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head” of which were “ curiouslie wrought, paynted, and gilt, having aswell four bullyeons of timbre gilt, as four vanes of iron, paynted with theking’s armes and in an inventory of effects belonging to that monarch,in the Tower, are mentioned “ foure cappes, with vanes of silver andgilte, engraven with the king’s armes and rooses, for the postes of abeddstede.” Bedposts frequently terminated with a plume of feathers.

CniSfSSUtCpiikiJg were beds which packed into chests, for travelling;and, considering the frequent removals, these must have been the mostconvenient kind. John of Ghent seems to have always slept in suchbeds, as, by his will, it appears that he demised to his “ most dear wifeKatherine” all the beds made for his body, “ called in England trussing-beds.” And the “ best chambers” of both Master Fermor and SirAdrian Foskewe had “ trussing beds.”

The numerous sorts of rBetl-'^angutgS will, perhaps, be better shownby extracts from testamentary documents—for most of which weshall be indebted to that interesting and valuable publication, theTestamenta Vetiista —than by any other plan we can suggest. Many ofthe bequests are anterior to the Tudor period; but as the articles werecarefully transmitted through several generations, and, in variousinstances, so entailed as to prevent alienation, we may fairly supposethem to have been in existence at a much later date.f These accounts,it is hoped, will supply hints to the opulent: the adoption of such a styleof splendid furniture would necessarily employ a vast number of persons

* For a full description of this bed, see Illustrations.

+ In a former part of this section we have mentioned a very powerful inducement for thesebequests—we may here notice what Sir John Cullum says on the subject. “ A man could notdispose of his lands till 32d Henry VIII. , which is the reason that we find testators before thattime so busily employed in disposing of their personal effects, and totally silent about entailingor selling their manors, &c.”