Christopher Crockett Sep 2, 2013:

the Middlevils were too ignorant to have tea, Tony.

Beer & Crumpets was the best they could do.

Tony M Sep 2, 2013:

Does this mean... ...that as it's not quite time for Vespers, we've just got time for tea and cakes?

Christopher Crockett Sep 2, 2013:

"midi et none" Your author is hopelessly mixing his apples and his oranges here --the Middlevils didn't use the modern French "midi" for noon, but "sext" (which makes sense, if "nones" is the ninth hour, the hour three hours before that would be the sixth hour. (are you confused enough, yet?)

And, as Tony pointed out, the term is "Nones" rather than the non-existant "none" --which might account for your difficulty in finding it.

Cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nones_(calendar)#Months

where the "nones", in a month, also "implies ninth from the Latin novem, because, counting Ides as first, one day before is the second, and eight days before is the ninth."

Which should certainly clear up any residual confusion.

The "canonical hours" of the day are explained (more or less) here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonical_hours

It really wasn't the Middevils' fault --they inherited that cockamamie system from the Romans and forgot to change it into something comprehensible when the latter (thankfully) Fell.

Amy Hargreaves (X) (asker) Sep 2, 2013:

Hi, thanks to everyone for their responses. I could not find the translation when I looked, no other problems with this now.

Amy Hargreaves (X) (asker) Sep 2, 2013:

Hi, thanks to everyone for their responses. I could not find the translation when I looked, no other problems with this now.

writeaway Sep 2, 2013:

What did you find? Everyone has found the same answer- did you find it when you looked and have you rejected it or is there a specific problem?