Page:Textile fabrics; a descriptive catalogue of the collection of church-vestments, dresses, silk stuffs, needle-work and tapestries, forming that section of the Museum (IA textilefabricsde00soutrich).pdf/138

 Oxford by Archbishop Chicheley, are a cope and mitre for this boy, there named the Nicholas-tide bishope:—"i cap. et mitre pro episcopo Nicholao." To make good his election to such a dignity, at Eton College, a boy had to study hard and show at the examination for it, that he was the ablest there at his books: his success almost ennobled him among his schoolfellows:—"In die Sti Hugonis pontificis" (17 Nov.) "solebat Ætonæ fieri electio Episcopi Nihilensis, sed consuetudo obsolevit. Olim episcopus ille puerorum habebatur nobilis, in cujus electione, et literata et laudatissima exercitatio, ad ingeniorum vires et motos exercendos, Ætonæ celebris erat." The colour, crimson, in this boy's mitre, was to distinguish it from that of bishops.

Of the episcopal bairn-cloth—the Gremiale of foreign liturgists—we have two specimens here,—Nos. 1031, 1032, pp. 19, 20. The rich one of crimson cloth of gold, once belonging to Bowet, Archbishop of York, who died 1423, brought more money than even a chasuble of the same stuff:—"Et de xxvjs. viijd. receptis pro j. bairnecloth de rubeo panno auri. Et de xxs. receptis pro j casula de rubeo beaudkyn, &c. Inventorium," &c.

Old episcopal shoes are now become great liturgical rarities, but there is one here,—No. 1290, p. 46. At one time they were called "sandals;" and among the episcopal ornaments that went by usage to Durham cathedral at the death of any of its bishops, were "mitra et baculum et sandalia et cætera episcopalia," of Hugh Pudsey, 1195. Later was given them the name of "sabatines;" and Archbishop Bowet's inventory mentions two pairs:—"pro j pare de sabbatones, brouddird, et couch' cum perell'; pro j pare de sabbatones de albo panno auri," &c.

Will, on many occasions, heartily rejoice to have, within easy reach, such an extensive, varied, and curious collection of textiles gathered from many lands, and wrought in different ages.

For the painter and the decorator it must have a peculiar value.

Until this collection of silken and other kinds of woven stuffs had been