A late fourteenth-century
French book of household management describes how the home of a wealthy
burgher was run. Its author, known as the householder of Paris,
was a rich elderly man with a very young wife. Girls had to
marry the man their parents chose, so this difference in age was
not as uncommon as it would be today. The householder's book
of instructions was written to make sure that his wife would do him credit
when she was widowed and remarried.
The householder begins his
book by defining women's moral duties. She must get up early
and say her prayers. She must dress suitably, without
too much or too little show, taking care that her shift and underdress
do not ride up at her neck and that her hair does not escape from her wimple.
When she goes out she must be accompanied by her housekeeper-companion.
She must walk with lowered eyes and speak to no one in the street.
To her husband she must be loving, humble, and obedient.
Then the householder turns to practical tasks. His wife must know how to garden and how to manage servants. She must consult her steward about the hiring of day labourers and tradesmen, and her housekeeper about choosing domestic servants. Housework must begin early; all the rooms must be swept, the stools and benches dusted, and the the cushions shaken into place. Her maids must regularly clean, air, and mend the sheets, dresses, and furs. Most important, she must see that the kitchen is kept clean and that proper dinners are ordered.