The meals were but two a day. Harrison says: "Heretofore there hath been much more time spent in eating and drinking than commonly is in these days, for whereas of old we had breakfasts in the forenoon, beverages or nuntions [luncheons] after dinner, and thereto rear-suppers [late or second suppers] generally when it was time to go to rest, now these odd repasts--thanked be God--are very well left, and each one in manner (except here and there some young hungry stomach that cannot fast till dinner time) contenteth himself with dinner and supper only." [Illustration: OLD HOUSE IN HIGH STREET] Of the times of meals he says: "With us the nobility, gentry, and students do ordinarily go to dinner at eleven before noon, and to supper at five, or between five and six at afternoon. The merchants dine and sup seldom before twelve at noon and six at night, especially in London. The husbandmen dine also at high noon, as they call it, and sup at seven or eight; but out of the term in our universities the scholars dine at ten. As for the poorest sort, they generally dine and sup when they may, so that to talk of their order of repast it were but needless matter." Rising at four or five in the morning, as was the custom with the common people, and going until ten or even noon without food must have been hard for other than the "young hungry stomachs" of which Harrison speaks so contemptuously. THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN. In the 16th century, children of the middle and upper classes were strictly brought up. The "Books of Nurture," published at that time, give minute directions for the behavior of boys like William at home, at school, at church, and elsewhere. These manuals were generally in doggerel verse, and several of them have been edited by Dr. F. J. Furnivall for the Early English Text Society. Among them is one by Francis Seager, published in London in 1557, entitled _The Schoole of Vertue, and booke of good Nourture for Chyldren and youth to learne their dutie by_. Another is _The Boke of Nurture, or Schoole of good maners for men, servants, and children_, compiled by Hugh Rhodes, of which at least five editions were printed between 1554 and 1577. The _Schoole of Vertue_ begins thus[2] (the spelling being modernized):-- "First in the morning when thou dost awake To God for his grace thy petition then make; This prayer following use daily to say, Thy heart lifting up; thus begin to pray," A prayer of eighteen lines follows, with directions to repeat the Lord's Prayer after it. Then come rules "how to order thyself when thou risest, and in apparelling thy body." The child is to rise early, dress carefully, washing his hands and combing his head. When he goes down stairs he is to salute the family:-- "Down from thy chamber when thou shalt go, Thy parents salute thou, and the family also." Elsewhere, politeness out of doors is enjoined:--