CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 53 



A work of greater research, on a limited scale, or one embodying 

 more graphic information, has rarely issued from the public press. 

 With great chronological accuracy, it commences from that early 

 period when the Cimbrians and the Celts wandered from the shores 

 of the Thracian Bosphoras to the northern coasts of Europe, and 

 passed, some from Gaul across the Channel, others through the 

 German Ocean to these islands — interspersed with a few slight and 

 scattered notices by the Greek and Latin Writers, and an occasional 

 passage in the Welsh Triads. No speculation is indulged in to 

 give it an exclusive interest with the ingenious and the anti- 

 quary — there is nothing but what can be grasped and retained 

 with the utmost facility by the unlearned as well as the inquisitive 

 reader. It is curious and instructive to trace the various grada- 

 tions of civilization in all the uses and arts of life from a period so 

 remote to the present day ; and to such as delight in these pur- 

 suits, the perusal of this work cannot fail to afford much mingled * 

 information and amusement. To give an extract from this pub- 

 lication is a somewhat difficult undertaking, it being one of con- 

 tinued concatenation — however, the following chance-directed 

 pages will fully explain the tone and character of this amusing 

 production. 



"REIGN OF EDWARD III., A.D. 1327 — 1377. 



*' Effigy of Edward III. in Westminster Abbey. 



** The rei^ of Edward III. is one of the most important eras in the history of 

 Costume. The complete chansfes that take place in every habit, civil or military, 

 render its effigies and illuminations more distinctly conspicuous than those perhaps 

 of any other period, from the conquest to the days of Elizabeth. The effigy of this 

 great monarch is remarkable for its noble simplicity. The number of the royal 

 vestments does not exceed that of his predecessors, but their form is rather different. 

 The dalmatica is lower in the neck and shorter in the sleeves than the under tunic, 

 and the sleeves of the latter come lower than the wrist, and are decorated by a 

 closely-set row of very small buttons, the continuation of a fashion of the reign of 

 Edward I. His shoes or buskins are richly embroidered, and his hair and beard 

 are patriarchal. He bears the remains of a sceptre in each hand ; the crown has 

 been removed or lost from the effigy. 



*' The habits of the nobility in general were by no means so simple. The long 

 robes and tunics of the preceding reigns vanished altogether, and a close-fitting 

 body garment, called a cote-hardie, buttoned all the way down the front, and 

 reaching to the middle of the thigh, became the prevailing dress of the higher 

 classes. It was sometimes magnificently embroidered, and the splendid military 

 belt was worn by every knight, buckled across the hips over this new and peculiar 

 garment. From the sleeves of this cote, which sometimes only descended to the 

 elbow, (discovering the sleeves of an under vest or doublet, buttoned from thence 

 to the wrist,) depended long slips of cloth, generally painted white in the illumina- 

 tions, which were called tippets, and over this dress was worn occasionally a mantle, 

 exceedingly long, and fastened by four or five large buttons upon the right shoulder, 

 so that when suffered to hang loose it covered the wearer entirely to the feet ; but 

 the front part being thrown back over the left shoulder, it hung in folds behind, and 

 formed a sort of cope upon the breast, as may be seen in the effigy of WiUiam of 

 Hatfield, son of Edward III., who was buried' in York cathedral. His mantle is 

 cut at the edges into the form of leaves, a fashion very prevalent at this period. 

 The frequent touraameuts and pageants of this time, as Mr. Strutt observes, con- 

 tributed not a little to promote the succession of new fashions. The knights who 

 attended them from all parts of Europe, were usually decorated with some quaint 



