Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 6.djvu/498

Rh 466 COSTUME [ENGLISH. brims, and leggings and shoes, are represented in the various illuminations of this era, which convey very clear and well-defined ideas of the costume then in use by various classes and both sexes. Towards the close of this century the costume of Henry II. and of his Queen Eleanor, as represented in their effigies, may be accepted as characteristic illustrations of a period in which considerable luxury in dress was becoming generally prevalent. The king is attired in an nnder-tunic reaching to his feet, and a blue tunic almost of the same length, both garments having comparatively tight sleeves reaching to the wrists ; over the upper-tunic is a dal matic of crimson enriched with a floral pattern in gold, long but not very full, and without any front-opening being apparent, its full sleeves shorter than those of the tunic ; over all, a purple mantle, fastened with a morse on the right shoulder, covers the left arm, and is drawn up on the right side so as partly to cover the figure also on the right side below the girdle. The gloves are jewelled, and the boots, green in colour, enriched with gold and armed with golden spurs, are broad and slightly pointed. Over a white under-tuuic, visible only at the throat where it is fastened by a circular brooch, the queen wears a long tunic or gown, loose throughout, its sleeves tight at the wrists and enlarging upwards to the shoulders, which is secured about the waist by a buckled girdle. The pattern upon this dress, which is represented to have been worn uncovered by a dalmatic, and is white, consists of golden crescents in pairs, set reversed and contained within the meshes of an interlaced lozenge-work also golden. The mantle of blue, studded with golden crescents, is secured across the breast with a cord, and, falling back from the shoulders, it is gathered up on both sides and drawn partly across the figure in front. About her face the queen has a plain wimple ; and beneath her crown her head is covered with a coverchef, which falls in folds on either shoulder. The king also is crowned ; but his sceptre has been broken away from his right hand. In her illuminated portraits, Eleanor of Aquitaine is represented with a wimple, which is fastened with a circlet of gems ; her under-tunic, or cote-hardi, fitting closely and having tight sleeves, is gathered into a rich collar about her throat ; over this dress is a loose tunic, long and flowing, guarded with fur, its full and open sleeves also being lined with fur : and, over all, there is the ever-present mantle, generally of some light material, so adjusted that at the pleasure of the wearer it might be drawn over the head. Henry II. is not known to have been represented wearing the short cloak of Anjou, familiarly associated with his name. A few years later the same royal attire is represented in the effigy of Richard I. Here, over a white under-tunic, the long tunic and the almost equally long crimson dalmatic are shown to be slit up at the sides ; the latter garment has very full sleeves, which hang down from a little above the wrists, and the rich girdle, covered by the mantle in his father s effigy, is shown. The mantle, of royal blue and gold, has a dif ferent adjustment, being fastened in the centre over the chest by a large morse, from which it falls back over the right shoulder, but on the left side it is drawn forward so as partly to cover the person and to hang down in folds over the arm ; and on the right side also this mantle is drawn forward below the girdle. The king is crowned ; he wears gloves, jewelled at the back of the hand ; and to his enriched boots, which in their form and adornment resemble his father s, his spurs are attached by buckled straps. In all these royal effigies it is certain that a faithful representation is given of the remains, attired as had been the custom of these personages in-life, when lying in state before interment. In that warlike and turbulent age, when the possession of good arms and armour and the means of effecting improvements in them were objects of supreme importance, the peaceful population appear to have been content to retain the system and style of dress in use shortly after the establishment of the Norman dynasty A tunic, worn over some under-garment, generally made to reach about to the knees, but sometimes very short, constantly made with a cape and occasionally also with a hood, loose chausses or trews and light hose and pointed boots or shoes, with some kind of cap for head-gear, and a hood to the favourite cloak or mantle, formed the prevalent male dress. The nobles and other men of rank, when not in their armour, aspired to rival the princes in the richness of their attire ; and, in addition to such costumes as might be habitual to them when engaged in active occupations, wealthy citizens were not slow to follow the higher and perhaps still richer classes as closely as might be per mitted to them, by indulging in long and flowing gown-like tunics when in repose or on occasions of ceremony and festivity. The long tunics which came into use by men early in the century at first had long sleeves very wide at the wrists ; and at the same time the sleeves of their tunics were worn of extravagant length and proportions by ladies of rank. This extravagance, particu larly in the male attire, however, had almost disappeared before the close of the century. On the whole, the female attire may be said in its common use to have been subjected to but little of decided change, except that in its general aspect it exhibited some what less of an Oriental character than it had done at the com mencement of the century. The powerful influence exercised by the East through the crusades on the armour and military appoint ments of the warriors of the West, did not take effect till the next century in matters connected with Western female fashions and usages. Century XIII. As in the centurynext succeeding, in both the first and the second half of the 13th century, royal costume, which may be accepted as the most perfect example of the dress of the higher and wealthier classes, is happily exemplified with the highest contem porary authority. King John, upon whose monument (itself a work of the Tudor era) in Worcester Cathedral rests the earliest of the royal portrait effigies that are in existence in England, is attired in a loose tunic reaching from the throat almost to the ankles, having tight sleeves, and its colour being golden. Over this is a loose full-sleeved crimson dalmatic, shorter than the tunic, bor dered about the throat-opening and at the very wide extremities of the sleeves with richly gemmed gold embroidery, and secured about the waist by a buckled girdle having a long pendant end. The mantle, worn over all, which hangs down the back of the figure, is gathered up on the right arm in a manner long as well as very generally adopted by both sexes. The king, who has red hose with black boots and golden spurs, is crowned, a circlet of jewels which binds his hair appearing on his brow from beneath his crown. In his gloved hands, the gloves being gemmed, he holds his sword and what remains of his sceptre. Among notices of King John s costume, he is recorded to have appeared at a certain Christmas festival in a white damask tunic with a jewelled girdle and gloves, his mantle being of red satin embroidered with sapphires and pearls. Over a white under-tunic fastened with a circular brooch at the throat, Queen Isabel of Angouleme appears in her effigy habited in a long blue tunic covered with single golden crescents ; this robe, which is loose and flowing throughout, has its full sleeves gathered in at the wrists, and it is adjusted about the waist by a rich girdle secured by a buckle. The queen wears a wimple and on her coverchef rests her crown ; her mantle, which hangs from her shoulders and on her right side is drawn partly over her figure, is yellow covered with red roses and green leaves. Berengaria, tho widow of Eichard I., who died about 1235, is attired in the same fashion ; but her tunic, of ampler proportions, is more gracefully disposed ; her large brooch is elaborately enriched ; from her gemmed girdle on her left side an aumoniere, or purse, is suspended ; her mantle, secured by a narrow cord across her breast, is not drawn forward ; she wears no wimple, and her coverchef is so adjusted about her crowned head as to permit her wavy hair to be visible. The effigy of this royal widow displays no tokens of any such style or accessories of costume as might have reference to her condition of widowhood. The crowned effigy of Henry III. (1272), a noble work, is remarkable for the classic grace and dignity of the adjustment of the ample mantle about the king s person, over his long tunic and dalmatic ; this mantle is fastened by a large morse on the right shoulder. The king s boots, which are elaborately embroidered with small gold lions enclosed in lozenge-work, are without spurs. During the long reign of this weak prince but few decided changes appear to have taken place to affect what gradually had settled down into becoming the national costume in England. New varieties, however, of rich and costly fabrics continued to be intro duced, and they were eagerly adopted as materials for their dress by both sexes of the wealthier classes. Eleanor of Provence is represented clad in an embroidered mantle having an ermine collar, fastened with a small brooch over a close-fitting and wide-skirted tunic of gold brocade, having its sleeves so cut as nearly to cover the hands. At this time furs of various kinds were greatly in request. The fashion, too, which had been introduced in the time of Rufus and was longprevalent, of cutting the borders of dresses into fantastic patterns became more general, and often was carried to excess. Sleeveless tunics, which would show the sleeves as well as the lower parts of the longer under-tunics, began to assume a recognized position in the female attire of the time ; and, no longer braided in long tails, ladies hair was arranged within network of gold or silver filagree or of silk, the wimple and coverchef, now constantly of very rich materials, being retained in use, and often so adjusted as to display the countenance in a triangular form after the manner of the mail coif of the knights. Of this fashion the effigy of Avcline, first countess of Lancaster, in Westminster Abbey, afT&amp;gt;rds a truly characteristic illustration (fig. 25). At this same period the diapered patterns and rich tissues of FlQ 2 5. Head-dreas from pres attained to a great celebrity, and Effi of countess O f heraldic devices began to appear as de- Tonno^fo^ . . * 3 -KT /v ijuncabicr. corative accessories ot dress. JNo emgy of the warlike Edward I. exists, to show him either in his mail, or in such attire as it pleased him to assume when not fully armed ; but, doubtless, the line effigy of Fair Rosamond s son, Earl William