of plate worth five or six hundred or a thousand pounds."[39] The lord
of the manor no longer took his meals with all his retainers in the
great hall, throwing the bones and scraps from his wooden trencher to
his dogs. He withdrew into a separate apartment, and dined with a new
refinement. A hitherto unknown variety of food covered the table,
served on pewter, china, or silver, instead of the primitive trencher.

The bands of retainers who had hung round the castle, living at the
expense of its lord, and ready to follow him in his career of violence,
were gradually being absorbed in useful and industrial pursuits. Among
the yeomanry the general progress was exceedingly noticeable. The
character and worth of this important class were commented upon by
Holinshed.[40] "This sort of people * * * commonlie live wealthilie,
keepe good houses, and travell to get riches. They are also for the
most part farmers to gentlemen, or at the leastwise artificers, and
with grazing, frequenting of markets, and keeping of servants (not
idle servants as the gentlemen doo, but suche as get bothe their owne
and part of their master's living), do come to great welth, in so much
that manie of them are able and doo buie the lands of unthriftie
gentlemen, and often setting their sonnes to the schooles, to the
universities, and to the Ins of the Court, or otherwise leaving them
sufficient lands whereupon they may live without labour, do make them
by those meanes to become gentlemen: these were they that in times past
made all France afraid, and albeit they be not called Master, as
gentlemen are, or Sir, as to knights apperteineth, but only John, and
Thomas, etc., yet have they beene found to have doone verie good
service; and the kings of England in foughten battels, were woont to
remain among them (who were their footmen), as the French kings did
among their horsemen; the prince thereby showing where his chief
strength did consist." This middle class were enjoying a luxury and