hen have been one of the
most commodious buildings in all Paris. Alphonso was afterwards
conducted to the palace, where he pleaded his cause before the king.
Next day he was entertained at the archiepiscopal residence, where he
witnessed the induction of a doctor in theology. The day after that a
procession to the university was organized, which passed under the
grocer's windows."

"These were singular marvels to entertain a king withal," said Jack.

"Such were the amusements peculiar to the epoch. It must be observed
that the Louis in question was somewhat close-fisted, and rarely drew
his purse-strings unless he was certain of a good interest for his
money. But courts in those days were very simple and frugal. The
sumptuary laws of Philip le Bel (1285) had fixed supper at three
dishes and a lard soup. The king's own dinner was likewise limited to
three dishes."

"These three dishes might, however, have yielded a better repast than
the fifty-two saucers of the Chinese," remarked Jack.

"No one could obtain permission to give his wife four dresses a year,
unless he had an income of six thousand francs."

"What business had the laws to interfere with these things, I should
like to know?" inquired Mrs. Wolston.

"Those who possessed two thousand francs income were only allowed to
wear one dress a year, the cloth for which was not permitted to exceed
tenpence a yard; but ladies of rank could go as high as fifteen
pence."

"Philip le Bel must have been an old woman," insisted Mrs. Wolston.

"No private citizen was permitted to use a carriage, and such persons
were likewise interdicted the use of flambeaux."

"They were permitted to break their necks at all events, that is
something."

"In England, the same primitive simplicity prevailed; Queen Elizabeth
is said to have breakfasted on a gallon of ale, her dining-room floor
was strewn every day with fresh straw or rushes, and she had only one
pair of silk stockings in her entire wardrobe."

"At the same time," observed Ernest, "these usages stand in singular
contradiction to those that prevailed at an earlier age. The supper of
Lucullus rarely cost him less than thirty thousand francs, and he
could entertain five and twenty thousand guests. Six citizens of Rome
possessed a great part of Africa. Domitius had an estate in France of
eighty thousand acres."

"Poor fellow!"

"When Nero went to Baize he was accompanied by a thousand chariots and
two thousand mules