ey and Sussex:

"1634. My father was appointed sheriff for Surrey and Sussex before
they were disjoyned. He had 116 servants in liverys, every one livery'd
in greene sattin doublets. Divers gentlemen and persons of quality
waited on him in the same garbe and habit, which at that time (when
thirty or forty was the the usual retinue of the high sheriff) was
esteemed a great matter. Nor was this out of the least vanity that my
father exceeded (who was one of the greatest decliners of it); but
because he could not refuse the civility of his friends and relations,
who voluntarily came themselves, or sent in their servants."

The practice of assuming the livery of a relation or friend, and of
permitting servants also to wear it, appears to have existed in England in
the time of Richard II., and to have had the personal example of this
sovereign to support it. He seems, however, to have thereby excited the
disapprobation of many of his spiritual and temporal peers. I produce the
following passage with some hesitation, because it is by no means certain
that any one of the liveries thus assumed by Richard was a livery of cloth:

"17^{th} Richard II. A.D. 1393-4.

"Richard Count d'Arundell puis le comencement de cest present Parlement
disoit au Roy, en presence des Achevesques de Canterbirs et d'Everwyk,
le Duc de Gloucestr', les Evesques de Wyncestre et Saresbirs, le Count
de Warrewyk et autres....

"Item [=q] le Roy deust porter la Livere de coler le Duc de Guyene et
de Lancastr'.

"Item [=q] gentz de retenue de Roi portent mesme la Livere....

"A qei [=n]re S[=r] le Roi alors respondi au dit Count ... [=q] bientot
apres la venue son dit uncle de Guyene quant il vient d'Espaign darrein
en Engleterre [=q] mesme [=n]re S[=r] le Roi prist le Coler du cool
mesme son uncle et mist a son cool demesne et dist q'il vorroit porter
et user en signe de bon amour d'entier coer entre eux auxi come il fait
les Liveres ses autres uncles.

"Item (quant au tierce) [=n]re S[=r] le Roi disoit [=q] ceo fuist de
counge de luy et de sa volunte [=q] gentz de sa retenue portent et
usent mesme la Livere de Coler."--_Rolls of Parliament_, vol. iii. p.
313.

"Richard Earl of Arundel, after the commencement of this present
parliament, said to the King in the presence of the archbishops of
Canterbury and of York, {474} the Duke o