e, or weave, or buy any apparell exceeding the quality and condition
of their persons and Estates, or that is apparently beyond the necessary
end of apparell for covering or comeliness, either of these to be judged
by the Grand Jury and County Court where such presentments are made,
shall forfeit for every such offence ten shillings; and if any Taylor
shall fashion any garment for any child or servant contrary to the mind
of the Parent or Master of such a child or servant, he shall forfeit for
every such offence ten shillings."

Think of the position of the Grand Jury and County Court which were to
decide as to whether "apparell" went beyond the "necessary end for
covering or comeliness!" Imagine the grave and reverend judges and the
sapient jurymen putting their wise heads together over the question as
to whether Mistress Anne's "wascote" was an inch too long for the mere
needs of covering, or whether Mistress Jane's coif was decorated with
lace beyond the absolute requirements of comeliness! The law doubtless
meant well, but from its nature it was not capable of enforcement.

A fairly comprehensive understanding of the wardrobe of a lady of the
mid-seventeenth century may be furnished by reproducing, in all the
glory of its original orthography, the list of the clothes of Jane
Humphrey, as given in her last will and testament. Mistress Humphrey
died in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1668, and she seems to have had no
possessions beyond her wardrobe. This, however, was not uncommon at the
time, when clothes had a value that came from their rarity of stuff and
necessary skill in fashioning, so that such a list as that of the
deceased lady represented a considerable amount in those days.

"Ye Jump. Best Red Kersey Petticoate. Sad Grey Kersey Wascote. My
blemmish Searge Petticoate & my best hatt. My white Fustian Wascote. A
black silk neck cloath. A handkerchiefe. A blew Apron. A plain black
Quoife without any lace. A white Holland Appron with a small lace at the
bottom. Red Searge petticoat and a blackish Searge petticoat. Greene
Searge Wascote & my hoode & muffe. My Greene Linsey Woolsey petticoate.
My Whittle that is fringed and my blew Short Coate. A handkerchief. A
blew Apron. My best Quife with a lace. A black Stuffe Neck Cloath. A
White Holland apron with two breadths in it. Six yards of Redd Cloth. A
greene Vnder Coate. Staning Kersey Coate. My murry Wascote. My Cloake
and my blew Wascote. My best White Apron, my