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however, to have been by plates against the walls, which we now callsconces and girandoles.

But the most striking and curious feature in the illumination ofhalls in early times, and during the Tudor period, was the livingcandlestick. On great festivals, in addition to the customary lights ofthe hall, torch-bearers stood by the tables. Froisart describes the Earlof Foiz to have had always at supper twelve burning torches, borneby as many “ varlettes,” standing before his table all the time he satthere.* The gentlemen pensioners were the torch-bearers to QueenElizabeth.

iptluttr*—The splendid services of gold and silver, it should be ob-served, were only used on occasions of ceremony and on festivals. Theordinary services consisted of pewter dishes and wooden trenchers, untilthe time of Elizabeth, when, “ by reason of sharpe laws provided in thatbehalfe,”t pewter was compounded of purer metals than before ; and thepewterers having “ growne vnto exquisite cunning,” brought this wareinto general use at home, and caused it to become an important articleof exportation. The wooden trencher was not, however, wholly laidaside, for we find, at nearly the conclusion of this reign, in the householdorders of Sir John Haryngton, “ high shrieve” of the county of Somerset,

* “ Candles were borne by domestics, and not placed on the table, at a very early periodin France . Gregory of Tours mentions a piece of savage merriment practised by a feudal lordat supper, on one of his valets de chandelle, in consequence of this custom. It is probablethat our proverbial scoff, You are not Jit to hold a candle to him, took its rise from thisfashion.”— Wamon’s History of English Poetry.

t 19th Henry VII. , an act was passed, entitled “ Pewterers walking.” A prohibitoryact, to prevent itinerant tinkers from interfering with stationary brasiers and pewter-ers.— Barrington.

T