Arnold, lord of Ardre... built a wooden dwelling upon the dune at Ardre, wondrously put together by carpenters, which in material excelled all the dwellings in Flanders at that time. This an architect or carpenter of Bourbourg named Lodoic planned and constructed, showing himself in this art little worse than Dedalus, and he made and built an almost inextricable labyrinth to receive provisions, with arched vaults, ending at divers places, near to granary or cellars, in a convenient place at the east of the house with a chapel built above it. There were three stories so that like the sun it appeared to be suspended in air. The first floor was a spacious place where were the cellars and granaries, great woven baskets, wide-mouthed jars, and barrels and other domestic utensils. The second floor contained the living quarters and meeting places of the inhabitants in which provisions were, pantries, cupboards, the great bed-chamber of the lord and his wife, near to which was a lavatory and servants rooms, and the room or dormitory for the boys. Here was in a concealed part of the great room a place where one might have a fire for private diversions, morning or evening prayer, or in sickness, or for blood-letting, or for the servants or the little boys. On this floor was joined the kitchens of the lord, on two levels; on the lower pigs were roasted, geese, capons, and other birds killed and prepared for eating. On the other floor of the kitchens other provisions cooked, and here were prepared most delicious viands for the lord, by the means of many cooking vessels, and by laborious rubbing prepared for eating. There the food of the household and servants was also prepared daily from provisions with great labor. On the upper floor of the house were different rooms, which the boys occupied when they desired, or the daughters of the lord (when it was necessary), likewise the watches and servants appointed to the care of the house, while in constant attendance, took what sleep they could there; thus gradually and by little passages it is possible to go from floor to floor, from the living-room into reception hall, which well and sensibly is called logia (where they were accustomed to sit down for conversation) which means “to speak”, likewise the logia in an oratory or chapel; like the pictured tabernacle of Solomon. This we call to your memory, oh father and lord, concerning this house which you see, in which you reside, not so much before and on account of you but for the others here assembled. Nor is it strange if the guests or strangers do not realize all the advantages of this dwelling, since many brought up from infancy in this house and grown to manhood may not be able to know and comprehend the number of gates, doors, little doors, and windows.
Source: Lambert, cure of Ardre. The Chronicle of Guines and of Ardre. Translated by Majel Irene Kurrie. Master’s thesis, University of Chicago, 1925. Ch. CXXVII, pp. 101-3.
World History
