With the fowls came the pigeons, which were perching about them in all directions.
"We are now something like the court of France in the fourteenth century," said Wolston.
"How so ?" inquired Becker.
"In the reign of Charles V., they were obliged to place a trellis at the windows of the Palace of St.Paul to prevent the poultry from invading the dining room." "Rural anyhow," observed Jack.
"Of course, most other features of the palace were in unison with this primitive state of matters.

The courtiers sat on stools.

There was only one chair in the palace, that was the arm-chair of the king, which was covered with red leather, and ornamented with silk fringes." "So that we may console ourselves with the reflection, that we are as comfortable here as kings were at that epoch in Europe," remarked Ernest.
"Yes; historians report, that when Alphonso V.of Portugal went to Paris to solicit the aid of Louis XI.

against the King of Arragon, who had taken Castile from him, the French monarch received him with great honor, and endeavored to make his stay as agreeable as possible." "Reviews, I suppose, feasts, tournaments, spectacles, and so forth." "A residence was assigned him in the Rue de Prouvaires, at the house of one Laurent Herbelot, a grocer." "What! amongst dried peas and preserved plums ?" "Precisely; but the house of Herbelot might then have been one of the most commodious buildings in all Paris.

Alphonso was afterwards conducted to the palace, where he pleaded his cause before the king.
Next day he was entertained at the archiepiscopal residence, where he witnessed the induction of a doctor in theology.