. Manners and customs of the English nation, from the invation of Julius Cæsar to the present time . .They became the greatest favourites of the fair,and the objects of universal admiration. Themost magnificent tournament celebrated in thisperiod, was that proclaimed by Henry II. ofEngland, in the plains of Beaucaire, at which nofewer than 10,000 knights were present, besidesladies and other spectators. * When companies of knights attacked eachother, the encounter was called a melee; butgenerally two only engaged in combat. In theencounters persons were sometimes killed. Henrythe Seconds son G
. Manners and customs of the English nation, from the invation of Julius Cæsar to the present time . .They became the greatest favourites of the fair,and the objects of universal admiration. Themost magnificent tournament celebrated in thisperiod, was that proclaimed by Henry II. ofEngland, in the plains of Beaucaire, at which nofewer than 10,000 knights were present, besidesladies and other spectators. * When companies of knights attacked eachother, the encounter was called a melee; butgenerally two only engaged in combat. In theencounters persons were sometimes killed. Henrythe Seconds son Geoffrey was killed in a tourna-ment at Paris. Strutt describes some military sports as peculiarto the young men of London in the twelfthcentury. At this period, too, the same writer saysthat it was common for the young men and maidensof the city to meet for dancing and merrymakingafter the labours of the day; that the city damselsplayed on citherns for the amusement of all present; ?Adams—New Hist, of Great Britain; pp. 96-7. See MillssHistory of Chivalry, Ch. VI., on Tournaments and Wandering Minstrels. THE ENGLISH NATION. 83 and that the dancing was kept up by the light ofthe moon, usque imminente luna. Most of the arts and scenes then known weregreatly improved, especially agriculture, sculpture,painting, and architecture. In the twelfth centurygreat improvements were made in architecture,though the country people still lived in windows were first used in private houses inthe year 1180. In Johns reign chimneys were in-vented ; before his reign the smoke had to escapeeither through the doorway, or through a hole inthe roof. As far as we can ascertain, the Normansintroduced very few articles of furniture in theeleventh century. It is probable, however, thatthe improvement of taste and increased wealthwere soon manifested in the application of theuseful and decorative arts to the convenience ofdomestic life. An incident is related by an oldwriter, which
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