in their houses than in their food. Toward the end of the fixteenth century, when Hollinfhed wrote, the people of England were beginning to build with brick and stone. Formerly houfes were made of timber posts, wattled together and plaftered with clay to keep out the cold: the roof was ftraw, fedge, or reed. It was an obfervation of a Spaniard in Queen Mary's days, "These English have their "houfes of flicks and dirt, but they fare 66 as well as the King." Hollinfhed mentioning multitudes of chimneys lately erected, obferves, upon the authority of fome old men, that in their younger days there were not above two or three, if fo many, in most uplandish towns of the realm, religious houfes and manor places of their lords excepted; but that each made his fire against a rere-doffe in the hall, where he dined, and dreffed his meat. From Lord Northumberland's houfeholdbook, it would feem, that grates were unknown at that time, and that they burnt their coal upon the hearth: a certain fum is allotted for purchafing wood; becaufe, fays the book, coals will not burn without it. There is alfo a certain fum allotted arras. allotted for purchafing charcoal, that the fmoke of the fea-coal might not hurt the In the fourteenth century, the houfes of private perfons in Paris, as well as in London, were of wood. Morrison, who wrote in the beginning of the last century, fays, that at London the houses of the citizens were very narrow in the freet-front, five or fix ftories high, commonly of wood and clay with plafter. The streets of Paris, not being paved, were covered with mud; and yet for a woman to travel thefe ftreets in a cart, was held an article of luxury, and as fuch prohibited by Philip the Fair. Paris is enlarged two thirds fince the death of Henry IV. though at that time it was perhaps no less populous than at prefent. People were equally plain in their household-furniture. While money was fcarce, fervants got land inftead of wages. An old tenure in England, binds the vaffal to find ftraw for the King's bed, and hay for his horfe. From Lord Northumberland's household-book, mentioned above, it appears, that the linen allowed for a whole year amounted to no more but feventy ells; of which there were to be eight tablecloths cloths (no napkins) for his Lordship's table, and two towels for washing his face and hands. Pewter veffels were prohibited to be hired, except on Christmas, Eafter, St George's day, and Whitfunday. Hollinshed mentions his converfing with old men who remarked many alterations in England within their remembrance; that their fathers, and they themselves formerly, had nothing to fleep on but a ftraw pallat, with a log of wood for a pillow; a pillow, faid they, being thought meet only for a woman in childbed; and that if a man in seven years after marriage could purchase a flock-bed, and a fack of chaff to reft his head upon, he thought himself as well lodged as the lord of the town; who peradventure lay feldom on a bed entirely of feathers. Another thing they remarked, was change of householdveffels from timber plates into pewter, and from wooden spoons into tin or filver. Nor were they lefs plain in their drefs. By an act of parliament in Scotland, anno 1429, none were permitted to wear filk or coftly furs, but ́knights and lords of 200 merks yearly rent. But luxury in dress advanced fo faft, that by another 1 act, anno 1457, the fame drefs was permitted to aldermen, bailies, and other good worthy men within burgh. And by a third act, anno 1471, it was permitted to gentlemen of L. 100 yearly rent. By a fumptuary law in Scotland, anno 1621, cloth of gold and filver, gold and filver lace, velvet, fatin, and other silk stuffs, were prohibited except to noblemen, their wives and children, to lords of parliament, prelates, privy counsellors, lords of manors, judges, magiftrates of towns, and to those who have 6000 merks of yearly rent. Such diftinctions, with refpect to land especially, are invidious; nor can they ever be kept up. James, the first British monarch, was, during infancy, committed to the care of the DowagerCountess of Mar, who had been educated in France. The King being feized with a cholic in the night-time, his household fervants flew to his bed-chamber, men and women, naked as they were born; the Countess only had a fmock. During the reign of Edward III. the imports into England were not the feventh part of the exports. Our exports at that time were not the feventh part of our pre fent fent exports; and yet our luxury is fuch, that with all our political regulations, it is with difficulty that the balance of trade is preferved in our favour. Men in different ages differ widely in their notions of luxury: every new object of fenfual gratification, and every indulgence beyond what is ufual, are commonly termed luxury; and ceafe to be luxury when they turn habitual. Thus, every hiftorian, ancient and modern, while he inveighs against the luxury of his own times, wonders at former hiftorians for characterising as luxury what he confiders as conveniencies merely, or rational improvements. Here the Roman hiftorian, talking of the war that his countrymen carried on fuccefsfully against Antiochus King of Syria: "Luxuriae enim peregrinae "origo ab exercitu Afiatico invecta urbem "eft. Ii primum lectos aeratos, veftem' ftragulam pretiofam, plagulas et alia 66 66 textilia, et quae tum magnificae fupel"lectilis habebantur, monopodia et abacos Romam advexerunt. Tunc pfaltriae, fambufiftriaeque, et convivalia ludionum "oblectamenta addita epulis: epulae quoque ipfae et cura et fumptu majore ad"parari 1 |