not speak nor laugh too much, and should always
turn the biggest and the best pieces to her guests, and not choose them
for herself.

"Every time a lady has drank wine she should wipe her mouth with the
table-cloth, but not her eyes or her nose, and she should take care not
to soil and grease her fingers in eating, more than she can possibly
help." The reader must remember that forks were not used until the reign
of Henry III. The author also cautions the ladies to be very careful not
to drink to excess, observing that a lady loses talent, wit, beauty, and
every charm, when she is elevated with wine; they are also recommended
not to swear.

He continues: "Ladies should not veil their faces before nobles; they
may do so when they are on horseback or when they go to church, but on
entering they should show their countenances, and particularly before
people of quality.

"Ladies should never receive presents from gentlemen of jewels or other
things, except from a well intentioned near relation, otherwise it is
very blameable.

"It is not becoming for ladies to wrestle with men, and they are also
cautioned not to lie or to steal." Then follow certain instructions for
ladies as to the answers they should make and the manner they should
conduct themselves when they receive a declaration. I hope English
ladies will be much edified by the above instructions. The cries of
Paris at this period were constant and absolutely stunning; Guillaume de
la Villeneuve observes that the criers were braying in the streets of
Paris from morning to night. Amongst the vegetables, garlick was the
most prevalent, which was then eaten with almost every thing, people
being in the habit of rubbing their bread with it: the flour of peas and
beans made into a thick paste was sold all hot; onions, chervil,
turnips, aniseed, leeks, etc., a variety of pears and apples of sorts
that are now scarcely known, except Calville, services, medlers, hips
and other small fruits now no longer heard of; nuts, chesnuts of
Lombardy, Malta grapes, etc.; for beverage, wine at about a farthing a
quart; mustard vinegar, verjuice, and walnut oil; pastry, fresh and
salted meat, eggs and honey. Others went about offering their services
to mend your clothes, some to repair your tubs, or polish your pewter;
candles, cotton for lamps, foreign soup, and almost every article that
can be imagined was sold in the streets, sometimes the price demanded
was a bit of bread. The mil