d; then caste hit in the
pot to the broth, an do therto pouder of canell [cinnamon] and sugur;
and let hit boyle togedur, and colour hit wyth saffron, and serve hit
forthe."

It will be noticed from this that our ancestors had none of our vulgar
prejudices with respect to onions, neither had they any regard to the
Scriptural prohibition of blood. The utter absence of all prescription
of quantities in these receipts is delightfully indefinite.

There were many other dishes to this important dinner beside the
"farsure of hare;" and on this occasion most of the rabbits and chickens
were entire, and not "chopped on gobbettes;" for the feast was "for a
lord," and lords were permitted to eat whole birds and beasts, while the
less privileged commonalty had to content themselves with "gobbettes."

When Margery had concluded her preparations for dinner, she went into
the garden to gather rosemary and flowers, which she disposed in various
parts of the hall, laying large bunches of rosemary in all available
places. All was now ready, and Margery washed her hands, took off her
apron, and ran up into her own room, to pin on her shoulder a
"quintise," in other words, a long streamer of cherry-coloured ribbon.

The guests arrived on horseback about half-past twelve, and Richard
Pynson ushered them into the hall, and ran into the kitchen to inform
Dame Lovell and Margery, adding that "he pitied Lord Marnell's horse," a
remark the signification of which became apparent when the ladies
presented themselves in the banqueting-hall. Sir Geoffrey was already
there, conversing with his guests. Margery expected to find Lord
Marnell similar to his cousin, Sir Ralph Marston, whom she already knew,
and who was a pleasant, gentlemanly man of about forty years of age,
always joking with everybody, and full of fun. But she did not expect
what she now saw.

The great man from London, who sat in a large oak-chair in the hall, was
a great man in all corporeal senses. He was very tall, and stout in
proportion; an older man than his cousin Sir Ralph, perhaps ten or
fifteen years older; and there was something in his face which made
Margery drop her eyes in an instant. It was a very curious face. The
upper part--the eyes and forehead--was finely-formed, and showed at
least an average amount of intellect; but from the nose downward the
form and expression of the features were suggestive only of the
animal,--a brutal, sensual, repelling look.