you close the book and arrive at the wall-picture, back
to the rich-coloured people again.

[Illustration: {Three men of the time of Edward I.}]

The men of this time, it must be remembered, were more adapted to the
arts of war than to those of peace; and the knight who was up betimes
and into his armour, and to bed early, was not a man of so much
leisure that he could stroll about in gay clothes of an inconvenient
make. His principal care was to relieve himself of his steel burden
and get into a loose gown, belted at the waist, over which, if the
weather was inclement, he would wear a loose coat. This coat was made
with a hood attached to it, very loose and easy about the neck and
very wide about the body; its length was a matter of choice, but it
was usual to wear it not much below the knees. The sleeves were also
wide and long, having at a convenient place a hole cut, through which
the arms could be placed.

The men wore their hair long and brushed out about the ears--long,
that is, to the nape of the neck. They also were most commonly
bearded, with or without a moustache.

Upon their heads they wore soft, small hats, with a slight projection
at the top, the brim of the hat turned up, and scooped away in front.

Fillets of metal were worn about the hair with some gold-work upon
them to represent flowers; or they wore, now and again, real chaplets
of flowers.

There was an increase of heraldic ornament in this age, and the
surcoats were often covered with a large device.

These surcoats, as in the previous reign, were split from shoulder to
bottom hem, or were sewn up below the waist; for these, thin silk,
thick silk (called samite), and sendal, or thick stuff, was used, as
also for the gowns.

The shoes were peaked, and had long toes, but nothing extravagant, and
they were laced on the outside of the foot. The boots came in a peak
up to the knee.

The peasant was still very Norman in appearance, hooded, cloaked,
with ill-fitting tights and clumsy shoes; his dress was often of
bright colours on festivals, as was the gown and head-handkerchief of
his wife.

Thus you see that, for ordinary purposes, a man dressed in some gown
which was long, loose, and comfortable, the sleeves of it generally
tight for freedom, so that they did not hang about his arm, and his
shoes, hat, cloak, everything, was as soft and free as he could get
them.

The woman also followed in the lines of comfort: her under-gown was
fu