he queen. You may see the
extraordinary head-gear as worn by ladies at the end of the fifteenth
century and in the first years of the sixteenth, worn in a modified
form all through the next reign, after which that description of
head-dress vanished for ever, its place to be taken by caps, hats, and
bonnets.

The richest of these head-dresses were made of a black silk or some
such black material, the top stiffened to the shape of a sloping
house-roof, the edges falling by the face on either side--made stiff,
so as to stand parallel--these were sewn with gold and pearls on
colour or white. The end of the hood hung over the shoulders and down
the back; this was surmounted by a stole of stiffened material, also
richly sewn with jewels, and the whole pinned on to a close-fitting
cap of a different colour, the edge of which showed above the
forehead.

[Illustration: {Seven head-dresses for women; side and front view
of a shoe}]

The more moderate head-dress was of black again, but in shape nearly
square, and slit at the sides to enable it to hang more easily over
the shoulders. It was placed over a coif, often of white linen or of
black material, was turned over from the forehead, folded, and pinned
back; often it was edged with gold.

On either side of the hood were hanging ornamental metal-tipped tags
to tie back the hood from the shoulders, and this became, in
time--that is, at the end of the reign--the ordinary manner of wearing
them, till they were finally made up so.

The ordinary head-dress was of white linen, crimped or embroidered in
white, made in a piece to hang over the shoulders and down the back,
folded back and stiffened in front to that peculiar triangular shape
in fashion; this was worn by the older women over a white hood.

The plain coif, or close-fitting linen cap, was the most general wear
for the poor and middle classes.

The hair was worn long and naturally over the shoulders by young
girls, and plainly parted in the centre and dressed close to the head
by women wearing the large head-dress.

Another form of head-dress, less common, was the turban--a loose bag
of silk, gold and pearl embroidered, fitting over the hair and
forehead tightly, and loose above.

The gowns of the women were very simply cut, having either a long
train or no train at all, these last cut to show the under-skirt of
some fine material, the bodice of which showed above the over gown at
the shoulders. The ladies