Cange, v. Vitreae; Bentham's History of Ely, p. 22.

[676] Matt Paris; Vitae Abbatum St. Alb. 122.

[677] Recueil des Hist. t. xii. p. 101.

[678] Paulmy, t. iii. p. 132. Villaret, t. xi. p. 141. Macpherson, p.
679.

[679] Northumberland Household Book, preface, p. 16. Bishop Percy says,
on the authority of Harrison, that glass was not commonly used in the
reign of Henry VIII.

[680] See some curious valuations of furniture and stock in trade at
Colchester in 1296 and 1301. Eden's Introduct. to State of the Poor, p.
20 and 25, from the Rolls of Parliament. A carpenter's stock was valued
at a shilling, and consisted of five tools. Other tradesmen were almost
as poor; but a tanner's stock, if there is no mistake, was worth 9_l._
7_s._ 10_d._, more than ten times any other. Tanners were principal
tradesmen, the chief part of dress being made of leather. A few silver
cups and spoons are the only articles of plate; and as the former are
valued but at one or two shillings, they had, I suppose, but a little
silver on the rim.

[681] Nicholl's Illustrations, p. 119. In this work, among several
interesting facts of the same class, we have another inventory of the
goods of "John Port, late the king's servant," who died about 1524: he
seems to have been a man of some consideration and probably a merchant.
The house consisted of a hall, parlour, buttery, and kitchen, with two
chambers, and one smaller, on the floor above; a napery, or linen room,
and three garrets, besides a shop, which was probably detached. There
were five bedsteads in the house, and on the whole a great deal of
furniture for those times; much more than I have seen in any other
inventory. His plate is valued at 94_l._; his jewels at 23_l._; his
funeral expenses come to 73_l._ 6_s._ 8_d._ p. 119.

[682] Whitaker's Hist. of Craven, p. 289. A better notion of the
accommodations usual in the rank immediately below may be collected from
two inventories published by Strutt, one of Mr. Fermor's house at
Easton, the other Sir Adrian Foskewe's. I have mentioned the size of
these gentlemen's houses already. In the former, the parlour had
wainscot, a table and a few chairs; the chambers above had two best
beds, and there was one servant's bed; but the inferior servants had
only mattresses on the floor. The best chambers had window shutters and
curtains. Mr. Fermor, being a merchant, was probably better supplied
than the neighbouring gentry. His plate however consist