he long wide breeches adorn them with
heavy frills of deep lace, and sew bunches of ribbons along the seams.
We tie our cravats in long, stiff bows or knot them tight, and allow
the wide lace ends to float gracefully.

[Illustration: A MAN OF THE TIME OF CHARLES II. (1660-1685)

This shows the dress during the first half of the reign. The feature
of groups of ribboning is shown, with the short sleeve, the full
shirt, and the petticoat.]

Our hats, broad-brimmed and stiff, are loaded with feathers; our
little cloaks are barred with silk and lace and gold cord; our shoes
are square-toed and high-heeled, and are tied with a long-ended
bow of ribbon.

[Illustration: {A man of the time of Charles II.; a type of sleeve;
the back of a coat}]

Ribbon reigns triumphant: it ties our periwigs into bunches at the
ends; it hangs in loops round our waists; it ties our shirt-sleeves up
in several places; it twists itself round our knees. It is on our hats
and heads, and necks and arms, and legs and shoes, and it peers out of
the tops of our boots. Divines rave, moralists rush into print, to no
purpose. The names seem to convey a sense of luxury: dove-coloured
silk brocade, Rhingrave breeches, white lutestring seamed all over
with scarlet and silver lace, sleeves whipt with a point lace, coat
trimmed and figured with silver twist or satin ribbon; canvas,
camblet, galloon and shamey, vellam buttons and taffety ribbons. The
cannons, those bunches of ribbons round our knees, and the confidents,
those bunches of curls by our ladies' cheeks, do not shake at the
thunderings of Mr. Baxter or other moral gentlemen who regard a
Maypole as a stinking idol. Mr. Hall writes on 'The Loathsomeness of
Long Hair,' Mr. Prynne on 'The Unloveliness of Lovelocks,' and we do
not care a pinch of rappe.

Little moustaches and tiny lip beards grow under careful treatment,
and the ladies wear a solar system in patches on their cheeks.

The ladies soon escaped the bondage of the broad Puritan collars, and
all these had hid was exposed. The sleeves left the arms bare to the
elbow, and, being slit above and joined loosely by ribbons, showed the
arm nearly to the shoulder. The sleeves of these dresses also followed
the masculine fashion of little cuffs and tied-up linen under-sleeves.
The bodices came to a peak in front and were round behind. The skirts
were full, satin being favoured, and when held up showed a satin
petticoat with a long