One would think, from their clumsy appearance (Fig. 16), that it must be rather awkward work to walk in them, but the peasants do not seem to find it so, and even indulge in the “light fantastic” with considerable grace and freedom of motion. Their chief objection, however, is the noise they make. Having lived for some time in the close vicinity of a public school in Brittany, where some one or two hundred children were in daily attendance, wearing these wooden sabots, I have a very distinct recollection of the din and clatter these little ones would make, as they raced each other down the hill on their release from school. Not many years ago an attempt was made to introduce wooden shoes into the United States, but it met with so little success that its projectors were forced to abandon the scheme. * * * * * In Venice we find that the custom in olden times was to have the shoes of the women mounted very high, so as to make walking as difficult as possible. By this means jealous husbands thought they would be able to keep their wives at home; but the plan did not succeed very well, I believe. Figs. 17 and 18 show the Venetian shoes of this period, the sixteenth century. The first one, of white leather, is cut out in a delicate lace-work pattern, furnished with a broad sole, and would have been comfortable enough, were it not for its high support. [Illustration: _Fig. 25._ _Fig. 26._ _Fig. 27._] These supports, or _chapineys_, as they were called by the Venetians, were made of wood and covered with leather of different colors. Many were curiously painted, while the richest were of gilt. The height of these _chapineys_ was determined by the rank of the wearer, the noblest ladies often having them one-half yard or more high. Of course no woman could walk easily, hampered with such appendages, so all that could at all afford it would have one or two attendants to support them on either side when they walked abroad; and even thus supported, walking was extremely difficult. Finally, the daughters of one of the Doges came to the conclusion that the fashion was abominable, and they would stand it no longer. It was not long before their suffering sisters became of the same mind, and the fashion gradually died out. When Charles I. first met his future wife at Dover, he seemed surprised to find her so tall, and, having made some remark to that effect, she answered him as follows: “Sire, I stand upon my own feet. I have no help of art. Thus high I am; I am neither higher or lower,” wishing him to understand, it seems, that her fine stature was not due to artificial means. Fig. 15 represents a highly ornamented clog of this period, while Figure 19 shows another style of Venetian pattern. [Illustration: _Fig. 28._ _Fig. 29._ _Fig. 30._]