st form of woman's head apparel was born, I think, out
of the folds of the linen cap worn in the house, and this, being
repeated in the velvet night-caps, became the extreme of fashion. The
drawing will show how the square end of the linen cap, falling in the
centre of the circular cap-shape, cut the semicircle and overlapped
it, thus giving the appearance later to become exaggerated into a form
cut especially to that shape. (I try to be as lucid as I can manage,
but the difficulties of describing such evolutions in any but tangled
language I leave the reader to imagine.)

[Illustration: {Two women of the time of Edward VI.; two types of
head-dress}]

The women are also wearing cloth hoods, rather baggy cap-like hoods,
with a hanging-piece behind.

The most notable change is the collar of the gown, which suddenly
springs into existence. It is a high collar and very open in front,
showing a piece of the under-dress. On this collar is sewn--what I
shall call--the woman's partlet, as the embroidery is often detachable
and answers the same purpose as the man's partlet; this later became a
separate article, and was under-propped with wires to hold it out
stiffly.

The same stiff-bodied appearance holds good, but in more simple
dresses the skirts were not quite as voluminous as heretofore.

With overcoats in general the hanging sleeve is being worn, the arm of
the wearer coming out just below the puffed shoulder-piece.

With these remarks we may safely go on to the reign of Mary; another
reign which does not yield us much in the way of clothes.

MARY

Reigned five years: 1553-1558.

Born, 1516. Married, 1554, Philip of Spain.

THE MEN AND WOMEN

I cannot do better than commence this chapter by taking you back to
the evening of August 3, 1553. Mary, with her half-sister Elizabeth,
entered London on this date. At Aldgate she was met by the Mayor of
London, who gave her the City sword. From the Antiquarian Repertory
comes this account:

'First, the citizens' children walked before her
magnificently dressed; after followed gentlemen habited
in velvets of all sorts, some black, others in white,
yellow, violet, and carnation; others wore satins or
taffety, and some damasks of all colours, having plenty
of gold buttons; afterwards followed the Mayor, with the
City Companies, and the chiefs or masters of the several
trades; after them, the Lords, richly habited,