The Fasts of the Church were to be strictly
kept, and there was to be no dinner in Hall. It was thus arranged. The
evening chapel service, which was usually at 5-1/2 (I think), was held
at 3; and at 4 the ordinary full meal was served in Hall, but as it
followed the chapel attendance it was held to be supper; and there was
no subsequent meal.
There were no chairs whatever in Hall, except the single chair of the
vice-master at the head of the table on the dais and that of the
senior dean at the table next the East wall. All others sat on
benches. And I have heard allusions to a ludicrous difficulty which
occurred when some princesses (of the Royal Family) dined in the Hall,
and it was a great puzzle how to get them to the right side of the
benches.
The Sizars dined after all the rest; their dinner usually began soon
after 4. For the non-foundationists a separate dinner was provided, as
for pensioners. But for the foundationists, the remains of the
Fellows' dinner were brought down; and I think that this provision was
generally preferred to the other.
The dishes at all the tables of undergraduates were of pewter, till a
certain day when they were changed for porcelain. I cannot remember
whether this was at the time when they became Questionists (in the
October Term), or at the time when they were declared "actualiter esse
in artibus Baccalaureos" (in the Lent Term).
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