alls were
levied. For in the fourteenth century for the 228,000 inhabitants of
Paris there were only twenty-four "hotels" and eighty-six "taverns,"
and the similar disproportion in Rouen was only made up for, in the
case of the "genuine traveller," by the unstinted hospitality of such
monasteries and hospitals as those at St. Catherine, St. Vivien, or
St. Martin.

But the taverns or wine-shops did a roaring trade. On their benches
the burgesses sat every afternoon discussing business matters with
their lawyers over the light "vin du pays," or bought a few bottles of
the "vin de choix," which was the recognised offering to preachers,
judges, councillors, and kings alike.[35] It was, in fact, no bad
thing to be the advocate in a case when a rich monastery was
concerned, for the Abbey of St. Gervais records about this time that
it gave its judges and lawyers in one very critical lawsuit, a dinner
at their favourite hotel, comprising fish and pears and meat and
hypocras (no less!) and ginger and sugar and a hundred oysters. Not in
that order let us hope, though the bowels of men of law are
traditionally tough, and the hospitality of the intention is
undoubted.

[Footnote 35: The Town Accounts are filled with such cheerful business
entries as the following: "Avec Mons. Jehan Delammarre qui fu clerc de
la ville, a l'Escu de France aupres la Madeleine le darrenier jour de
septembre, 28."

"Pour boire au matin avec les advocas chiez Jehan le Bucher, 4s. 6d."

"Pour boire avec le lieutenant du Maire," and so forth. The fifteen
taverns mentioned in the accounts of the jovial town clerk from 1377
to 1381 are all to be found going very strong in the sixteenth
century. M. de Beaurepaire has preserved their fascinating
names:--L'Asne Roye, Les Petits souliers, Le Fleur de Lys pres St.
Maclou, Le Cygne devant St. Martin, Le Singe pres de la Madeleine, and
many more.]

Till the end of the fifteenth century mine host was called the
"Seigneur" of his sign, as the "Seigneur de l'Ours, Seigneur de la
Fleur de Lys;" and though by the close of the sixteenth century we
still find a "Dame de la Croix Rouge" for the hostess, her husband had
become (I quote from the accounts in the Archeveche) "maitre du Pilier
vert," or "maitre de l'Ecrevisse." But even earlier than the
fifteenth century it was already possible to get good lodging for the
night at an hotel in Rouen, for a contract of 1395 has been preserved,
made between Guillaume Blanc