270 The Duchess of Newcastle 



religious persons use, as only a loose garment, tied 

 loosly about their wast, wherein is neither much 

 curiosity in making, nor labour in dressing, nor pain 

 in wearing, it is quickly put on, and as quickly pulled 

 off, a garment fit for a solitary and studious life, 

 wherein must be no incumbrances on the body, to 

 obstruct, or hinder the contemplations of the mind; 

 also there be fashions of grandeur, which are more 

 for grace and becoming, than for ease, or use, as 

 gowns with long trains, streight bodies, heavy im- 

 broyderies and laces, jewels in the ears, and many 

 the like, high-heeled shoes, boot-hoses, feathers, roses, 

 hatbands, and many more, which are requisite for 

 grace and becoming. Again, there are fashions to 

 distinguish persons, as to know a priest, a lawyer, a 

 mayor and his aldermen, a constable, and many other 

 several professions and officers ; and thus there should 

 also be degrees to distinguish the nobles from the 

 commons, but the commons have incroched so much 

 upon the nobles' prerogative of fashions, as all 

 fashions are common amongst them; also there are 

 fashions for times of mirth, and fashions for times of 

 mourning, for publick meeting and nuptials, as also 

 for weeping funerals; but fashions of grandeur are 

 fit only for courts, at masks, plays, balls, and trium- 

 phant shews ; fashions of cavalry are proper for the 

 field in time of war, as for commanders or generals; 

 fashions of distinguishments are fit for cities, as for 

 magistrates, officers, professions, trades, and the like; 

 fashions of ease are fittest for cloisters, and a private 

 country life ; and fashions of use are fit for all sorts, 

 degrees, professions or qualities; but fashions that 

 are neither useful, easie, proper, becoming, nor grace- 

 ful ought to be banished, if any such there be. But, 

 Madam, I shall discourse so long of fashions, as I shall 



