Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/521

 474 THE GLOVE:

ITS RELATION TO THE LAW, THE BENCH, AND THE BAR.

BY CHARLES J. ALDRICH. AROUND the glove, which evidently orig ruffianly Darnley, is said to be one of the inated in necessity and the common de most artistic bits of needlework in existence. sire for comfort, have risen many quaint and It is natural that many of the romantic curious customs. Most of these observances observances connected with the glove should now exist as memories and records only. A not escape the limner's art. In nearly all few are left, however, which seem senile and large collections of paintings will be found antiquated in the presence of this youthsome striking picture dealing with the cus loving and over-common-sense age; yet it is tom of challenging by the glove. Some of pleasant to recall that our ceremonious these are bold in conception. I recall a very grandfathers had many uses for the glove striking one in which a warlike knight is aside from the simple desire for comfort and offering back on the point of his sword the appearance which almost alone appertains glove which he has accepted as a gage of battle. His opponent is standing reluctantly to the unromantic today. The glove of ye olden time was much else and listening hesitatingly to the arguments than a cover for the hand. It was held to be of a priest, who, it is easy to understand, is an evidence of wealth, an insignia of rank, a urging him not to engage in the deadly com mark of gentle breeding; and much skill and bat so earnestly symbolized by the other. money were expended in attempting to make A Pleudeman has given to art his concep it reflect the wealth and station of the wearer. tion of the defiant act of the unfortunate Indeed, families wore gloves as distinctive as Prince Conradin of Hohenstaufen, who, their coat-of-arms. Some of them were be throwing his glove among the crowd from decked with silver, gold and precious stones; the scaffold in the market of Naples, en more frequently, however, they were covered treated some one to carry it as an mvesture with significant and elaborate embroidery. of his kingly titles to his relatives, who would An historian tells us that the vanity of the avenge his death and by virtue of his glove chivalrous Norman youths led them to wear regain the crown. gloves so long and ponderous, and so cov Indeed, from the time that Boaz took ered with ornamentation that, so far as their Ruth to wife and bought the lands of Elimehands were concerned, they were hel'less lech, Chilien and Mahlon "of the hand of while gloved. The saying to be "handled with Naomi," giving as a pledge his glove, down out gloves" could well have originated in that to our own times, when the theatrical Ger little Dukedom which overshadowed Europe man Emperor commanded his brother Henry and conquered empires, whose youths with to lay his "mailed hand" upon the far East, out gloves were brave, glorious and con we have this little article of wearing apparel quering. mosaiced in history along with many wicked Antiquarians have preserved to us some of deeds and wise ones, with treacherous these wonderfully embellished gloves. In queens and crafty statesmen, austere church men and bewigged judges, kings both wise deed, it is said that the one glove-cuff re maining to us of the beautiful pair that the and foolish, fair women and heartless poison accomplished but unfortunate Mary of Scot ers, swaggering sworders and great cap tains. This simple covering of the hand has land "broidered" with her own hands for the