nothing so well as a hunt or a feast, and slept away all the evening,
especially when they could get a harper to sing to them.

The English men used to wear a long dress like a carter's frock, and
their legs were wound round with strips of cloth by way of stockings.
Their houses were only one story, and had no chimneys--only a hole at
the top for the smoke to go out at; and no glass in the windows. The
only glass there was at all had been brought from Italy to put into
York Cathedral, and it was thought a great wonder. So the windows had
shutters to keep out the rain and wind, and the fire was in the middle
of the room. At dinner-time, about twelve o'clock, the lord and lady
of the house sat upon cross-legged stools, and their children and
servants sat on benches; and square bits of wood called trenchers,
were put before them for plates, while the servants carried round the
meat on spits, and everybody cut off a piece with his own knife and
at it without a fork. They drank out of cows' horns, if they had not
silver cups. But though they were so rough they were often good,
brave people.




CHAPTER IV.

THE NORTHMEN. A.D. 858--958.


There were many more of the light-haired, blue-eyed people on the
further side of the North Sea who worshiped Thor and Woden still, and
thought that their kindred in England had fallen from the old ways.