15. In their dress, the Anglo-Saxon gentlemen wow a loose cloak, which fell down to the ancles, and over that a long robe, fastened by a clasp at the breast. These cloaks and robes, the rich frequently lined with furs, and bordered with embroidery. Chains of gold around the neck, and bracelets for the limbs, were favourite orna ments of the nobility, and occasionally presented to them as marks of royal favour, from whence their kings, in the pompous periphrasis of their minstrels, were de nominated the givers of golden chains. The soldiers and common people had a more convenient apparel of close coats, reaching only to the knee, and short outer cloaks. Their caps came to a point in front. The hair, among all distinctions of the lay-freemen, was worn long and flowing, and the beard continued long unsha ven, like those of the Longobards or Lombards, in Italy, till a fashion was introduced of shaving all but the upper lip. The linen shirt next the skin was thought an indispensible comfort, in so much, that it was an act of penance to wear a woollen one. The shape of their breeches much resembled that of our sailor's trowsers, but were considerably shorter. Stockings were known to the common people ; and it was even neces sary to enact, by law, that no priest should perform his ceremonies at the altar with naked legs. Shoes were more commonly worn; but in the ninth and tenth centu ries, the greatest monarchs of Europe were contented with the upper part of leather and the soles of wood.
The dress of the sexes was not very different in ap pearance ; the women wore a long loose robe reaching to the ground, with sleeves only reaching the elbows ; a veil over their heads, which hung down to the ground behind, was folded up before, and gathered round their necks and over their bosoms. From some particulars in the foregoing enumeration it will appear, that the dress of the rich, having much simplicity in its flowing outline, and much magnificence of ornament, the em broidered mantle, the studded belt, and the golden chain, were calculated to set off the fine persons of the Anglo Saxons to great advantage. The French historian of William the Conqueror* speaks with high admiration of the appearance of English nobles, when they made their appearance at the court of that prince.
Among the Anglo-Saxons every freeman was a sol dier, and never travelled or stirred abroad without his arms ; the very act of conferring arms was a symbol of emancipation.
16. From the progress of the smith's art among this people, it is not to be supposed that their military ward robe was defective in defensive armour. The panoply of the thanes and richer ceorls, who formed the cavalry of their armies, was, with a few unimportant exceptions, as complete as that which was used by the Normans, and in the latter ages of chivalry : there was one diffe rence, however, that the defensive armour of the horse had not yet been superadded to that or the rider. The
common ceorls, who constituted their infantry, were not seldom clad in mail like the men at arms in more recent periods, their accoutrement being only a broad sword or a spear with a round shield, which had an weapon in the centre. The swords of the horsemen were long and broad, and they wore a spear in a kind of vest. In the variety and science of their tactics they were confessedly inferior to the Normans in the days of William ; but in one instance the inva ders borrowed from the people they had conquered, a favourite figure in war, which was the solid square ; and, by ingraiting this on the Norman tactics, they won some considerable battles on the continent.
17. Hunting, hawking, and games of hazard, to the last of which they were extravagantly devoted, consti tuted the pastimes of the richer Anglo-Saxons,,and filled up whatever of the blank of life they rescued from the hours of war or debauchery. To these we must not omit adding their military games, from which the tourna ments of the middle ages were derived.
18. Their manners, though rough, were social. When married, they generally respected the nuptial tic, and, like all nations of the Gothic stock, were remarkable for their dignified treatment of women. Their boards were plentifully, but plainly supplied : large joints of meat, so much the favourite dish of their descendants, were generally preferred. The great use of salted meat in those days was a consequence of necessity, not of choice, from the want of provender for their cattle in winter ; and one month of the year, November, when they laid in their stock of salted provisions, was called blot-month, or At table, the seat of the guests was ceremoniously adjusted to their rank, the lady of the house sitting always at the head : she was usually called the bread-giver. By the laws of Canute, if ally one presumed to take a seat at table higher than his due, the company were allowed to pelt him with bones, without being held responsible for rudeness. The li quors used at genteel tables were wine, common and spiced ale, pigment., (a composition of wine, spice, and honey,) morat, (honey diluted with mulberry juice,) mead, and sometimes, though seldom, the unmixed wines of the continent.
19. They were fond of feasting, and the event of a marriage was always a pretext for conviviality ; but the ceremony of burial seems to have been a still more fes tive occasion. The house where the corpse lay till interment, was a constant scene of feasting, drinking, and even dancing ; nor conk! the afflicted relatives get rid of their guests, till all the liquor in the house had been exhausted. The clergy inveighed against such scandalous scenes, but the custom had been introduced in times of paganism, and was by much too pleasant to be abandoned during the half-christianity of those days.