Fashionably dressed meant a good deal at that date. It implied a
doublet of velvet or satin, puffed and slashed exceedingly, and often
covered with costly embroidery or gold lace; trunk hose, padded to an
enormous width, matching the doublet in cost, and often in pattern;
light-coloured silk stockings, broad-toed shoes, with extremely high
heels, and silver buckles, or gold-edged shoe-strings; garters of broad
silk ribbons, often spangled with gold, and almost thick enough for
sashes; a low hat with a feather and silk hatband, the latter sometimes
studded with precious stones; a suspicion of stays in the region of the
waist, but too likely to be justified by fact; fringed and perfumed
gloves of thick white Spanish leather; lace ruffs about the neck and
wrists, the open ones of immense size, the small ones closer than in the
previous reign; ear-rings and love-locks: and over all, a gaudy cloak,
or rather cape, reaching little below the elbow. In the youth's hand
was an article of the first necessity in the estimation of a gentleman
of fashion,--namely, a tobacco-box, in this instance of chased silver,
with a mirror in the lid, whereby its owner might assure himself that
his ruff sat correctly, and that his love-locks were not out of curl. A
long slender cane was in the other hand, which the youth twirled with
busy idleness, as he carelessly hummed a song.
"Let's cast away care, and merrily sing,
For there's a time for every thing:
He that plays at his work, and works at his play,
Doth neither keep working nor holy day."
A second youth came down the street westwards, walking not with an air
of haste, but of one whose time was too valuable to be thrown away. He
was rather shorter and younger than the first, and was very differently
attired. He wore a fustian doublet, without either lace or embroidery;
a pair of unstuffed cloth hose, dark worsted stockings, shoes with
narrow toes and plain shoe-strings of black ribbon; a flat cap; cloth
gloves, unadorned and unscented, and a cloak of black cloth, of a more
rational length than the other. As he came to the tailor's shop he
halted suddenly.
"Aubrey!" The tone was one of surprise and pain.
"Spy!" was the angry response.
"I am no spy, and you know it. But I would ask what you do here and
now?"
"Are you my gaoler, that I must needs give account to you?"
"I am your brother, Aubrey; and I, as well as you, am my brother's
keeper in so far as concerns his welfare. It is over a month since you
visited us, and your mother and Lady Lettice believe you to be with your
Lord in Essex. How come you hither, so late at night, and at another
door than your own?"
"No business of yours! May a man not call to see his tailor?"
"Men do not commonly go to their tailors after shops be shut."
"Oh, of course, you wot all touching shop matters. Be off to your
grograne and cambric! I'm not your apprentice."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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