Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/259

 •'« .'*r*tf E HlSt G'R Y ' 6ook I.' ' Olrer the waift-cbat and the trowfers was a loofer garment, denominated by theCeltae a Sag or Sack, being equally plaidetf with both, being of a thick ftrong contexture, and being faftened found the body 'with buttons and bound under the breafts with a girdle*. Round the naked heck 'was a large chain, which hung down upon the naked breaft ; and on the middle or fecond finger of both hands was k ring. Both were made of gold among the chiefs, and. both were made of iron among their followers **. They had ihoes 1 upon their -feet which muft have been equally party-coloured as the reft of their drefs, as they were equally with the trowfers denominated Brae or Brag and are ftill de- nominated Br6g. And they wore round bonnets upon their heads ». ; This the remarkable drefs of our Brfrifh anceftors, whteh fc6ntmued very nearly the fame to the commencement of the laft cfcntury among. the natives of Ireland f V and has actually de- fended to' the prefent century among our northern mountaineers bf Spotlatld, and which is therefore rendered very familiar to bur ideas* Wrhed in k ah aftojiijhipg ^ppearajice to the Romans.**. And thfcWjta equally the drefs of the meh 1 and the women v among the chiefs of Britain **. But in a few years after the ere&ion of the Roman-Britifh towns in the north, and in the progrefs of Roman-Britifh rfefinemeints among them, this antient drefs "began to be difefteemed by the'ehipre of the cities, and to be looked upon as the badgfe pf antient harbariftti. And the grow- ing prejudices were, loon fo greatly ftnproved, that-, within twenty years after the cortftru&iori of the towns* the Britifh* fumed by many of them H * .' • l Tire Roman Gwn or Gowq; however neyer became univcrfal ii* Britain. It muft have' been adopted only by the chiefs jof the cities and the officers of the crown, and has therefore teen transmitted to* us as the peculiar robe of reverence, the enfigaof literature and the "mantle of magiftracy. The woollen* plaided garments of the chiefs having naturally fupeifeded the Skinny veftures of the amba&oiu the
 * Sagum was aftually refigned and the Ionian Toga adually at-