Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 7.djvu/366

 358 NOTES AND QUERIES. [u s. vn. may 3,1913. Price of Cereaxs in 1550 (US. vii. 288). —The price of wheat referred to is pro- bably in pence. During the 280 years ending 1540 the average price of wheat per quarter was 5*. llfd. See Thorold Rogers, ' Six Centuries of Work and Wages.' and the same author's ' History of Agri- culture and Prices.' J. Parson. In 1548-9 prices rose considerably, and in March of that year wheat was lis. 8rf. a bushel. In 1549-50 prices rose still higher, and wheat reached 16s. 2d. at Cambridge. During the same year the Xavy, in buying large quantities, paid as high as 19s. 4rf. for wheat, with barley at high prices too. 1550-51. The harvest was again bad, and prices were very high. 1551-2. The average for wheat this year Was as high as 23s. 8{d. At Cambridge a purchase of wheat was made for 26s. 8rf. At Hatfield one entry this year records the unprecedented figure of 32s. See ' House- hold Book at Hatfield." and Thorold Rogers's ' Prices,' vol. iv. p. 262. A. L. Humphreys. 187, Piccadilly, W. Halts an Hiooha. Dame. Faxhion. By Julius M. Price. (Sumpson Low & Co.) Mk. Price, like many authors who have cone thoroughly into the subjects of which they have treated, confesses that "he had no conception of the magnitude of the task before him." He found —as readers of ' N. & Q.' know by our quotations from booksellers' catalogues and from sale records —that works on costume arc almost innumerable, though the periods unuallv covered in those works do not bring the history down to the present day. Mr. Price's volume begins with 1786, and extends to last year. All the illustrations (which number 1"."> coloured plates and many photographic repro- ductions) are from contemporary plates At first Mr. Price felt tempted to execute the drawings himself, but ho "was actuated by the idea of giving the accurate, local colour and characteristics which only prints of the period can convey." For the more recent illustrations he is indebted to Tin Queen, while for tho earlier fashions ho expresses obligation to ninny Government officials in London and Paris who have courteously given him access to documents of much value, and to Mr. Theodore Lumley and Mr. Walter Lumley, who have placed at bis disposal their collection of books and prints of old London. Mr. Price treats the 'question of fashion histori- cally, showing bow " the mind of woman has been strongly affected by tho trend of events and by the ethical atmosphere of our own time, and, con- sciously or unconsciously, has formulated a record of history in her mode of dress. Though she can scarcely be credited at any period with having, individually selected this mode or that, we find that, whatever the prevailing influence, be it peace or war, austerity or dissipation, it has been faith- fully and almost intuitively expressed in feminine fashion." Iu no country has this feminine dispu>i tioii been more marked than in France, and any one who visited Paris shortly after the war of 1870 will remember that almost every lady one met was attired in black—many for the loss of relatives, but the general use of sombre colours was evidently from national syni]«athy. while the music played by the bands in the parks was solemn and subdued. The evolution of modern fashion in France dates from 1786, when the extravagance of the Court was reflected in the universal extravagance iu dress, and feathers worn by ladies would frequently cost two thousand livres each. About this period began the salon*, which indicated that woman was gradu- ally coming to occupy a place in public life. Among these salon* were those of Madame Necker, Madame de Beauharnais, and Madame Roland. Until the taking of the Bastille Paris fashions had come from ersailles. Under the Revolu- tion fashion, democratized, became common pro- l>crty: it "reverted to the Greek and Raman period, and, encouraged by the patriotic school, even went so far back as before Christ." The yellow velvet rage must have made the /talon* of Paris look remarkable when even- woman of fashion appeared in this colour. It originated with Mile Mars, who was performing at Lyons, where a manufacturer presented her with a long fold of costly yellow velvet, asking her to make his fortune by accepting it. Yellow velvet was what he knew best how to make, and nobody wore it. " It was obsolete—the colour trying," was the Lady's reply ; but the entreaties of the eloquent pleader of his own cause overcame the kind heart of the actress ; she had it made up to wear when she played with Talma the week after, and the fortune of the manufacturer was made. Another instance of a fortune being made out of a single colour occurred in more recent years, viz., from the discovery of magenta, a bright bluish pink-red named after the battle, it having been produced in the year of the war between Austria and Italy. Paris after Waterloo was marked by a new era of prosperity and gaiety. Madame de Stael found herself " once more in sight and smell of the ' ruis- seau de la Rue du Bal,'" which she once said she preferred to all the romantic scenery of Switzerland or Italy. The return of Royalty filled the salon* of the Tuileries ; business was flourishing everywhere, so there was sufficient excuse for extravagance. London shared in the general rejoicing at the jieaee. All the embassies vied with each other in the splendour of their celebrations. Balls and partie* followed in rapid succession. At the Caledonian Ball the Highland costume worn by the men was strange to Continental visitors. Each chief- tain wore his own tartan, and the reel, with its rapid steps, its Highland fling, and the wild yell of triumph uttered by the dancers, was received with amazement. After this we have what Mr. Price well descril es as " a period of ugliness," from 1820 till 1832. " Nothing so peculiar in its grotesqueness had been seen for many generations, yet it was considered very attractive at the time." The illustrations of