There were indeed places, like an Eastern caravansary,⑨ where travellers, carrying their own provisions, found a refuge from wind and rain by night within bare stone walls; the patched- up ruins, perhaps, of an old Roman villa or barrack, which afforded a cheerless shelter to the weary, dripping band. But the hospitality of the Old English folk, implanted both by custom and by law-not after the narrow modern fashion of entertaining friends, who give parties in return, but the welcoming to bed and board of all comers, known andunknown-caused the lack of inns to be scarcely felt, except in the wilder districts of the land.
No sooner did a stranger show his face at the iron-banded door of an Old English dwelling than water was brought to wash his hands and feet; and when he had deposited his arms with the keeper of the door, he took his place at the board among the family and friends of the host. For two nights no question pried into his business or his name; after that time the host became responsible for his character. There were few solitary wayfarers; for the very fact of being alone excited suspicion, and exposed the traveller to the risk of being arrested, or perhaps slain, as a thief.
NOTES
① Anglo-Saxon.-By the Anglo-Saxons we are to understand our Old-English forefathers. They, however, called themselves Englishmen; never Anglo-Saxons. That name is convenient enough to distinguish the earliest from later English; but in so far as it countenances the theory that the English speech and nation are the result of a combination of Anglo-Saxon and Norman elements, and different from both, it is wrong. The history of the language, which is the true test of nationality, can be traced in an unbroken line from the sixth and seventh centuries to the present day. The term Anglo-Saxon is liable to another objection. It is oftensupposed to mean English Saxon as distinguished from Continental Saxon; but in truth it only means Angles and Saxons in combination. Anglian or Old English for the speech and people, and Old England for the country, are, perhaps, less objection-able terms.
② Beech-mast.-The fruit of beech, oak, and other forest trees, is called in Old Englishmast.
③ The smith.-There were two kinds of smiths;-the armourer, who was well paid, and held a high social place; and the mere blacksmith, who did the coarser work.
④ Mead-bench, the bench on which they sat to drink mead, a kind of sweet wine made of honey and water.
⑤ The islands, the West Indies.
⑥ June, July-It is thought that the artist has here transposed June and July by mistake.
⑦ Byzant", a gold coin; so called from its having been made at Byzan"tium, afterwards Constantinople.
⑧ Inns.-Inn is an Old English word, meaning "lodging." Other names for it were gest- hus ; that is, "guest-house:" and cumena-hus ; that is, the "house of comers."⑨ Caravansary, a large square building with a spacious court in the centre, wherecaravans , or companies of travellers, are accommodated for the night.
QUESTIONS
Of what did beds in Old England consist? How were the men dressed? How were the women? What was the busiest part of the day in Old England? In what did the ladies occupy themselves? In what sports did the rich take part? What held the place of modern shooting? What handicrafts did the workingmen follow? What were the farmers chiefly? Whence do we know something of the year"s farm work? How did the steward keep count of the quantity of grain? What did ships bring from the Continent? What did they bear back? How did merchants travel? What formed common mediums of exchange? What were the means of travelling? Where did companies of travellers spend the night? What supplied the lack of inns?