Inns, hotels and hospitality

Egressum magna me accepit Aricia Roma hospitio modico; rhetor comes Heliodorus, Graecorum longe doctissimus; inde forum Appi, differtum nautis, cauponibus atque malignis. hoc iter ignavi divisimus, altius ac nos praecinctis unum; minus est gravis Appia tardis.

When I left great Rome, Aricia gave me modest lodging. My companion was Heliodorus, a rhetor, by far the most learned of the Greeks. From there we went on to Forum Appi, which was crammed with boatmen and crooked innkeepers. Being lazy, we took two days over this stretch, which faster travelers do in one. The Appian Way is easier if you take it slowly.

tendimus hinc recta Beneventum, ubi sedulus hospes paene macros arsit dum turdos versat in igni; nam vaga per veterem dilapso flamma culinam Volcano summum properabat lambere tectum. convivas avidos cenam servosque timentis tum rapere atque omnis restinguere velle videres.

From there we headed straight for Beneventum. There our eager host nearly went up in flames while he turned some skinny thrushes over the fire. The fire slipped out across the old kitchen, and its wandering flames raced up to lick the top of the roof. You should have seen the hungry guests and the frightened slaves grabbing the dinner, and everyone trying to put out the fire.

Omnes supervenientes hospites tamquam Christus suscipiantur, quia ipse dicturus est: ‘Hospis fui, et suscepistis me’; et omnibus congruus honor exhibeatur, maxime domesticis fidei et peregrinis. Ut ergo nuntiatus fuerit hospis, occurratur ei a priore vel a fratribus cum omni officio caritatis; et primitus orent pariter et sic sibi socientur in pace.

All guests who arrive should be received as Christ, for he will say, “I was a guest, and you took me in.” Show fitting honor to all of them, most of all to fellow believers and to pilgrims. So when a guest is announced, the prior or the brothers should go out to meet him with every loving service. First they should pray together, and in this way be joined in peace.

Coquina abbatis et hospitum super se sit, ut incertis horis supervenientes hospites qui numquam desunt monasterio, non inquietentur fratres. In qua coquina ad annum ingrediantur duo fratres qui ipsud officium bene impleant. Quibus ut indigent solacia ministrentur, ut absque murmuratione serviant; et iterum, quando occupationem minorem habent, exeant ubi eis imperatur in opera. Et non solum ipsis sed et in omnibus officiis monasterii ista sit consideratio, ut quando indigent solacia accomodentur eis, et iterum quando vacant, oboediant imperatis.

The abbot and the guests should have a kitchen of their own. Then the guests, who arrive at all hours and are never lacking in a monastery, will not disturb the brothers. Two brothers who can do the job well should take charge of this kitchen for a year at a time. They should be given helpers when they need them, so that they can serve without grumbling. And when they have less to do, they should go out to whatever work they are told to do. This should be the rule not only for them but for every job in the monastery. When the brothers need help, they should get it. And when they are free, they should do as they are told.

Item et cellam hospitum habeat adsignatam frater cuius animam timor Dei possidet; ubi sint lecti strati sufficienter, et domus Dei a sapientibus et sapienter administretur.

In the same way, the guest quarters should be given into the care of a brother whose soul is filled with the fear of God. There should be enough beds made up there. And the house of God should be run by wise people, and wisely.

Et sachiés qe quant l'en s'en part de Canbalu por toutes les voies qe voz ai contés, et il est alés vingt cinq miles, adonc le mesajes dou grant sire qe ceste vingt cinq miles ont alés, il trovent une poste que s'apelent janb. en lor langue, et en nostre langaje vaut à dir poste de chevaus, et de chascune poste treuvent les mesajes un mout grant paleis et biaus, là où les mesajes dou grant sire herbergient, et cest erbergies ont mout riches lit, fornis des riches dras de soie, et ont toutes les couses qe as autres mesajes convient, et se un rois hi venist, si seroit bien, herbergiés ; et encore voz di que à ceste poste treuvent les mesajes bien quatre cens chevaus que le grant sire a stabli, qe toutes foies hi demorent et soient aparoillés por sez mesajes quant il les envoie en aucune part.

When you leave Canbalu by any of these roads and have gone twenty-five miles, the messengers of the Great Lord find a post. In their language it is called a janb, which in ours means "post of horses." At each post the messengers find a large and handsome palace where the Great Lord's messengers stay. These lodgings have very rich beds, made up with rich silk sheets, and everything else that messengers need. If a king came there, he would be well lodged. And at this post the messengers find a good four hundred horses, which the Great Lord has placed there. They are always kept there, ready for his messengers whenever he sends them anywhere.

Et quant les mesajes vont por desviables leus que ne i trouve ne maison ne herberges, si hi a fait faire le grant sire poste en chascun leu desviable et palais et toutes les chouses come ont les autres postes, et des chevaus et de arnois, mès ce sunt plus grant jornée : car il sunt faites les postes à trente cinc miles, et tiel hi a à plus de quarante, et en ceste mainere qe vos avés hoï vunt por toutes pars les mesajes dou grant sire, et hont herbergies, et chevaus aparoilés à ogne jornée, et ce est bien la greingnor autesse et la grandese greingnor qe aie ne haïst onques nul enperaors, ne nulz rois, ne nul autre homes teroine.

Sometimes the messengers travel through remote places where there is no house or inn. There too the Great Lord has had a post built in each place, with palaces and everything the other posts have, both horses and harness. But these are longer day's journeys, for here the posts are thirty-five miles apart, and some more than forty. In this way, as you have heard, the Great Lord's messengers travel everywhere and find lodgings and horses ready at the end of every day's journey. This is truly the greatest grandeur and splendor that any emperor, king or other man on earth has ever had.

The wayes to the bath are all difficult, the town lyes Low in a bottom and its steep ascents all wayes out of the town. The houses are indifferent, the streetes of a good size well pitched. There are severall good houses built for Lodgings that are new and adorned, and good furniture, the baths in my opinion makes the town unpleasant, the aire so low, encompassed with high hills and woods. There is 5 baths the hot bath the most hot springs — its but small and built all round, which makes it ye hotter — out of it runns the water into a bath called the Le pours.

The ways to Bath are all difficult. The town lies low in a hollow, and there are steep climbs on all the ways out of the town. The houses are ordinary; the streets are of a good size and well paved. There are several good houses built for lodgings that are new and decorated, with good furniture. The baths, in my opinion, make the town unpleasant, the air is so low, surrounded by high hills and woods. There are five baths. The Hot Bath has the hottest springs. It is only small and built all around, which makes it the hotter. Out of it runs the water into a bath called the Lepers' Bath.

After smoaking and talking some time, I delivered a letter from Colonel Stephen, and another from Captain M'Neil, with some presents from each, which were gratefully accepted by Ostenaco and his consort. He gave me a general invitation to his house, while I resided in the country; and my companions found no difficulty in getting the same entertainment, among an hospitable, tho' savage people, who always pay a great regard to any one taken notice of by their chiefs.

After smoking and talking for some time, I delivered a letter from Colonel Stephen, and another from Captain M'Neil, with some presents from each. They were gratefully accepted by Ostenaco and his wife. He gave me a general invitation to his house while I lived in the country. My companions found no difficulty in getting the same hospitality. These are a hospitable, though savage, people, who always pay great regard to anyone their chiefs take notice of.

137. — Un restaurateur est celui dont le commerce consiste à offrir au public un festin toujours prêt, et dont les mets se détaillent en portions à prix fixe, sur la demande des consommateurs.

A restaurateur is someone whose business is to offer the public a feast that is always ready. The dishes are sold one by one, in portions at a fixed price, as customers ask for them.

Ils étaient forcés d'avoir recours à la cuisine des aubergistes, qui était généralement mauvaise. Il existait quelques hôtels avec table d'hôte, qui, à peu d'exceptions près, n'offraient que le strict nécessaire, et qui d'ailleurs avaient une heure fixe.

They had to rely on innkeepers’ cooking, which was usually bad. There were a few hotels with a table d’hôte. With few exceptions, these served only the bare necessities, and at a fixed hour besides.

A spacious and convenient Hotel, in a central and healthy situation, had been considered, for many years previous to the erection of Tremont House, a most desirable addition to the number of the public edifices of Boston. Since the destruction of the old Exchange Coffee House, in 1818, no hotel had been built in this city on a scale of equal extent with that structure, and none corresponding to the expectations and wants of the numerous visiters of the Metropolis of New England; and the unfortunate experience of those who had previously engaged in similar enterprises was sufficient to deter any individual from undertaking a work of so much labor, cost, and hazard.

A spacious and convenient hotel, in a central and healthy location, had been thought for many years before the building of Tremont House a most desirable addition to the public buildings of Boston. Since the destruction of the old Exchange Coffee House in 1818, no hotel had been built in this city on a scale as large as that building. None met the expectations and wants of the many visitors to the chief city of New England. And the bad experience of those who had tried such ventures before was enough to keep any one person from taking on a work of so much labor, cost, and risk.