The muniment chests of our old established families are seldom without
their quota of "household books." Goodly collections of these often turn
up, with records of the expenditure and the "doings" of the household,
through a period of two or more centuries. These documents are of
incalculable value in giving us a complete insight into the domestic
habits of our ancestors. Many a note is _there_, well calculated to
illustrate the pages of the dramatist or the biographer, and even the
accuracy of the historian's statements may often be tested by some of
the details which find their way into these accounts; as for the more
peculiar province of the antiquary, there is always a rich store of
materials. Every change of costume is _there_; the introduction of new
commodities, new luxuries, and new fashions, the varying prices of the
passing age. Dress in all its minute details, modes of travelling,
entertainments, public and private amusements, all, with their cost, are
there: and last, though not least, touches of individual character ever
and anon present themselves with the force of undisguised and undeniable
truth. Follow the man through his pecuniary transactions with his wife
and children, his household, his tenantry, nay, with himself, and you
have more of his real character than the biographer is usually able to
furnish. In this view, a man's "household book" becomes an impartial
autobiography.
I would venture to suggest that a corner of your paper might sometimes
be profitably reserved for "notes" from these household books; there can
be little doubt that your numerous readers would soon furnish you with
abundant contributions of most interesting matter.
While suggesting the idea, there happens to lie open before me the
account-book of the first Sir Edward Dering, commencing with the day on
which he came of age, when, though his father was still living, he felt
himself an independent man.
One of his first steps, however, was to qualify this independence by
marriage. If family tradition be correct, he was as heedless and
impetuous in this the first important step of his life, as he seems to
have been in his public career. The lady was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir
Nicholas Tufton, afterwards created Earl of Thanet.
In almost the first page of his account-book he enters all the charges
of this marriage, the different dresses he provided, his wedding
presents, &c. As to his bride, the first pleasing intelligence which
greeted the young knight, after passing his pledge to take her for
"richer for poorer," was, that the latter alternative was his. Sir
Nicholas had jockied the youth out of the promised "trousseau," and
handed over his daughter to Sir Edward, with nothing but a few shillings
in her purse. She came unfurnished with even decent apparel, and her new
lord had to supply her forthwith with necessary clothing. In a
subsequent page, when he comes to detail the purchases which he was, in
consequence, obliged to make for his bride, he gives full vent to his
feelings on this niggardly conduct of the father, and, in recording the
costs of his own outfit, his very first words have a smack of bitterness
in them, which is somewhat ludicrous--
"Medio de donte leporum
Surgit amari aliquid."
He seems to sigh over his own folly and vanity in preparing a gallant
bridal for one who met it so unbecomingly.
"1619.
"My DESPERATE quarter! the 3d quarter from Michaelmas
unto New Year's Day.
5 yards quarter of scarlett coloured satten for a
doublett, and to line my cassocke, at 16s. per yard, 4£. 4s.
5 yards halfe of fine scarlett, at 55s. per yard, to
make hose cassocke and cloake [sic] 14£.
7 yards dim of blacke rich velvett, att 24s. per yard, 9£.
22 ounces of blacke galloune lace 2£. 15s.
Taffaty to line the doublett 17s.
5 [sic] grosse of buttons, at 8s. the grosse 1£. 4s.
pinkinge and racing the doublett, and lininge of ye
copell 8s.
ffor embrioderinge doublett, copell, and scarfe, 2£. 10s.
5 dozen of small buttons 1s. 8d.
Stickinge and sowing silke 14s.
ffor cuttinge ye scallops 2s.
holland to line the hose 5s. 6d.
Dutch bays for the hose 4s. 6d.
Pocketts to ye hose 10d.
2 dozen of checker riband pointes 12s.
drawinge ye peeces in ye suite and cloake 5s.
canvas and stiffninge to ye doublett 3s. 6d.
ffor makinge ye doublett and hose 18s.
making ye copell 1£. 8s.
making ye cloake 9s.