joints of roasted meat, loaves of bread, wedges of cheese, piles of
cabbage or other vegetables, rolls or coils of broiled eels, and huge
pieces of boiled pork or bacon.

Around the table sat the hounds and other dogs, open jawed, waiting such
good luck as they might hope to receive at the hands of their masters,
while many "loaf eaters," as the serfs were called who fed at their
master's table, stood with the dogs, or sat on the rush-strewn floor,
for want of room at the board.

It was marvellous to see how the food disappeared, as hand after hand
was stretched out to the dishes, in the absence of forks--a modern
invention--and huge horns of ale helped the meat downwards.

Game, steaks of beef and venison on spits, were handed round. The
choicer joints were indeed reserved for the upper board, but profusion
was the rule everywhere throughout the hall, and there was probably not
a serf; nay, not even a dog, whose appetite was not fully satisfied
before the end of the feast.

The prince seemed thoroughly to have recovered his spirits, somewhat
damped perhaps before by his adventure with the wolf; and exerted his
talents to make himself agreeable. He had seen life on an extended
scale, young as he was, and his anecdotes of London and the court, if a
little wild, were still interesting. Elfric and Alfred listened to his
somewhat random talk, with that respect boys ever pay to those who have
seen more of the wide world than themselves--a respect perhaps
heightened by the high rank of their princely guest, who was, however,
only a month or two older than Elfric.