edieval
form of bursar, and every castle and monastery had its almoner, now
Amner. Here also belongs Carver. In Ivey Church (Bucks) is a tablet
to Lady Mary Salter with a poetic tribute to her husband--

"Full forty years a carver to two kings."

As the importance of the horse led to the social elevation of the
marshal and constable (Chapter IV), so the hengstman, now henchman,
became his master's right-hand man. The first element is Anglo-Sax.
hengest, stallion, and its most usual surnominal forms are Hensman and
Hinxman. Historians now regard Hengist and Horsa, stallion and mare,
as nicknames assumed by Jutish braves on the war-path. Sumpter, Old
Fr. sommetier, from Somme, burden, was used both of a packhorse and
its driver, its interpretation in King Lear being a matter of dispute--

"Return with her?
Persuade me rather to be slave and Sumpter
To this detested groom" (Lear, ii, 4).

As a surname it probably means the driver, Medieval Lat. sumetarius.

Among those who ministered to the great man's pleasures we must
probably reckon Spelman, Speller, Spillman, Spiller, from Mid. Eng.
spel, a speech, narrative, but proof of this is lacking

"Now holde your mouth, par charitee,
Bothe knyght and lady free,
And herkneth to my spelle" (B, 2081).

The cognate Spielmann, lit. Player, was used in Medieval German of a
wandering minstrel.

The poet is now Rymer or Rimmer, while Trover, Fr. trouvere, a poet,
minstrel, lit. finder, has been confused with Trower, for Thrower, a
name connected with weaving. Even the jester has come down to us as
Patch, a name given regularly to this member of the household in
allusion to his motley attire. Shylock applies it, to Launcelot--

"The patch is kind enough; but a huge feeder."

(Merchant of Venice, ii. 5.)

But the name has another origin (Chapter IX). Buller and Cocker are
names taken from the fine old English sports of bull-baiting and
cock-fighting.

Two very humble members of the parasitic class have given the names
Bidder and Maunder, both meaning beggar. The first comes from Mid.
Eng. bidden, to ask. Piers Plowman speaks of "bidderes and beggers."
Maunder is perhaps connected with Old Fr. quemander--

"Quemander, or caimander, to beg; or goe a begging; to beg from doore
to doore" (Cotgrave),

but it may mean a maker of "maunds," i.e. baskets.

A Beadman spent his time in praying for his benefactor. A medieval
underling writing to his superior of