COSTUME OF THE REIGN OF HENRY VII.COSTUME OF THE REIGN OF HENRY VII.
COURTIER IN THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH.COURTIER IN THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH.
EARL OF SURREY, TIME OF HENRY VIII.EARL OF SURREY, TIME OF HENRY VIII.
Towards the end of the 14th century men began to wear short clothes made to fit the body so closely that it often required the assistance of two people to remove them, and it is from this period we can distinctly trace the difference between ancient and modern dress; in fact, our present fashions—masculine and feminine—resemble to a certain extent those worn during mediæval times. Then, as now, men wore overcoats with tight sleeves, felt hats also with feathers, worn over a skull cap, and slung behind the back, and closely-fitting shoes and boots.
The Tudor monarchs paid considerable attention to the adornment of their persons, and were responsible for stringent legal enactments calculated to encourage home manufacturers. Felt hat-making—one of our oldest industries—was introduced into this country from Spain and Holland. A great impetus was given to this branch of trade by a law passed in 1571 which enjoined "every person above the age of seven years to wear on Sundays or holidays a cap of wool, knit made, thickened, and dressed in England by some of the trade of cappers, under the forfeiture of three farthings for every day's neglect." In 1603 the felt makers became a Corporation with grants and many privileges. Throughout the Middle Ages the upper classes frequently engaged in commerce. Bishops, abbots, and nobles personally superintended the disposal of the produce of their estates, and a considerable number of the younger sons of good families were the leading traders of the 15th and 16th centuries.
The "frocke" frequently mentioned, and of which the modern frock coat is the degenerate descendant, was a sort of jacket or jerkin made occasionally with skirts, a style associated especially, with Holbein's portraits of Henry VIII. and his contemporaries.
CHARLES I.CHARLES I.
The uniform worn at the present day by the Yeomen of the Guard stationed at the Tower of London, gives us the military costume of the Tudor period. It is the oldest corps in her Majesty's service, and was instituted by Henry VII. as the bodyguard of the sovereign. In the dress of the Bluecoat Boys at Christ's Hospital we have that of the citizens of London during the reign of Edward VI. and Mary, when blue coats were habitually used by apprentices and serving men, yellow stockings also were in common use. The badges on the jackets of firemen and watermen date from this time; they were made of metal and placed on the sleeve, in the 16th century, instead of being embroidered on the back or breast of the garment as they had been previously. Retainers in the households of the wealthy, were provided with surcoats and mantles twice a year, of their patron's favourite colour, and this was called thelivrée, from a French word signifying to distribute. Trade guilds and members of the learned professions, also adopted a distinct style of costume. Lawyers, who were originally priests, of course wore the tonsure; but when the clergy ceased to interfere with secular affairs the lay lawyer continued this sign of office, and also wore a coif. Theirgowns were capacious and lined with fur: and the Justices of the King's Bench were allowed liveries by the King, of cloth and silk. Budge, or lambskin, and miniver were provided for the trimming thereof, and the colour appears to have varied in different reigns, but for a long time green prevailed.
The courtiers of Elizabeth discarded the "frocke cote" for quilted and stuffed doublets and trunk hose, slashed and ornamented in the most quaint and extravagant manner. Below these were worn stockings embroidered with birds, beasts, and other devices, "sewed up close thereto as though they were all of one piece." Trunk hose were appropriately named, as they were often filled with wool, bran, and other materials. At last they became of such enormous size that it was necessary to construct swings in the Houses of Parliament in place of the ordinary fixed seats, for the accommodation of those wearing this singular article of attire. Enormous ruffs of muslin and lace encircled the necks of dandies of the Elizabethan era, and they appear to have had waists which would excite the envy of the belles of the latter part of the 19th century. In fact, the gallants of that day were even in advance of the fair sex, in their love of fantastic costume; and as Hollingshead, inThe Chronicle, justly states in reference to the fashions of the period: "Nothing was more constant in England than inconstancy of attire."
A few years since, behind some ancient panelling at Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, was discovered a washing bill (with other things appertaining to the 16th and 17th centuries) which gives us a good idea of the various articles of dress then worn. Reference is made to theruff, which is too well known to need description; tobandesmade of linen and cambric, from which those now used by the clergy took their origin, and from which we derive the modern word bandbox. There were three kinds—some that stood upright, others were allowed to lie flat upon the shoulders, as shown in the drawings of Charles I. and II., and those which were embroidered and trimmed with lace. Theshirtapplied to the under-garment of both sexes, and the half-shirt referred to the stomacher over which the dress was laced.Boot hosewere made of a variety of materials, and were occasionally called nether stocks;sockswere sometimes put over them; andtopswere of Holland linen or lace, and formed the lining of the full hanging boots of the Cavaliers.
During the Civil War the dress worn by the King's adherents, consisted of a doublet of silk or satin with loose sleeves, slashed up the front; the collar was generally of point lace, and a short cloak rested carelessly on one shoulder. The hat was a broad-brimmed beaver with a plume of feathers,and trunk hose gave way to breeches. The Roundheads or Republican Party went to the opposite extreme. They cut their hair close, avoided lace and jewels, had plain linen or cloth suits of a grey or brown tint, with a hat somewhat resembling the modern chimney pot.
CHARLES II. AND HIS QUEEN (1662).
CHARLES II. AND HIS QUEEN (1662).—WILLIAM III. (1694).—GENTLEMAN AND LADY OF 18TH CENTURY.
About this period we also hear of the waistcoat, which was cut high at the neck, and was made with sleeves. Neckcloths and cravats of Brussels and Flanders lace were tied in a knot under the chin, and had square ends. Another peculiar feature of masculine costume towards the end of the 17th century consisted of petticoat breeches with drooping lace ruffles, such as adorn the nether limbs of Charles II. Patches and perukes were also adopted, and the former fashion, a revival of an old Roman custom, had political significance according to where they were placed on the face, and were bitterly ridiculed by numerous satirical writers. "I know many young gentlemen," says Middleton, in one of his plays, "who wear longer hair than their mistresses." The beard was worn in different ways, but the most usual shape was what Beaumont and Fletcher, in their "Queen of Corinth," call the T beard, consisting of a moustache and imperial:—
"His beard,Which now he put i' the form of a T,The Roman T; your T beard is the fashion,And two-fold doth express the enamoured courtier."
Shakespeare also tells us, it was often dyed different colours.
WALKING DRESS, 1830.WALKING DRESS, 1830.
Everyone tried to rival his neighbour in the size of his peruke, till they became so preposterous that Charles II. showed his disfavour by writing a letter to the University of Cambridge forbidding the members to wear periwigs, smoke tobacco, or read their sermons. History does not relate what effect the King's censure had upon the head-gear of students attending the colleges, but it is absolutely proved that they paid no heed to his latter commands. It was the fashion for men to comb their perukes in public, and curiously-chased combs of bone and tortoise-shell, were carried in the pocket with the snuff-box, anotherindispensable appendage of a fine gentleman.
In the 18th century the broad hat brims were turned up at the sides, and, in the racy vernacular of the day, "each gallant cocked his hat according to his fancy." Shoe buckles became general in the reign of Queen Anne, and displaced the ribbon rosettes formerly worn. Planché accurately describes the fashions of that day. "The square-cut coat was stiffened with wires and buckram, and the long-flapped waistcoat with pockets almost met the stockings. There were hanging cuffs with lace ruffles, square-toed shoes with red heels, and hats laced with gold or silver galloon."
At the beginning of the 19th century many important changes took place. Excepting for Court dress, cloth was substituted for velvet and other rich fabrics. The coat was open, displaying an elaborate shirt-front, stock and flowered waistcoat; and the skirt, though full, fell in natural folds. Trousers were very tight, and held in place by a strap beneath the foot, and hats displayed narrow curved brims.
We have only to cast our eyes down the vista of ages to find that British costume has been suited to the needs, habits, and customs of the people, and periods at which it was worn. Skins of animals were appropriate to the hardy cave dwellers who inhabited this country at an early period in the world's history. The simple dress of the Anglo-Saxons fulfilled the requirements of a primitive race; and the furs and rich fabrics brought home by the Crusaders were adapted to the higher state of civilization which prevailed in the Middle Ages. In the 16th century the Renaissance (of art and culture) was specially noted for richness of attire. During the 18th century a mixture of styles which had found favour with previous generations was the most marked feature in the costume of that period, and this equally applies to the two first decades of the present one. Masculine attire at the present day, though simple and practical, has few points of beauty to recommend it. Briefly, it resolves itself into a series of woollen cylinders which changeth not from generation to generation.
"The childhood shows the man,As morning shows the day."—Milton.
Of children's dress in olden times we have singularly few details, and, as a rule, it may be concluded that their raiment was fashioned on similar lines to that worn by the men and women of the country in which they lived, and was more or less ornamented, according to their station in life.
CHILDREN OF CHARLES I. (After a painting by Vandyck.)CHILDREN OF CHARLES I.(After a painting by Vandyck.)
One or two biblical references enlighten us as to Eastern customs. On the authority of St. Luke, our Saviour in infancy was wrapped in swaddling clothes. "Samuel," we are told, "being a child, was girded with a linen ephod," which appears to have been a close robe or vest reaching from the shoulders to the loins, and confined by a girdle. Considering the climate and the habits of the people, it was probably the only garment used in summer, but in cold weather was supplemented, we presume, by the little coat his mother bought him from year to year, when she and her husband came to offer the annual sacrifice, at Shiloh, where Eli, the High Priest, lived. A coat of many colours was also presented to Joseph in his youth as a mark of Jacob's affection for the child of his old age.
Greek and Roman children of the gentler sex are usually represented in the chiton, or loose classical gown, combined with a shawl or himation weighted at the four corners, so as to assist the wearer in adjusting it. How to put on this garment was carefully taught as part of a girl's education. The long end was first thrown over the left shoulder. The front part was arranged in folds across the body, passed under the right arm and over the left shoulder or forearm. The girdle sometimes consisted of a cord, at others of metal bands, and by drawing the chiton over it, a double thickness of the fabric covered the vital organs of the body. Boys wore the tunic and toga, and the latter is supposed to have been oblong, with the corners rounded off, so as to give a semicircular effect. Hats were not commonly worn, except by the poor or when on a journey, a fold of the toga or mantle serving for a head covering, and sandals protected the feet.
The Egyptian labouring classes allowed their children to be nude, and infants were unfamiliar with swaddling clothes. The working man and boy had simply a loin cloth and girdle, and the girl a loose tunic fastened with strings at the neck and reaching to her feet. On the other hand, children of the upper classes in Egypt were repetitions of their elders on a small scale. Girls wore a linen skirt embroidered in colours and fastened with a bright sash, or suspended from the shoulders, and over this a loose transparent robe with long sleeves. The male costume consisted of a loin cloth, and a full robe with short sleeves, or a tunic, and both sexes had elaborately curled or plaited wigs, as the natural hair was only allowed to grow in times of mourning.
CHILDREN'S COSTUME, PRESENT DAY.CHILDREN'S COSTUME, PRESENT DAY.
The Roman occupation of Britain left its impress for a long period on the costume of the Anglo-Saxon race. The long-sleeved banded tunic was the usual habit of the industrial classes through the Middle Ages and leg bandages and cross gartering precededbreeches. Quite young boys appear in this dress, and little girls are seen in ancient MSS. in the kirtle and gunna, the equivalents of the modern petticoat and dress. Their hair, however, was allowed to fall naturally, or was dressed with two pendant plaits, and was not concealed, as was so often the case with adult females, by means of the head-rail. The materials used in clothing were to a great extent the produce of household industry. The women servants were employed in spinning, weaving, and sewing, and ladies of the highest rank did not disdain to participate in such labours. Several articles of dress were derived from the tanner, who worked up his leather into shoes, ankle leathers, and leathern hose. The art of tanning skins with the wool or hair on, was also practised, and dyeing was in great request, for in a rude age a love of gaudy colours is a natural characteristic of the people. The most skilful artificers were found in the religious houses, but under each landowner serfs were trained in the mechanical arts. Silk was worn by the wealthy, but the common materials for wearing apparel in this country were cotton, linen, and woollen.
Among the Anglo-Saxons and their pagan ancestors the desertion of children sometimes occurred, but as the influence of Christianity increased, it was regarded as a crime, and a law was passed for its repression. For fostering a foundling the State allowed 6s. the first year; 12s. the second; and 30s. for the third year; and afterward the foster parent was to receive a sum varying according to the appearance of the child. Children bereft of their father, remained under the mother's care, but until the eldest child became of age were subject to the guardianship of the husband's relations. Mothers usually nursed their own children, cradles were used, and for the first few months their clothing was swathed with a bandage. In this compact form they were more easily carried, though the constraint to which they were subjected, probably prevented that free development of the limbs, which we now consider so essential to health and beauty. If very poor, the fatherwas allowed to sell his son into slavery for seven years, providing the consent of the child was obtained, and one ten years old could give evidence. Until a daughter was fifteen years of age, her father could marry her as he pleased, but afterwards had no power to do so. A boy of fifteen could enter the monastic life if so disposed, and a girl at a somewhat later period. Monasteries offered the best education then procurable, and the clergy were directed to "teach youth with care, and to draw them to some craft." Schoolboys appear to have been kept in order, by the dread of personal chastisement, and great respect and reverence was exacted by their elders.
In the dress of the Blue-coat School (Christ's Hospital), we see the ordinary costume of boys of the Tudor period. It consisted of a long coat reaching to the heels and knee-breeches, a striped vest, yellow stockings, and a small round cap placed on the side of the head. The dress of little girls may be found on various monumental effigies, in which they appear like their mothers, in full skirts, sometimes distended by a fardingale, the body imprisoned in whalebone to the hips, a folded ruff encircling the neck, and their stockings (according to Stubbs) were of the finest yarn, silk, thread, or cloth that could possibly be had, of changeable colours, cunningly knit, with curiously indented points, clocks, and open seams. The shoes were of black, green, white and yellow velvet, or of leather stitched with silk and embroidered with gold and silver all over the foot.
The paintings of Vandyck bring graphically before us the picturesque elements of the dress of the Stuart era. There is an air of richness and refinement about the long skirted silkenfrocks embellished with lace, the pointed collars, and beaver hats with trailing feathers universally worn, and the quaint lace caps, which, by a turn of fashion's wheel, have been remodelled for the children of today.
At no period in the history of costume were the styles so offensive to those with a true conception of colour and form than in the first half of the nineteenth century. We have only to turn to the sketches of Leech and contemporary artists to find bare necks and arms, conspicuous underwear, very short skirts distended by a stiffened petticoat or crinoline, white cotton stockings, low shoes fastened by a strap and single button, mushroom hats, aprons and pinafores devoid of elegance and grace, and the hair cut close to the head or arranged in rows of stiff ringlets. Nor did the boys of England, in trousers buttoned high on short jackets, or with tunics worn with frilled linen collars and leathern belts, show to greater advantage. Queen Victoria inaugurated a new system of clothing for boys, when she dressed the young Princes in Scotch and sailor suits, and the wardrobes of all classes have been considerably extended of late, by the open-air life and outdoor sports in which every self-respecting lad indulges. Cricket, tennis, boating, football, and cycling, all imperatively demand appropriate apparel, and tailors now give reasonable attention to this important branch of their business, and provide fabrics and designs suited to the needs of the rising generation.
Habits of personal cleanliness and the influence of dress on the minds of growing girls is hardly realized except by those directly concerned in education. Many a sensitive child's character has been warped by the thoughtless jeers of schoolfellows, who were quick to perceive that her clothingwas not up-to-date or of such good material as their own. On the other hand, vanity, envy, and uncharitableness have been engendered by foolish mothers, who have provided their daughters with inappropriate and extravagant outfits.
Though many advocate uniforms with distinctive trimmings for girls' colleges, there are drawbacks to the scheme being adopted. Such a course would probably destroy the individuality which we all desire to see applied to the choice of clothing, and it would leave no field for original ideas. Children must betrainedto select and wear their clothes to the best advantage, and it is folly to think that they will do so by intuition. Some may possess naturally an artistic sense and a keen eye for colour, but they are certainly in the minority, and rational dress reformers have pushed sensible ideas to the verge of absurdity, till now the name is almost regarded as a term of reproach.
How much we owe to pioneers of children's dress reform, and especially to Messrs. Liberty, who evolved what is generally known as the æsthetic style in dress. From sketches courteously placed at my disposal, I am enabled to put before the reader examples of children's clothing which are artistic in form, light of texture, and which in no way impede the physical development. Those who have the care of children should remember what a sacred charge is imposed upon them, and that their future health mainly depends, upon the manner in which they are clothed during the first few years of life. There must be no tight bands, belts, or garters to prevent circulation and to cause organic troubles; and where corsets are dispensed with, as happily they are in many cases where growing girls are concerned, the weight of the clothing should be borne by the shoulders, not the waist, and this is ensured by cutting undergarments in the princess or combination forms. Many young people suffer from being carelessly shod, and hideous malformations of the feet arise in consequence, while obscure diseases of the brain can sometimes be traced to heavy head-gear, and the strain of over-study. Hats should be of light construction, and afford a grateful shade to the eyes, if that far-reaching ailment ofcivilisation, short sight, is to be successfully combatted; and special attention must be paid to infants, who may often be seen in public thoroughfares with a hot sun beating down upon them, and the nurse oblivious to the fact. The sight of a tender infant entrusted to the care of a young woman, who has not the glimmering of a notion of how to look after its fragile body, must fill any right-minded person with indignation. Is it unreasonable to expect those who undertake the charge of children to acquaint themselves with at least an elementary knowledge of the construction and functions of the human body? The ignorance of the average nursemaid is appalling; and though a board school education may have acquainted her with the mysteries of the First Book of Euclid, or the rudiments of music, the curriculum rarely includes the simplest instruction on the healthy training of children; and, in consequence, the high rate of infant mortality in this country is a national disgrace.
"The dome, where pleasure holds her midnight reign,Here richly decked, admits the gorgeous train;Tumultuous grandeur crowds the blazing square,The rattling chariots clash, the torches glare."
During the Roman occupation of Britain, many sports and pastimes, with their appropriate costumes, were introduced into this country from Southern Europe and the East, and at a very early period mummings were popular with the people. These were primitive masquerades, where the actors, if we may judge from antique illuminations, generally mimicked the brute creation rather than human beings. They often appeared between the courses at banquets, and on important occasions elaborate pageants were arranged. Ships filled with mariners were sometimes introduced, or towers garrisoned with armed men, while the actors portrayed some allegorical lesson or historical incident.
A well-known event intimately connected with masking was the narrow escape from death by fire of Charles VI. of France, on January 29th, 1392. The king, with eleven of his knights, for the amusement of the Court, dressed like savages, in tight-fitting garments of linen covered with flax, and were dancing before the Queen and the Duchess de Berri, when the Duc d'Orléans with a torch accidentally ignited the inflammable costume of a masker, who was chained to four others. The Duchess protected the King by wrapping him in the train of her mantle, but four persons died in great agony.
Edward III. issued an ordinance against vagrants who exhibited scandalous masquerades in low ale-houses, and directed that such persons should be whipped out of London. The Feast of Fools was one of the most singular of these exhibitions. It somewhat resembled the Roman Saturnalia, and was enacted at Christmas. In England the celebration of this festival does not appear to have been attended with the same excesses as were commonly practised on the Continent, but it was nevertheless a season of licence, in which order and discipline were reversed. The churl was elected to represent the Pope; the buffoon was made a cardinal; and the lowest of the mob assumed for the time being the garb of the priesthood, and took possession of churches, where they parodied every part of the sacred service, and sang masses composed of obscene songs.
Dramatic representations were so tainted by the grossness and licentiousness of the age, that priests were prohibited from attending them, till the Church introduced religious plays, founded on scriptural incidents, and which were known as miracles and mysteries. For these the actors were trained by the clergy, and sacred edifices and vestments were placed at their disposal, to give truth and lustre to the representations.
There were frequent tournaments after the Norman Invasion, and these were patronized and encouraged by Richard C[oe]ur de Lion. From this era they occupied a prominent place in the national institutions and history, and afforded many opportunities for the display of picturesque costume. Ladies on these occasions were conspicuous, and sometimes rode in parti-coloured tunics with short hoods and tippets wrapped about their heads. Their girdles were decorated with gold and silver, and they carried small swords. The space marked out for the combat was surrounded by raised seats for high-born dames, princes, and the judges of the conflict. Knights wore their ladies' colours on their helmets, emblazoned on their clothing, and on the trappings of their horses; and throngs of troubadours, heralds, and minstrels dressed in gorgeous attire, were present to discharge their duties, and to give importance to the spectacle.
The ancient English Morris Dance, performed with other quaint usages on the 1st of May, is supposed to be of Moorish origin. It is depicted on an antique stained glass window at Betley, in Staffordshire. The May-pole and the Man with the Hobby Horse (who represents a Moorish King, and is the consort of the May Queen), occupy a prominent position. The other charactersare the Fool, the Lesser Fool, Tom the Piper, a Spaniard, the Franklin or private gentleman, a Churl or peasant, the May Queen, a Nobleman, and a Friar. The dresses were adorned with bells, intended to sound the measure of the dancers. They were of different sizes, and were called the fore bell, the second bell, the treble, the tenor, and the great bell.
Planché, in his valuable work, the "Cyclopædia of Costume," states the earliest illustration of abal costuméis in a MS. of the fifteenth century, in the Ambrosian Library at Milan, and he gives a reproduction from an old painting on wood dating from 1463, representing a dance by torchlight at the Court of Burgundy. Each person holds a long lighted taper, and this dance, up to the sixteenth century, was usually reserved for wedding festivities. In England masked balls were rare before the reign of William III., and in France they first took place during the regency of Philip, Duke of Orleans, when the Opera House was converted into a ball-room. Father Sebastian, a Carmelite friar, devised a means of elevating the floor of the pit to the level of the stage, and of lowering it at pleasure.
Ranelagh and Vauxhall Gardens, and Belsize House, Hampstead, were also places of popular resort, and scenes of many entertainments during the eighteenth century. There were pyrotechnic displays, bands of music, frequent balls, and facilities for dinner and supper parties. The lawns were dotted with arbours, lakes, and artificial cascades; the trees were festooned with coloured lamps, and the costumes of those who frequented these gatherings were elaborate and costly.
From the writings of Horace Walpole and others, we learn that private open-air galas were of common occurrence among the aristocracy, and he gives a description of afestinoat Northumberland House in honour of the Marquess of Tavistock and his bride; when arches and pyramids of lights alternately surrounded the enclosure, and festoons of lamps edged the railings. In 1761 Her Majesty Queen Charlotte surprised her husband on his birthday with a splendid garden party, followed by fireworks, a cold supper of a hundred dishes, and an illuminated dessert. The Duke of Richmond celebrated a similar occasion with a masked ball and music—the vocal parts performed by many of the nobility, in fancy dress. Here, too, there was a display of fireworks in the garden and from the river. Almack's new Subscription and Assembly Room was opened in February, 1765, under distinguished patronage; and Gibbon mentions a masquerade at a rival establishment, the Pantheon, which he states was above par in magnificence, and below par in humour, and cost £5000.
Five o'clock was the dinner hour of fashionable people during the eighteenth century, and three for those of lower rank. At eleven p.m. supper was usually served, and breakfast was from nine to eleven a.m. The House of Commons commenced sitting at two, and the Opera began at seven.
At this period the domino (evolved from the priestly cowl) was in great request, and was used in the boxes of theatres for purposes of concealment, and by those of questionable morals. Though the large hoop towards the close of the eighteenth century was only worn at Court, or in full dress, the pocket hoop for distending the panniers was still in vogue. For the abolition of the Court hoop, we are indebted to George IV., whose taste in dress was unimpeachable. Powder and patches maintained their ground till 1793, when they were discarded by Queen Charlotte and the Princesses. Aprons were regarded as a necessary item of a fashionable costume up to 1750, and the watch and etui adorned the waist, necklaces sparkled on the bosom, and bracelets were worn over long gloves.
The French Revolution affected masculine costume; and in 1789 were introduced into this country the muslin cravat, in which the chin was partially concealed, stand-up collars, Hessian boots, and round hats of beaver. Scarlet coats were much in vogue about 1784, and an anecdote in "The Life of Sir Astley Cooper" represents him as returning from a dancing academy in a scarlet coat, a three-cocked hat, a black glazed stock, nankeen knee-breeches, and silk stockings. This may be regarded as the ordinary costume of a gentleman at that period.
Wigs had begun to go out of fashion as early as 1763, in which year the wigmakers petitioned King George III. to support the trade by his example. "The hair," says Malcolm, "was dressed high on the head, whitened with powder, and alternately plaitedand turned up or queued behind." When the hair powder tax—one guinea per annum—was enforced in 1795, thousands of heads reverted to their natural colour.
Some brilliant fancy dress balls (with a view to encouraging home trade) have taken place during the Victorian era. Of the first, which was given by the Queen and Prince Consort at Buckingham Palace in 1842, a permanent memorial exists in two handsome volumes compiled by J. R. Planché, containing carefully coloured illustrations of the various dresses, and autograph portraits of the wearers. They form an invaluable book of reference for those desiring accurate representations of the costume of the period of Edward III. (1327-1377). A special feature of this ball was a series of costume quadrilles, arranged by ladies of the Court and others of high rank. They were danced in the following order:—
French quadrille, led by H. R. H. the Duchess of Cambridge.
Spanish quadrille, led by the Duchess of Buccleuch.
German quadrille, led by the Duchess of Sutherland.
Crusaders' quadrille, led by the Marchioness of Londonderry.
Waverley quadrille, led by the Countess de la Warr.
Scotch quadrille, led by the Duchess of Buccleuch.
Cossack quadrille, led by Baroness Bremon.
Greek quadrille, led by the Duchess of Leinster.
PRINCE ALBERT AS EDWARD III.PRINCE ALBERT AS EDWARD III.
Prince Albert, as Edward III., wore a costume copied from the effigy of that king in Westminster Abbey. It consisted of a long tunic of gold and blue brocade, reaching to the ankles. The collar, which fitted close round the neck, was bordered with purple velvet, thickly studded with jewels. The tunic, which had an opening up the centre to the height of the knee, was bordered and enriched with jewels to correspond with the collar, as were the wristbands. The hose were scarlet, also the shoes, which were embroidered with gold. Over the tunic, His Royal Highness wore a mantle reaching to the heels, composed of the richest scarlet velvet, bordered by a broad gold figured lace, set on each side with large pearls. It was lined with ermine, and connected across the breast by a band of purple velvet, studded with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, and in the centre was a turquoise of immense size and perfect colour.The band was fastened to the mantle on either side by a massive gold ornament enriched with precious stones.
QUEEN VICTORIA AS PHILIPPA, WIFE OF EDWARD III.QUEEN VICTORIA AS PHILIPPA, WIFE OF EDWARD III.
Her Majesty the Queen as Philippa of Hainault, wife of Edward III., was attired in a demi-trained skirt of crimson velvet, edged with miniver. Over this was worn a surcoat of blue and gold brocade, trimmed with fur to match, and embellished with a stomacher of jewels valued at £60,000. The other portions of the costume were also studded with jewels. The mantle was of gold brocade, with a floral design in silver. The hair was encased in a gold net, enriched with precious stones, and was surmounted by a crown.
Princess Augusta of Cambridge personated Princess Claude, daughter of Anne of Bretagne, Queen of France. Her dress of silver tissue was bordered with ermine, and the tunic was of light blue velvet, worked with the fleur-de-lis in silver. The low bodice was bordered with diamonds. The sleeves of silver tissue reached to the wrist, and were trimmed with rows of pearls. The gloves were jewelled, and a white tulle veil with silver embroideries depended from a turquoise and pearl diadem. By Her Majesty's command, her own dress, that of Prince Consort, and most of the costumes worn at this ball, were manufactured by the silk-weavers of Spitalfields.
For the second royal ball in June, 1845, the period of George II. (1727-1760) was selected, and 1200 guests were invited. The Queen looked extremely well in powder, and her dress is described as of cloth of gold and cloth of silver, with daisies and poppies worked in silk, and shaded in natural colours. The trimmings and ruffles of exquisite point lace—had belonged to Queen Charlotte—and the stomacher was trimmed with lace and jewels. The sacque was ornamented with ribbons, caught with diamonds. On the powdered coiffure was a diamond crown; Her Majesty's white shoes had red rosettes with diamond centres, and she wore the star and ribbon of the Order of the Garter. Prince Albert had a costume of the same period, with the Star of the Garter,and the Order of the Golden Fleece in brilliants. The Marchioness of Douro, the Duke of Wellington's daughter-in-law, was the acknowledged belle of this ball, and wore £60,000 worth of diamonds. Miss—now the Baroness—Burdett Coutts was also present, her dress trimmed with jewels once the property of Marie Antoinette.
In 1871 the Princess of Wales attended the Waverley Ball at Willis' Rooms, with several other members of the Royal Family, and was much admired in the character of the ill-fated Mary Stuart. On July 22nd, 1874, a fancy dress ball was given by their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales at Marlborough House, for which some beautiful costumes were prepared. The Princess wore a handsome Venetian dress, and danced in the first quadrille with the present Duke of Devonshire. The Prince in a Cavalier costume opened the ball with the late Duchess of Sutherland. The chief costume quadrilles on this occasion were the Venetian, the Vandyck, Characters in Fairy Tales, and a Pack of Cards.
Another historicbal costuméwas given in February, 1895, at Warwick Castle, by the Earl and Countess of Warwick. No more fitting background for such a function can be imagined than this stately mansion, which has been a centre of hospitality for countless generations, but has never been presided over by no more gracious and popular châtelaine than the present Countess. Lady Warwick looked very beautiful as Marie Antoinette (the consort of Louis XVI. of France) in a petticoat and corsage of exquisite English brocade, with a design of shaded roses, enriched with gold thread on a pearl-coloured ground. The train of royal blue velvet, embroidered in gold thread with the fleur-de-lis, was attached to the shoulders by a band of diamonds; and the Warwick jewels, diamond stars, were arranged on the corsage veiled with gold flecked gauze, which was also employed for the puffed sleeves. Her elaborate white coiffure was surmounted by a white muslin cap edged with blue velvet and adorned with diamond aigrettes and plumes of pink, white, and blue feathers. Lady Marjorie Greville (the only daughter of Lord and Lady Warwick) with Miss Hamilton acted as train-bearers. They wore the daintiest white costumes of the period, composed of broché silk, with fichus of white chiffon, and silk hats trimmed with feathers. Each carried a long crook tied with white ribbons and bunches of flowers, and the effect was charming. The Earl of Warwick wore a French Court costume, the coat of ruby velvet profusely trimmed with gold lace, white cloth cuffs, and revers. The long white kerseymere waistcoat was braided in gold, and the white knee-breeches and low shoes were ornamented with diamond buckles. The Earl's wig,a la mousquetaire, was tied with a bow of black ribbon, and he carried a tricorne hat with white ostrich plumes, and white gauntlet gloves. Lady Warwick's two sisters, the Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Angela Forbes, represented Marie Letzinka, consort of Louis XV., and Lady Mary Campbell. The former wore a magnificent gown of white satin de Lyon. The skirt embroidered with a flight of swallows in silver and crystals, a deep bertha of Point de Flandre, with ruffles of the same on the short sleeves. The train of crimson velvet was embroidered with the French emblem, and Her Grace had a stomacher of splendid diamonds. Lady Angela Forbes' dress was of white muslin, with a blue sash, and picturesque hat of turquoise silk, trimmed with feathers and roses. Princess Henry of Pless, as la Duchesse de Polignac, had a dress of rich white satin, the skirt embroidered 18in. deep, with turquoises and brilliants, a powdered wig, and the same jewels in her hair. Lady Eva Dugdale, sister to the Earl of Warwick, and lady-in-waiting to Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York, wore a Louis Quinze white satin dress, covered with pink roses, corsageen suitefastened with large diamond ornaments. A silver trellis pattern was worked round the hem of the skirt, and white silk mittens and shoes completed the costume. Lady Rosslyn chose a white embroidered muslin petticoat, the overdress of pink and red striped silk, fichu and ruches of black lisse, and a picturesque hat. Lady Flo Sturt, as Madame la Marquise de Pompadour, was in rich cream satin, with bodice and sleeves of antique lace, and stomacher of diamonds. A black satin toque, with aigrette of diamonds, contrasted well with the white wig. Count Deym, the Austrian Ambassador, was in English Court dress. Prince Henry of Pless, in mousquetaire costume, represented the Vicomte de Bragelonne. The Duke of Manchester was in white satin breeches, waistcoat to match, bordered with gold, and coat of white and silver brocade with moss roses and foliage.
The scene inside the Castle was one of unparalleled brilliancy, while those who glanced from the mullioned windows saw by bright moonlight the Avon frozen, the ancient cedars glistening with frost, and the surrounding country wrapped in a snowy mantle. The entire ground floor of the Castle was thrown open, and no pains were spared to give as complete a representation as possible of the gorgeous fêtes which made the Court of Marie Antoinette famous throughout Europe. The finest spectacle presented itself when the guests assembled at supper in the oak-lined hall, where the light of a thousand candles was reflected in the bright steel armour which surrounded the walls. Several high screens, hung with Beauvais tapestry and shaded by huge palms, filled the angles of the hall, and the stone walls were partially concealed by yellow and silver embroideries. In the huge fireplace logs crackled, and on small round tables were placed silver candelabra with crimson shades and floral decorations, consisting of scarlet geraniums and maiden-hair fern. The centre table was reserved for Marie Antoinette and her Court, and here was the choicest display of family plate, including, amongst other valuable specimens of the goldsmith's art, a golden cup modelled by Benvenuto Cellini. From the hall you entered the Red Drawing room, which contains a marble table, inlaid with flowers and fruit, and formerly the property of Marie Antoinette. Next is the Cedar Drawing-room, used as the ball-room, on whose walls are many family portraits and other paintings by Vandyck; the remainder of the suite of State apartments were used as withdrawing-rooms between the dances; and at the opposite end of the Castle is the Library, the Billiard-room, and the Countess's lovely Louis Seize Boudoir, in ivory tints, with festoons of delicately-shaded flowers.
Dancing was carried on with great spirit till early morning, and the tardy winter sun had risen ere the last carriage drove away from one of the most successful balls of the nineteenth century.
Among the many important entertainments given by members of the English aristocracy in honour of the sixtieth year of the reign of Queen Victoria, was a Costume Ball at Devonshire House, Piccadilly, on July 2nd, 1897, when the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire received nearly all the members of the Royal Family, many distinguished guests from the Colonies, and members of the Corps Diplomatique. This historic mansion was built for the third Duke of Devonshire, and it was here that Georgiana, the beautiful Duchess of Devonshire, held her Court. It contains a fine suite of reception rooms on the first floor; a gallery of pictures, in which the old masters are well represented; and extensive grounds in the rear, which on this occasion were decorated with thousands of Chinese lanterns and fairy lamps. The principal feature of the ball was a grand procession of the guests, headed by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, the former personating Charles V. of Germany, and the latter attired with Oriental magnificence as Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, in a robe of silver tissue wrought with jewels. The mantle was of cloth of gold similarly treated, and the bodice was also studded with precious stones. The head-dress consisted of white ostrich plumes and a golden and jewelled crown, from which depended chains of pearls. H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, as Margaret of Valois, was surrounded by the ladies of her Court, their Royal Highnesses Princess Charles of Denmark, Princess Victoria of Wales, the Duchess of Fife, and the Duchess of York. The Princess of Wales wore a gown of white satin wrought with silver, and a train of cloth of gold lined with silver and superbly jewelled. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, as Grand Master of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem and Chevalier of Malta, wore a rich Elizabethan costume carried out in black and silver, and bearing the white cross of the Order on one shoulder. The Duke of York represented the Earl of Cumberland, one of Queen Elizabeth's courtiers. Prince Charles of Denmark was a Danish student. The Duke of Connaught wore the uniform of a military commander during the reign of Elizabeth, and the Duchess looked charming as Queen Anne of Austria in a picturesque gown with puffed sleeves. The Eastern Queens were magnificently arrayed and blazing with jewels. Lady de Trafford was Semiramis, Empress of Assyria, in a dress copied from a vase in the British Museum. Princess Henry of Pless was Queen of Sheba, in a robe and train of shot purple and gold tissue, elaborately embroidered with turquoises and other stones, and wore an Assyrian jewelled head-dress, decorated with a diamond bird and aigrette. Another Queen of Sheba was Lady Cynthia Graham, and there were two Cleopatras—Lady de Grey and Mrs. Arthur Paget. The husband of the latter accompanied her as Mark Antony. Lady Elcho was a Byzantine Queen, Miss Muriel Wilson was Queen Vashti, and the Countess of Dudley, as Queen Esther, wore a dress of white crêpe, embroidered with gold and studded with amethysts, turquoises, and pearls.
The Elizabethan Court was represented by Lady Tweedmouth as Queen Elizabeth, in a gown copied from a picture in the National Portrait Gallery. Her canopy was carried by four yeomen in uniforms of crimson, black, and gold, copied from Holbein's picture of "The Field of the Cloth of Gold," in the Hampton Court collection. Lord Tweedmouth was the Earl of Leicester, in slashed doublet and hose of ruby velvet and satin, enriched with gold embroidery. Lady Edmondstone, as Mary Queen of Scots, wore a dress of pale blue velvet, and tulle veil head-dress and ruff worked with pearls. She was attended by the Duchess of Hamilton, dressed in the character of Mary Hamilton, the Queen's favourite maid of honour. The Countess of Warwick, as Marie Antoinette, was beautifully dressed in a petticoat of rich white satin and a Court gown of English brocade, with a train of Royal blue velvet. The hair was powdered, and she was attended by four pages in white satin suits and three-cornered hats, bearing over her ladyship a canopy of blue velvet. This group included the Duchess of Sutherland, as Charlotte Corday in a gown of redcrêpe de Chine, a muslin fichu and cap, trimmed with point d'Alençon lace, and dagger at waist. Lady Westmorland made a lovely Hebe, and Lady Angela Forbes, as the Queen of Naples, wore an Empire gown of ivory duchesse satin, embroidered with silver and diamonds, and a train of lilac velvet, edged with jewelled embroidery and lined with satin. The head-dress consisted of a small jewelled crown and two white feathers. Among many other notable costumes should be mentioned the Marchioness of Tweedale's, as the Empress Josephine, as she appears in the Coronation picture at the Louvre, Paris; the Marchioness of Londonderry, as the Empress Marie Thérèse, of Austria, and the Marchioness of Zetland's, as Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I. of England; Viscountess Raincliffe, as the Empress Catherine II. of Russia, wore white satin, and her dress was an exact copy of the picture in the British Museum by Lambi. The Court gown of the Duchess of Portland, as Duchesse de Savoia, who headed the Venetian procession, was composed of white satin veiled, with lisse wrought with silver, partially covered by a silver cloth mantle, embroidered with pearls and diamonds, and diamonds and emeralds were introduced in the coiffure.
"All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players,They have their exits and their entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts."
Garrick was one of the first of our English actors to realize how much the success of a piece depended upon appropriate costume, and, on his taking the management of Drury Lane Theatre in 1747, at once turned his attention to this important branch of dramatic art. He refused to tolerate the absurdity of a heterogeneous mixture of the foreign and ancient modes, which had hitherto debased tragedies by representing, for instance, Greek soldiers in full-bottomed wigs, and the King of an Oriental Nation in trunk hose. The improvement, however, must have been very gradual, for Garrick is said to have played the part of Macbeth ten years later in a gold-laced suit of sky blue and scarlet; while Mrs. Yates as Lady Macbeth appeared in a hooped court petticoat of enormous dimensions, with tight-fitting pointed bodice and elbow sleeves, and her powdered hair dressed over a high cushion. Garrick's suits for the characters of King Lear and Hamlet also followed the fashions of the 18th century, though he played Richard III. in a fancy dress designed with some regard to correctness of detail. Even during the present century, an equally absurd anachronism may be recorded. The late Mr. Charles Mathews made his first appearance in public, at the Theatre Royal, Richmond, as Richmond in Richard III., wearing the helmet and jacket of a modern light horse soldier.