DRESS IN THE TIME OF ELIZABETH.-1558-1603.

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CHAPTER CLII.

The Fashions of Dress in the Time of Elizabeth.

1. THERE was one striking difference between Sir Walter Raleigh and the Earl of Essex. The former was minutely particular in his dress, whilst the latter, as his secretary, Sir Henry Wotton, tells us, was so little of a coxcomb in his attire, that he hardly knew what he had on. His dressing-room was filled with friends and suitors, to whom he gave his attention, while his servants put on his clothes, "with little care of his own."

2. This is quite remarkable, for dress was then a matter of great importance. Even old Lord Shrewsbury directs some one in London to send him down some new clothes into Yorkshire, and desires the person "to talk with the tailor, and devise some new jerkin of thin pretty silk, or else one of perfumed leather, with satin sleeves, as the fashion is."

3. The queen herself set the example of wearing costly apparel. Her conceit of her beauty, and her desire to make an impression on the hearts of beholders, made her fond of wearing a great variety of rich dresses. As she never gave any away, there were found in her wardrobes, at her death, above three thousand different habits.

4. Of one of these dresses a foreigner has given us a description. "When I saw Elizabeth, she was in her sixty-seventh year, and had in her ears two pearls with very rich drops. She wore false red hair, and her bosom was uncovered. She was dressed in white silk, bordered with pearls of the size of beans, and over it a mantle of black silk, shot with silver threads, and instead of a chain, she had an oblong collar of gold and jewels. Wherever she turned her face, as she went along, every one fell down on his knees."

5. He does not mention the perfumed gloves, ornamented with tufts of rose-colored silk, which were so much her delight that she would always be painted with a favorite pair-brought to her from Italy, by the Earl of Oxford. Nor does he speak of her silk stockings, which were then a great novelty. Mrs. Montague, her silk woman, having presented to her a pair of black silk hose, she declared she never would wear cloth ones again.

6. But why not wear knit ones? Because the art of making them was almost unknown. One of Henry VIII.'s wives is said to have had a pair of knitted stockings, but all other people wore them of cloth, laced or buttoned tight to the leg. Towards the end of Elizabeth's time, a man named Lee invented a machine for weaving stockings, and set it up with great success in a village near Nottingham; but the stocking-knitters, fearing it would spoil their trade, drove him away. He retired to Paris, where he died of disappointment. His invention, however, did not die with him; and it is a remarkable cir

CLII.-1. What difference in habits between Raleigh and Essex? 2. Why remarkable in Essex? 3. What of the queen's fondness for dress? 4. Give a description of her

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QUEEN ELIZABETH'S PROGRESSES.

cumstance that Nottingham should still be the principal place in England where the stocking manufacture is carried on.

7. There were some curious fashions at this time. The fardingale, an enormous petticoat, was introduced from Spain. Ruffs, made of lawn and cambric, and well stiffened with yellow starch, reaching to the upper part of the head behind, were worn both by ladies and gentlemen. 8. The size of these ruffs appears to have alarmed her majesty, for we are told that certain grave persons were appointed to stand at the gates of the city of London, for the purpose of cutting dow every ruff that was more than a yard in depth. These ruffs gave great offence to a religious party called the Puritans, of whom we shall hear more presently.

9. A writer of this sect, in a book called "The Anatomy of Abuses," thinks it a heinous addition to the sinfulness of the ruff, that it was so “clogged” and “pestered” with needlework. He tells us, also, that the lords of the court were very choice about their shirts, which were often made of cambric, with open-work down the seams, and sometimes cost fifty dollars each, which, he adds, “is horrible to think of."

CHAPTER CLIII.

Queen Elizabeth's Progresses.—Anecdote of Sir Thomas Gresham.— About Sir Philip Sidney.-Change in the Manners of the People.— Shakspeare's Plays.

1. QUEEN Elizabeth was very fond of travelling about the country, or making progresses, as it was called, and visiting her wealthy subjects at their own houses. Upon such occasions great entertainments were given. The most celebrated was that at Kenilworth Castle, provided by the Earl of Leicester. It lasted several days, and invention was exhausted to furnish all sorts of diversion. 2. There were stag-huntings, and bull-baitings, and pageants of every kind; indeed, so numerous and magnificent were the shows, that the account of them fills quite a large volume. The queen did not confine her visits to the nobility. Sir Thomas Gresham, a rich London merchant, who erected, at his own cost, a building for an Exchange, had the honor of entertaining her at his magnificent house called Osterley.

3. Elizabeth, after viewing the whole mansion, remarked as she was going to bed, "that it would have been much more handsome if the court-yard had been divided by a wall." Sir Thomas heard the remark, and instantly set to work such a number of masons and laborers, that when the queen arose in the morning, she found that a wall had risen, as if by magic, in answer to her wish.

dress. 5, 6. What of the use of gloves and stockings? What of the manufacture of stockings? 7. What droll fashions of dress? 8, 9. What of the ruff?

CLIII.-1. What is said of Elizabeth's progresses? 2. What of Leicester's entertain

4. Before we return to our general story, we must say something of Sir Philip Sidney, who was one of the great men of this reign, so prolific in genius and talent. He was a perfect model of what a true knight should be,-courteous, brave, eloquent, accomplished, and learned. His fame and great merits were so well known throughout Europe, that the Poles thought of electing him their king, but Elizabeth would not consent.

5. He received a mortal wound in an engagement near Zutphen, in Holland, Sept. 22d, 1586. As he was stretched on the ground, his attendants brought him some water to quench his raging thirst. Just as he was raising it to his lips, he saw a poor wounded soldier, who was lying near him, looking wistfully at the cup. "Take this water to him," said Sir Philip; "his necessity is greater than mine."

6. Sir Philip was the author of a sort of pastoral romance, called the "Arcadia," which was thought very delightful at the time it was published, though to us it appears somewhat dull. Indeed, in the time of Elizabeth, a conceited, hyperbolical style of writing and speaking was necessary to every one who wished to be thought a fine gentleman.

7. A change had taken place, in every respect, since the days or Henry VIII., who himself set the example of running, jumping, and wrestling, with all kinds of boisterous sports. Elizabeth's courtiers, out of compliment, we suppose, to their female sovereign, affected a measured behavior, and quieter recreations.

8. Lord Mountjoy, who is described as being a pattern of what a nobleman should be, "delighted in study, in gardens, in riding on a pad to take the air, in playing at shovel-board, in fishing in a

ment? 2, 3. What of Sir Thomas Gresham? 4, 5. What of Sir Philip Sidney! 6. What of his Arcadia? What was thought necessary for a fine gentleman!

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LORD BURLEIGH.-1598.

fish-pond, or in reading play-books." He showed a good taste in this last occupation, if he were occupied with Shakspeare's plays; and we may suppose he was, for they were written in the reign of Elizabeth, and were the delight of the court, the town, and the country.

9. These plays were all acted by men and boys, it being considered a great indecorum for women to appear on the stage. The play-houses were little better than barns; and we are told that, instead of painted scenes to represent the places where the action was supposed to pass, there used to be only a board hung up over the stage, with an inscription on it to tell the spectators where they were to imagine the scene to be!

CHAPTER CLIV.

Death of Lord Burleigh.-Lord Essex appointed to the Government of Ireland. Is reproved by Elizabeth.-His Interview with the Queen. -Last Cause of Offence.

1. ELIZABETH had one faithful servant, who, without courting her, or making any improper concessions to her, maintained his place in her confidence from her accession to his own death. This was Cecil, Lord Burleigh. For forty years he was prime minister of England, and the most sagacious one that country ever had.

2. This wise and cautious minister had always endeavored to check the queen's fondness for the headstrong Essex, who, from a love of military glory, would have kept the country continually in a state of war. Burleigh died in 1598, and Essex remained without a competitor in her regard.

3. In 1599, he received the appointment of Governor of Ireland, under the title of lord lieutenant, for the express purpose of putting an end to an insurrection which had broken out there, headed by a powerful chief, the Earl of Tyrone. Nothing doubting of his own abilities, Essex hastened to his task; but he found greater difficulties than he expected.

4. After some months of harassing warfare, in defiance of the queen's commands, he entered into a treaty with Tyrone. Elizabeth sent a sharp reproof for this and other disobedience, at the same time commanding him to remain in Ireland till further orders. Essex, however, instantly set off for England, and arrived at court before it could be known that he had left Ireland.

5. Splashed with dirt, he rushed into the presence-chamber, alnough he knew the queen was exceedingly punctilious about the neat

7. What change in manners? 8. What author was a favorite? 9. What of acting plays?

CLIV. 1. What faithful servant had Elizabeth? What of Lord Burleigh? 3. What appointment did Essex receive? How did he discharge its duties? 4, 5. How did he

MORE ABOUT THE EARL OF ESSEX.-1599.

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and seemly apparel of those who approached her. Not finding her there, he hurried forward to her bed-chamber, where she was barely risen, and sitting with her hair about her face.

6. Essex fell on his knees before her, and Elizabeth was so taken by surprise at this sudden appearance of her favorite, that she received him most graciously. But when he was gone, and she had time to reflect on his conduct, she considered this last presumption as an aggravation of his former faults; upon his next appearance, a few hours after, his reception was quite different, and he was placed in the custody of Lord Egerton.

7. Essex, from the agitation of his mind, fell seriously ill. The tenderness of the queen returned when she heard of his danger. She ordered eight physicians to consult on his case, and sent one of them to him with some broth, saying, while the tears ran down her cheeks, that if she could, consistently with her honor, she would visit him. Essex upon this recovered, and was permitted to remain in retirement in his own house.

8. Elizabeth, after a severe struggle between her affection for her favorite and her sense of justice, at length consented that Essex should be called to account for his mismanagement of affairs in Ireland. He did not attempt to excuse himself, but made a humble submission to the queen, who received his contrite messages with great complacency.

9. He then ventured to apply for a renewal of a grant she had formerly made him, but she refused, saying that "an ungovernable beast must be stinted in his provender." These contemptuous expressions were too much for the proud heart of Essex. His temper, hitherto restrained with difficulty, now broke loose. He declared, in his rage, that "the queen, now that she was an old woman, was as crooked in her mind as in her person."

10. This was reported to Elizabeth. It was bad enough to call her, who was so vain of her person, crooked; but to call her old was even worse; so great a dread had she of being thought aged, that she contrived, when she was nearly seventy, to be surprised by the French ambassador in the act of dancing a galliard, a sort of figure dance, to the music of a little fiddle, upon which, we believe, she herself played.

CHAPTER CLV.

Execution of the Earl of Essex.-Death of Queen Elizabeth.

1. THE breach between Elizabeth and her favorite now seemed to be irreparable. Essex, completely maddened by passion, sought to overturn the government. But his open nature made him a bad

observe the queen's orders? 6. How did the queen receive him? 7. How did Essex bear his disgrace? 8. Were they reconciled? 9. What new cause of offence did he give? 10. What instance of the queen's vanity?