Chronicles of Fashion Author:Elizabeth Stone Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: of that metal being beyond even his means. At this period we read not only of silver, but of gold plate in the most magnificent style and in great quantities,—no... more »t merely requisites and ornaments for the table, but sideboards of many stages, filled with superb plate expressly for show. In 1003, Rosni (afterwards Sully) came on embassy to England; he dined in state with the king at Greenwich, and refers to the circumstance in his " Memoirs." He observes, with surprise, that James was served on the knee, and mentions that a surtaut, in form of a pyramid, containing the most costly vessels, and even enriched with diamonds, was placed in the middle of the table. Yet it appears that those of the highest rank still used pewter usually, and that even trenchers occasionally made their appearance at the most sumptuous tables ;f and that the usual carpet cover to the dining table was only beginning to be displaced by the cleanly linen which now the humblest cottager thinks a necessary accompaniment to the food he eats4 " The apartment had been beautifully fitted up for the occasion ; it was furnished with a buffet raised by several steps, and covered with a profusion of modern gilded plate of exquisite workmanship ; an opposite side-board bore vessels of gold, agate, and other precious materials."—Ellis, 2nd Series, vol. iii. This was at the entertainment of the Spanish ambassador, immediately after the accession of James. t Drake, vol. ii., p. 125, from Sir J. Harrington's rules. None but the most distinguished persons in company were VOL. I. D Nor must we forget that whilst the table glittered with gold plate and Venice glass, and the fingers were refreshed in fragrant waters, the feet reposed on rushes mingled with a long accumulation of filth and offal, which wa...« less