attire of Cardinal Wolsey; his very shoes, says Roy, being "Of gold and stones precious, Costing many a thousand pounds." These were, indeed, the days when gallants "Wear a farm in shoe-strings edged with gold, A gaudy cloak three mansions' price almost; Prized at the church's tithe." Under the house of Tudor, no shoe could be fashionable that was not fastened with a full-blown rose; but in shape they were not so extravagantly long as those formerly worn. Under Henry the Eighth, silk stockings, it is said, were first brought to England. On this subject, however, there seems to be some doubt. Planché, in his "History of British Costume," thus describes their introduction: "Hose or stockings of silk are generally supposed to have been unknown in this country before the middle of the sixteenth century; and a pair of long Spanish hose of silk were presented as a gift worthy the acceptance of a monarch, by Sir T. Gresham, to Edward the Sixth." Howe, in the continuation to Stowe's "Chronicle," asserts that Henry the Eighth never wore any hose but such as were made of cloth. This, however, is contradicted by an entry mentioned in the inventory of his apparel, which is to be found in the Harleian Library, where we read the account of several pairs of "silk hose," "one short pair of black silk and gold woven together; one of purple silk and Venice gold, woven like unto a cawl [i.e. of open or net-work], lined with blue silver [sarcenet], edged with a passemain [lace] of purple silk and gold, wrought at Milan; a pair of white silk and gold hose, knit; and six pair of black silk hose, knit." And in an inventory of still earlier date, taken about the eighth year of his reign, both satin and velvet are mentioned as the materials of which his hose are composed. But then the question arises, whether, by the word "hose," the writer of the above really meant stockings, or whether he intended to describe the nether garment so much worn at that time, which consisted of stockings and breeches all in one, frequently called, by old writers, "hose" and "hosen?" Shakspeare uses the word for breeches, and also for stockings: "He, being in love, could not see to garter his hose." Howe certainly intended to express stockings; but, probably, the "embroidered and lined hose," and those made of satin and velvet, were, in fact, the coverings of the upper part of the legs, which at that time were frequently made of velvet, satin, cloth of gold, and other rich materials; and this appears the more likely, as in another part of the same inventory we read an entry as follows: "A yard and a half of green velvet for stocks to a paire of hose for the king's grace;" and in other parts we find various stuffs mentioned, used for "stocking the hose." The shoes at this time were variously shaped, and richly ornamented. Buskins, slashed like the doublets, were also very fashionable. Some were of satin, some of velvet, and frequently the toes were broad and wide, and the shoe had a strap across the instep. In the "Memoirs of the Court of Henry the Eighth," we read: "The dress of females of rank was restricted by limitations of a nature somewhat similar to those which restricted the absurdities of male attire, and was less extravagant. The gown, composed of silk or velvet, was shortened or lengthened according to the rank of the wearer. The countess was obliged by the rules of etiquette to have a train before and behind, which she hung upon her arm, or fastened in her girdle; the baroness, and all under her degree, were prohibited from assuming that badge of distinction. The matrons were distinguished from unmarried women by the different mode of their head-attire; the hood of the former had recently been superseded by a coif, or close bonnet, of which the pictures of Holbein give a representation; while the youthful and the single, with characteristic simplicity, wore the hair braided with knots of riband." Frontlets and lappets now came into fashion; also hats and bonnets. The lappets often fell below the shoulders, and were frequently made of velvet, studded with precious stones. Some were very broad, others broad near the face, and tapering towards the ends. Sometimes they turned back, and fluttered in the breeze like streamers. Embroidered petticoats and gowns were now much worn by the female sex. The latter were frequently made open in front, so as to shew the satin kirtle beneath; an embroidered apron, flowered in gold and coloured silks, was also greatly admired. The bodice, or, as it was formerly called, the surcoat, was generally of a different colour from the rest of the dress, and had a richly ornamented stomacher. "Gowns of blew velvet, cut and lined with cloth of gold, made after the fashion of Savoy," are named by a writer of the day, who also describes the dress worn by Anne of Cleves, which consisted of "a ryche gowne of cloth of gold, raised, made round, without any trayne, after the Dutch fashion." Thanks to the observations of these old chroniclers, we are here informed of two new modes, but the latter one appears not to have pleased the English ladies, as we do not read of its being adopted. The partlet and waistcoat were also invented at this time. The former, Mr. Strutt imagines, usurped the place of the gorget or barbe. In an inventory of that day we read of "partelets of Venice gold knit, two partelets of Venice gold, caul fashion, two of white thread, and two partelets of white lawn, wrought with gold about the collars." They are supposed to have resembled modern habit-shirts, and were made with or without sleeves. Ladies' head-dresses were various sometimes they wore a velvet cap, adorned with jewels, and a longflowing veil; others adopted a caul, a coif, or a French hood; and Stowe speaks of three-cornered caps. They were, he says, white, and three-square, and the peaks full three or four inches from the head. Frontlets were also worn, before bonnets were introduced. The gentlemen's hair, which, till this reign, had been worn long and flowing, was, by an order of this despotic monarch, condemned to be cut quite short, to the no small disgust of the gallants of that day, who, however, were a little consoled by the gracious permission of their sovereign to wear a fierce beard and long curling moustaches. But, alas! a sumptuary law was now passed, by which no person not of the royal family could wear fur of the black genet, and no person under the rank of a viscount fur of sable; and, still worse, no person under the degree of a knight of the garter might wear crimson or blue velvet, or embroidered apparel, brooched or guarded with goldsmith's work, except the sons and heirs of barons and knights, who were permitted to use crimson velvet and tinsel in their doublets. Coats of various shapes were now worn; also jackets and frocks, which Hall says were jackets with skirts : waistcoats, too, were invented; and, by an inventory of Henry's own habiliments, we find numerous "trimmed shirts wrought with black and white silk, and shirtbands of silver, with ruffles to the same, whereof one is perled with gold." 66 Hall, who was very particular in describing dress, gives the following account of that of King Henry in the first year of his reign :-" A suit of short garments, little beneathe the pointes, of blew velvet and crymosyne, with long sleeves, all cut and lyned with cloth of gold, and the utter parts of the garmentes powdered with castles and sheafes of arrowes, of fyne dockett golde; the upper part of the hosen of like sewte and facion; the nether parts of scarlet, powdered with tymbrelles of fine gold. On his head was a bonnet of damaske silver, flatte woven in the stoll, and thereupon wrought with gold, and ryche feathers in it." Another day, Hall says the king was habited "in a frocke, all embroidered over with flatted gold of damaske, with small lace mixed between of the same gold, and other laces of the same going traverse |