A Noble Household Finds Lodging, and the Dangers of Spanish Wine in the Fourteenth Century

It was told me that the duke, duchess, and the ladies Constance and Philippa, were lodged in the abbey, and held their court there. Sir John Holland and Sir Thomas Moreaux, with their ladies, lodged in the town; the other barons and knights as they could, and the men-at-arms quartered in the plain round the town; those who could not find houses built

Huts of the boughs of trees, and made themselves comfortable with what they could get. Meat and strong wines were in abundance; the archers drank so much that they were the greater part of their time in bed drunk; and very often from taking too much new wine, they had fevers, and in the morning such headaches, as to prevent them from doing anything the remainder of the day.

Source: Jean Froissart. The Chronicles of England, France, and Spain. Pp. 344-45.

DOCUMENT 66 A Description of a Livery

The different townsmen wore liveries and arms, to distinguish them from one another. Some had jackets of blue and yellow, others wore a welt of black on a red jacket, others chevroned with white on a blue coat, others green and blue, others lozenged with black and white, others quartered red and white, others all blue.

Source: Jean Froissart. The Chronicles of England, France, and Spain. P. 253.

DOCUMENT 67 The Lord at Dinner

When he [Count Gaston Phoebus de Foix] quitted his chamber at midnight for supper, twelve servants bore each lighted torch before him. The hall was full of knights and squires, and there were plenty of tables laid out for any of those who chose to sup. No one spoke to him at table unless he first began the conversation. He ate heartily of poultry, but only the wings and thighs. He had great pleasure in hearing minstrels, being himself a proficient in the science. He remained at table about two hours, and was pleased whenever fanciful dishes were served up to him—not that he desired to partake of them, but having seen them, he immediately sent them to the tables of his knights and squires. In short, everything considered, though I had been in several courts, I was never at one that pleased me more.

Source: Jean Froissart. The Chronicles of England, France, and Spain. P. 305.