held their land; and this he did solely with reference to English history. The value of every history depends upon its accuracy, and these are the sort of records on which we can rely. The documents to which I have called your attention are those which you would do well to consider and follow in your pursuits as a Society. You know nothing of the internal family manners of the people from ordinary history. I will put this one question. If a man with 2,000l has four sons, he would put one in the Army, one in the Navy, another in the Law, and another in the Church; but what do you think he would have done with them in the reign of Henry III. or Edward II.? Now it was quite certain, unless there was a chance of becoming a bishop, or a fat prior, nobody in those days would go into the church. (A laugh.) As to the law, there was no such thing; for they could not read or write. (Laughter.) What was the young gentleman to do, then; for it was certain that he could not do without eating, and must have some clothes? (A laugh.) They generally gave him a small farm, where, if he was not ambitious, he would live the life of a peasant, feed his pigs in the adjoining woods, attire himself in a smock-frock, and so spend his days. But if he had a little ambition, he would pawn his farm to a Jew, in order to enable him to buy a suit of armour,—of all dress the most expensive,—and then bind himself to some great man as a sort of warlike apprentice, by what is called a bond of man-rent. I have here one or two of these bonds, which I will read:—
"Sir John Nevill, 1415, eldest son of Earl Nevill, was hound to the Earl of Lancashire; one of the bonds runs thus:—Ralph, son of Ralph, Lord of Raby, was retained by Lord Percy, by indenture, to serve him in peace and war for the term of his life. The terms of this indenture were to serve him in peace and war for the term of his life. The terms of this indenture were to serve him with twenty men-at-arms against all men except the king; whereof five are to be knights, receiving 10l. sterling from out of his lordships of Topcliffe and Pokelington, as also robes for himself, with these knights, and all the rest; and in time of war, to have diet for himself, his gentlemen, and six grooms, likewise hay, oats, shoes, and nails for fifty-nine horses, and wages for fifty-three inferior servants, with harness for his own body; and when required to come to a tournament, then to have four knights with himself, and their attendants, likewise diet in his hall for them, for five grooms, with hay, oats, shoes, and nails for thirty horses, with thirty-two servants, as also harness for his own body. If he should be required to attend him in time of Parliament or otherwise, to come himself with six gentlemen and nine horses, having diet for three men in his hall, with hay, oats, shoes, and nails for the number of horses last specified, and wages for six servants."
Now, you observe that two suits of harness are mentioned; and the reason is this: gentlemen of that day, like those of the present, generally got bigger round the waist as they got older; and as you can't let out your armour, you are obliged to have a new suit, and that was the chief reason for the great expense which attended those wars.
