Rome, once sent him four ounces of cinnamon, two ounces of costus, two pounds of pepper, and one pound of cozombri.67

The Anglo-Saxons used the luxury of hot baths. Their use seems to have been common ; for a nun is mentioned, who, as an act of voluntary mortification, washed in them only on festivals.68 Not to

63 MS. Cleop. B. 13. 64 Mag. Bib. xvi. p. 50.

66 Ibid. 119. 67 Ibid. 120. Costus, a kind of shrub growing in Arabia and Persia, and having a root of a pleasant spicy smell.