No less remarkable for the lightness of its texture than was the samit on account of the thick substance of its web, and quite as much sought after, was another kind of thin glossy silken stuff “wrought in the orient,” and here called first by the Persian name which came with it, _ciclatoun_, that is, bright and shining; but afterwards _sicklatoun_, _siglaton_, _cyclas_. Sometimes a woof of golden thread lent it still more glitter; and it was used both for ecclesiastical vestments and for secular articles of stately dress. In the inventory of St. Paul’s cathedral, 1295, there was a cope made of cloth of gold, called ciclatoun: “capa de panno aureo qui vocatur ciclatoun.” Among the booty carried off by the English when they sacked the camp of Saladin, King Richard took the pavillouns Of sendal, and of cyclatoun. In his ‘Rime of Sire Thopas,’ Chaucer says Of Brugges were his hosen broun His robe was of ciclatoun. Though so light and thin, this cloak of “ciclatoun” was often embroidered in silk and had golden ornaments sewn on it; we read in the ‘Metrical romances’ of a maiden who sat In a robe ryght ryall bowne Of a red syclatowne Be hur fader syde; A coronell on hur hedd set, Hur clothys with bestes and byrdes wer bete All abowte for pryde. Knights in the field wore over their armour a long sleeveless gown slit up almost to the waist on both sides; sometimes of “samit,” often of “cendal,” oftener still of “ciclatourn:” and the name of the gown itself, shortened from the material, became known as “cyclas.” Matthew of Westminster records that when Edward the first knighted his son in Westminster abbey he sent to three hundred sons of the nobility, whom the prince was afterward to dub knights in the same church, a most splendid gift of attire, fitting for the ceremony; among which were clycases woven with gold. That these garments were very light and thin we gather from the quiet wit of John of Salisbury, who jeers a man affecting to perspire in the depth of winter, though clad in nothing but his fine cyclas. Not so costly was a silken stuff known as _cendal_, _cendallus_, _sandal_, _sandalin_, _cendatus_, _syndon_, _syndonus_, as the way of writing the word altered as time went on. When Sir Guy of Warwick was knighted, And with him twenty good gomes Knightes’ and barons’ sons, Of cloth of Tars and rich cendale Was the dobbing in each deal. The Roll of Caerlaverock tells us that among the grand array which joined Edward the first at Carlisle in 1300, there was to be seen many a rich caparison embroidered upon cendal and samit: La ot meint riche guarnement Brodé sur sendaus e samis: and Lacy, earl of Lincoln, leading the first squadron, hoisted his banner made of yellow cendal blazoned with a lion rampant purpre Baner out de un cendal safrin, O un lioun rampant purprin.