266 MERRIE ENGLAND
are constantly meeting with such terms in medieval documents.1
Each of these ales was the excuse for much heavy drinking, to-
gether with dance and games. They were frowned upon by the
Church (as we have seen in speaking of the "bride ales" and
"wake ales") and with good reason, for they undoubtedly en-
couraged licence. Yet, all the efforts of the Church could not
suppress them, and little by little we find the Church forced to
recognise the church ales in an endeavour to exercise some
control over their more extravagant phases.2
But even though the church ales gradually came under eccle-
siastical control, many other ales remained. The main function
of many of these was undoubtedly to provide money for the lord
or his bailiff or the forester who held them, and in consequence
they were not always welcomed by those who were invited. They
were, in fact, a kind of bazaar, which all had to attend and at which
allhadto buy. The Glastonbury tenants, for example, were forced
to appear thrice a year at ales held by their lord: the married and
young men on Saturday after dinner and to drink "as at
Cunninghale", and to have three draughts (ter adpotandum). On
the Sunday and Monday each husband and wife were bound to
bring id., the young men on Sunday their Jrf., but on Monday
they might drink without fee (libere), if not found sitting above
the settle (scamnum), but if found above that boundary to pay as
the others. The plena scotalla lasted three days, and the peasant
was summoned to attend three such ales: one before Michaelmas
to which he went with his wife and gave 3^., and two after
Michaelmas, at which he gave 2\d? Many other entries tell us
of oppressive sums being exacted at the ales,4 and of some officials
using their power to force men to attend.5
The village ale-house must have its place in any account of
village life. It is true that many families brewed their own ale,
but there was room for some houses (perhaps a little larger than
most villagers' cots) where "bride ales", or convivial meetings
1 For much information, see Statutes of the Realm, I, 120, 234, 321; Cttst.
Rents, 150-4 and further references given there.
2 The subject of church ales may be studied in Arch. Journ. XL, i ff.;
Coulton, Medieval Studies, 153, 161, and Wilkins, I, 474, 530, 574, 600, 624,
642, 672, etc.
8 Glas. Rentalta, 103, 143.
* Select Pleas of Forest, Selden Soc, xm, 126; Oust. Rents, 150.
* D.S.P. cvii.