When the last course of the dinner had been served, the ewer and his companion again carried round the water and towel, and each guest washed. The tables were then cleared and the cloths withdrawn, but the drinking continued. The minstrels were now introduced. To judge by the illuminations, the most common musical attendant on such occasions was a harper, who repeated romances and told stories, accompanying them with his instrument. In one of our cuts of a dinner party (No. 112), given in a former page, we see the harper, apparently a blind man, led by his dog, introduced into the hall while the guests are still occupied with their repast. We frequently find a harper thus introduced, who is sometimes represented as sitting upon the floor, as in the accompanying illustration (No. 116) from the MS. Reg. 2 B. vii. fol. 71, v^o. Another similar representation occurs at folio 203, v^o of the same MS. [Illustration: _No. 116. The Harper in the Hall._] The barons and knights themselves, and their ladies, did not disdain to learn the harper’s craft; and Gower, in his “Confessio Amantis,” describes a scene in which a princess plays the harp at table. Appolinus is dining in the hall of king Pentapolin, with the king and queen and their fair daughter, and all his lords, when, reminded by the scene of the royal estate from which he is fallen, he sorrowed and took no meat; therefore the king, sympathising with him, bade his daughter take her harp and do all that she could to enliven that “sorry man:”-- _And she to don her faderes heste,_ _Her harpe fette, and in the feste_ _Upon a chaire which thei fette,_ _Her selve next to this man she sette._ Appolinus in turn takes the harp, and proves himself a wonderful proficient, and _When he hath harped alle his fille,_ _The kingis hest to fulfille,_ _Awaie goth dishe, awaie goth cup,_ _Doun goth the borde, the cloth was up,_ _Thei risen and gone out of the halle._ [Illustration: _No. 117. A Harper._]