including a
church. The Castle of Oxford was of the latter type, the Church of
Saint George being on its western side. The keep of a castle was
occupied by the garrison, though it generally contained two or three
special chambers for the use of the owner, should necessity oblige him
and his family to take refuge there in a last extremity. The entrance
was dexterously contrived, particularly when the fortress consisted of a
single house, to present as much difficulty as possible to a besieger.
It was always at some height in the wall, and was reached by a winding,
or rather rambling, stairway leading from the drawbridge, and often
running round a considerable part of the wall. One or more gates in the
course of this stair could be closed at pleasure. A large and imposing
portal admitted the visitor to a small tower occupied by the guards,
through which the real entrance was approached. This stood in the
thickness of the outer wall, and was protected by another pair of gates
and a portcullis, just inside which was the porter's lodge. On the
ground-floor the soldiers were lodged; on the midmost were the state and
family apartments, while the uppermost accommodated the household
servants and attendants. A special tower was usually reserved for the
ladies of the family, and was often accompanied by a tiny garden. In
the partition wall a well was dug, which could be reached on every
floor; and below the vestibule was a dungeon. The great banqueting-hall
was the general sitting-room to which every one in the castle had
access; and here it was common for family, servants, and guard to take
together their two principal meals--dinner at nine a.m., supper at four
or five o'clock. The only distinction observed was that the board and
trestles for the family and guests were set up on the dais, for the
household and garrison below. The tables were arranged in the form of a
horse-shoe, the diners sitting on the outer or larger side, while the
servants waited on the inner. The ladies had, beside this, their own
private sitting-room, always attached to the bedchamber, and known as
the "bower," to which strangers were rarely admitted. Here they sat and
sang, gossiped, and worked their endless embroidery. The days were
scarcely yet over when English needlework bore the palm in Europe and
even in the East, while the first illuminators were the monks of
Ireland. Ladies were the spinners, weavers, surgeons, and readers of
the d