582 ON THE PRICE OF TEXTILE FABRICS, ETC. 



The three pieces of worsted for a lenten veil, bought by 

 the prior and canons of Bicester, were., I suppose, devoted to 

 covering up the altar and its ornaments during the forty days' 

 fast. 



The accounts contain one or two entries of serge. It costs 

 2f*/. in 1303, 6d. in 1360. In the one case the purchase is 

 made at Southampton, in the other at Boxley. 



Tabards, that is short gowns, with or without sleeves, 

 probably without an opening in front, but drawn over the head 

 like a round frock, are now and then quoted. They were 

 generally the dress of young persons. Thus William de 

 Bereford, one of the founder's kin, is provided with such a 

 tabard in 1302; another is bought at Letherhead in 1315. 

 The bedesmen's surcoats (1333) at Basingstoke are probably 

 garments of a similar shape, as also the 'tunics' given to 

 farm servants. 



FUR. The most characteristic feature of the winter dress 

 worn by our forefathers was the general use of fur. The 

 husbandman, and even the labourer, lined their winter gear with 

 sheepskin dressed with greater or less care, and the wealthier 

 classes used furs of every description, no winter garment being 

 complete without this addition. I shall proceed to enumerate, 

 and as far as I can explain, the different kinds of fur which 

 are stated in my accounts. 



Most of the choicer furs were, it seems, derived through the 

 agency of the Hanse Towns and the Baltic trade. Some, of 

 course, were of English origin, as squirrel and stanling b , lamb 

 and rabbit skins. 



In the account of the Determination Feast fur linings or 

 trimmings are served out to all those who received livery. 

 Of these, the choicest, it appears, was c miniver,' called also 

 c minutum verrum,' a variegated or banded fur. Another is 

 called c popel,' the value of which is about half that of 

 miniver, to judge from an entry under this name in the 

 accounts for the year 1342. A third is called c bugey,' a 



b Stanling is said to be the winter fur of the squirrel. 



