[37] "Mess of great meat," _i.e._ from one of the staple dishes, excluding such special dishes as would naturally be reserved for the King or his guests.
[38] The legal tariff in the City of London at this time for shoes of cordwain (Cordova morocco) was 6_d._, and for boots 3_s._ 6_d._ Cowhide shoes were fixed at 5_d._, and boots at 3_s._ Riley, "Liber Albus," p. xc.
[39] This was exactly the commons of a chaplain of the King's chapel ("Life Records," ii., 15). The Dean of the Chapel was dignified with "two darres of bread, one pitcher of wine, two messes de grosse from the kitchen, and one mess of roast." Some of this, no doubt, would go to his servant. All the King's household, from the High Steward downwards (who might be a knight banneret), were allowed these messes from the kitchen as well as their dinners in hall.
[40] "This same year [1359] the King held royally St. George Feast at Windsor, there being King John of France, the which King John said in scorn that he never saw so royal a feast, and so costly, made with tallies of tree, without paying of gold and silver" ("Chronicles of London," ed. 1827, p. 63). Queen Philippa received for this tournament a dress allowance of £3000 modern money (Nicolas, "Order of the Garter," p. 41).
[41] Froissart, ed. Luce, vol. v., p. 289, ff. Walsingham ("Hist. Ang.," an. 1389) bears equally emphatic testimony to the good natural feeling existing between the English and French gentry.
[42] "Knight of La Tour-Landry," E.E.T.S., p. 30 (written in 1371-2).
[43] Eustache Deschamps, whose life and writings often throw so much light on Chaucer's, shows us the difficulties of married men at court, and says outright--
"Dix et sept ans ai au Satan servi Au monde aussi et à la chair pourrie, Oublié Dieu, et mon corps asservi A cette cour, de tout vice nourrie."
(Sarradin, "Eustache Deschamps," pp. 92 ff., 104, 160.)
[44] Quoted by Nicolas from Rymer's "Foedera" new ed., iii., 964.
[45] E.E.T.S., "Stacions of Rome," etc., p. 37. (The whole English poem describes a journey to Spain; but as yet the pilgrims are not out of the Channel.)
[46] Froissart (Globe ed.), pp. 83, 134; "Eulog. Hist.," iii., 206, 213.
[49] "Hist. of Eng. Lit.," vol. ii., p. 57, trans. W. C. Robinson.