YORK AND LANCASTER. THE 'HE effigies of Henry IV. and his queen, Joan of Navarre, in the Chapel of St. Thomas-à-Becket, Canterbury Cathedral, are elegant instances of a style of royal costume uniting richness, grandeur, and simplicity. The king's dalmatic is ornamented by a simple border, and has at the sides an opening similar to a pocket-hole, surrounded by a richly-wrought border; a broad tippet, or cape, envelopes the shoulders and reaches to the waist; the sleeves of Fig. 119. the dalmatic are wide, and display the tighter sleeve of the undertunic, with its row of buttons, and its rich border at the wrist. The royal mantle is large and flowing, with a plain narrow border, fastened across the breast by a broad band, richly jewelled, secured to lozenge-shaped clasps of elaborate workmanship, and from which descend cords and tas sels. But the most beautiful portion of the "glory of regality "exhibited on this effigy is the crown, surrounded by oak-leaves and fleurs-de-lis; as the diadem of a monarch claiming territory in France as well as Britain, nothing can be more appropriately conceived than this design. The queen's dress is simple: a long gown, open at the sides, and displaying the jewelled girdle beneath, ornamented by a row of large buttons richly chased; a flowing mantle secured by a cord, a collar of SS round the neck, and the hair encased in a caul of jewelled network, from which a veil descends, completes her costume, which, like that of the king, is rich and majestic. The crown is similar to that of her husband. The very singular gown, open at the sides, and displaying the dress beneath, with the girdle that confined the waist, as worn by Queen Joan, is first observable on monuments of the time of Edward III. It is clearly seen on the effigy of that monarch's daughter, Blanche de la Tour, in Westminster Abbey, and also upon one of the female figures on the side of the tomb engraved by Hollis. The figures of Beatrice, Countess of Arundel, Lady de Thorpe, the Countess of Westmoreland, and others, in Stothard's "Effigies" display the fashion with great perspicuity. A fine example has been selected (see the annexed engraving), from the Royal MS. 16 G 5. It will be seen that the figure to the left in this cut is habited in one of these singular dresses; while the female confronting her wears a simple tight-fitting gown or cote-hardie, with girdle loosely encircling the waist, and a joined in the centre by circular clasps, Fig. 120. This may be from whence hangs an ornamental chain. considered as the fair average costume of a person of the better class; and the lady beside her displays that of the wealthy and noble. It is the same in form, but has, in addition, the sideless gown, with its facing and border of fur: it appears to cover the front of the body similar to a stomacher, a row of jewels running down the centre, in colour green, blue, and red alternately.1 The ermine ap 1 It is sometimes confined to the hip on each side by a jewelled brooch, 1 pears also to line this robe, and it may be seen distinctly where it is lifted. This dress, in the original, is coloured of a deep ultramarine blue, while the tight-fitting gown beneath, similar to the one worn by the other female, is of "baudekyn," or cloth of gold: the girdle round the hips is seen at the opening on each side of the dress, which is long and capacious at bottom, trailing on the ground, and completely hiding the feet. This peculiar costume continued in fashion until the reign of Henry VI. Another good example of the costume of a lady in the early part of the reign of Henry IV. is afforded by the brass of Margaret, widow of Sir Fulke Pennebrygg, in Shottesbrooke church, Berkshire, who died in 1401. She wears a close gown, fitting tightly round the neck, and secured by buttons down the entire front to the feet; it has loose sleeves, those of the undergarment appearing beneath, the cuff covering the hand, and buttoned from the elbow. Her girdle is exceedingly beautiful. Her hair is confined in an enriched caul, and a veil hangs from it. Her head rests on two richly embroidered cushions. The male costume of Henry IV.'s reign is delineated on next page, from the illuminations in a little calendar of the year 1412, preserved in the Harleian collection, and numbered 2332. In the original MS. they represent a winter and summer month. The elder figure, seated in his chair, is an interesting example of the costume of that class Fig. 121. as in the effigy of Lady Beauchamp of Holt, in Worcester Cathedral, engraved by Mr. Hollis in his " Monumental Effigies." Cloth of Baudekyn was cloth of Baldach, or Babylon, whence it was originally brought. It was the richest kind of stuff, the web being gold and the woof silk, and was further enriched by embroidery. of the community whose lives were in "the sere, the yellow leaf." He wears a dark cap or hat, turned up behind only, so that it forms a projecting point or shade for the eyes in front: such hats were worn until the latter part of the period of which we are treating.1 A close-fitting hood envelopes his head and shoulders, having buttons down the front. A long gown, very similar to that worn during the reign of Edward II., already engraved in Fig. 79, but tighter in the sleeve, completely envelopes the body: it is fastened by a row of buttons in front, and the sleeves are secured by a similar close row from the elbow. By looking at the younger figure, we shall perceive that the greater excess of cloth in sleeves and gowns, so glaringly visible in the previous reign, had a little abated. The gown or tunic reaches only to to the knee, where it is cut into the form of leaves: in the original delineation it is of a dark chocolate colour, and Fig. 122. is secured round the waist by a close-fitting ornamental girdle. The wide sleeves are here of another colour, and are generally light when the body of the dress is dark, or vice versa; the juncture at the shoulder being slightly ornamented. Tight hose, and boots reaching above the ankle, which are deprived of their enormous crackowes, or longpointed toes, finish the dress, which is much less foppish than that worn during the reign of Richard II. The hair is parted in front, and curls at the sides; and in some in 1 During a temporary rage in France for all things connected with the "Moyen Age," these hats were resuscitated, and in 1841 were pretty commonly worn in Paris. They were formed as above described, and accorded better than might be expected with modern costume. M stances we find the gentlemen confining their locks across the forehead by a very feminine jewelled band. Sumptuary laws of a stringent kind, for the regulation of excess in apparel, were revived with considerable additions during this reign, by which the costume of the members of the community was sought to be regulated by the rank or riches of the wearer. No person of lower estate than a knight banneret was by these enactments permitted to wear cloth of gold or velvet, or to appear in a gown that reached to the ground, or to wear large sleeves, or use upon his dress the furs of either ermine or marten; while gold and silver ornaments were strictly forbidden to all who were not possessed of two hundred pounds in goods and chattels, or twenty pounds per annum. Gowns and garments cut into the form of leaves and other figures at their edges, or ornamented with letters or devices, were altogether condemned, and declared forfeit to the king; while the unlucky tailor who manufactured such finery was rendered liable to imprisonment during the royal pleasure! The effect of these severe enactments very much resembled stage-thunder, which may startle us at first by its loudness, but its utter harmlessness soon composes the nerves. The perfect inattention shown by all classes of the community to any of these laws, rendered them dead letters on the statute-book, where they lay, "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Occleve, in his satirical poem on the pride of serving-men, and their wastefulness in clothing, declares his horror at seeing them walk in robes of scarlet twelve yards wide, with sleeves hanging to the ground, and bordered or lined with fur to the value of twenty pounds or more, affirming that they see no merit or virtue in any man but him whose array is outrageous. He adds: "Also there is another newe gette, He then asks how such a menial is to assist his master, if he should be suddenly assailed, when "His armes two han righ ynoughe to done, And somwhat more, his sleves up to holde ?" |