There were few places in England where the sight of the royal train was not familiar. For the motives {104} mentioned above, the Court’s journeys were incessant. The royal itineraries that have come down to us throw a flood of light on this continual need of movement. The itinerary of King John shows that he rarely passed a month in the same place, most frequently he did not even remain there a week. Within a fortnight he is often found at five or six different towns or castles.[97] The same with Edward I, who, as we have seen, would change his abode three times every fortnight.[98] And when the king moved, not only was he preceded by twenty-four archers in his pay, receiving threepence a day,[99] but he was accompanied by all those officers whom the author of “Fleta” enumerates with so much complacency. The sovereign took with him his two marshals, his outer marshal (_forinsecus_) who in time of war disposed the armies for battle, selected the halting-places on his journeys, and at all times arrested malefactors found in the _virgata regia_, that is to say, within twelve leagues around his dwelling;[100] and his inner marshal (_intrinsecus_), who guarded the palace and castles, and cleared them as much as possible of courtesans. He collected from every common harlot (_meretrice communi_) four pence by way of fine the first time that he arrested her; if she returned she was brought before the steward, who solemnly forbid her ever to present herself at the dwelling of the king, queen, or their children; the third time she was imprisoned and the tresses of her hair were shorn off; {107} the fourth time one of those hideous punishments was resorted to which the Middle Ages in their brutality tolerated; the upper lip of these women was cut off, “ne de cætero concupiscantur ad libidinem.”[101] There was also the chamberlain, who took care that the interior of the house was comfortable: “He has to arrange decently for the king’s bed, and to see that the rooms be furnished with carpets and benches;” the treasurer of the wardrobe, who kept the accounts; the marshal of the hall, whose mission it was to eject unworthy intruders and dogs,—“non enim permittat canes aulam ingredi,”—and a crowd of other officers.[102] [Illustration 21. A WOMAN RIDING ASTRIDE (CHAUCER’S WIFE OF BATH) (_From the Ellesmere MS._)] [Illustration 22. A LADY RIDING SIDEWAYS (CHAUCER’S PRIORESS). (_From the Ellesmere MS._)]