beards and short breeches of his
age; after the introduction of which novelties, he judiciously observes,
the French were much more disposed to run away from their enemies than
before. Spicilegium, t. iii. p. 105.

[651] 37 E. III. Rep. 38 E. III. Several other statutes of a similar
nature were passed in this and the ensuing reign. In France, there were
sumptuary laws as old as Charlemagne, prohibiting or taxing the use of
furs; but the first extensive regulation was under Philip the Fair.
Velly, t. vii. p. 64; t. xi. p. 190. These attempts to restrain what
cannot be restrained continued even down to 1700. De la Mare, Traite de
la Police, t. i. 1. iii.

[652] Muratori, Antichita Italiane, Dissert. 23, t. i. p. 325.

[653] "These English," said the Spaniards who came over with Philip II.,
"have their houses made of sticks and dirt, but they fare commonly so
well as the king." Harrison's Description of Britain, prefixed to
Holingshed, vol. i. p. 315 (edit. 1807).

[654] Pfeffel, t. i. p. 293.

[655] AEneas Sylvius, de Moribus Germanorum. This treatise is an
amplified panegyric upon Germany, and contains several curious passages:
they must be taken perhaps with some allowance; for the drift of the
whole is to persuade the Germans, that so rich and noble a country could
afford a little money for the poor pope. Civitates quas vocant liberas,
cum Imperatori solum subjiciuntur, cujus jugum est instar libertatis;
nec profecto usquam gentium tanta libertas est, quanta fruuntur
hujuscemodi civitates. Nam populi quos Itali vocant liberos, hi
potissimum serviunt, sive Venetias inspectes, sive Florentiam aut Caenas,
in quibus cives, praeter paucos qui reliquos ducunt, loco mancipiorum
habentur. Cum nec rebus suis uti, ut libet, vel fari quae velint, et
gravissimis opprimuntur pecuniarum exactionibus. Apud Germanos omnia
laeta sunt, omnia jucunda; nemo suis privatur bonis. Salvo cuique sua
haereditas est, nulli nisi nocenti magistratus nocent. Nec apud eos
factiones sicut apud Italas urbes grassantur. Sunt autem supra centum
civitates hac libertate fruentes. p. 1058.

In another part of his work (p. 719) he gives a specious account of
Vienna. The houses, he says, had glass windows and iron doors. Fenestrae
undique vitreae perlucent, et ostia plerumque ferrea. In domibus multa et
munda supellex. Altae domus magnificaeque visuntur. Unum id dedecori est,
quod tecta plerumque tigno contegunt, pauca latere. Caetera aedificia muro