At times women wore their sleeves _à la bombarde_, like the leg-of-mutton sleeves, of which I shall treat when writing of the Restoration. At other times they ornamented their gowns with gold round the throat; again, they preferred before everything a dress _à queue de serpent_. The Prior of Vigeois raised his voice against the long-tailed gowns. “The tail,” said he, “gives a woman the look of a serpent.” The Council of Montpellier forbade the appendices in question under penalty of excommunication. Tunics made of fur were called “pelisses.” The sleeves of “bliauds” were trimmed with puffs, braid, or embroidery. Beneath the “bliaud” drawers or the “bache” were worn. One hundred years later women divided their hair in front, forming a parting that was called a “grève” (or shore). Many of them began to dress their hair without extraneous ornament, in all kinds of ways, and with no little skill. They wore a veil, as was rigorously enforced by the Church; for according to an Article of the Council of Salisbury, no priest might hear the confession of an unveiled woman. This veil covered the head so entirely that it was impossible to see whether a woman had any hair or not. In the fourteenth century Frenchwomen left off the veil in favour of the “cornette,” a sort of coif or hood. Their hats were called “couvre-chefs” (or head-coverings). The frame was of parchment, covered with fine cloth, silk, or velvet; it was fantastic enough, if I may make use of that modern expression. But the couvre-chef did not remain long in fashion; it lasted during a few years only, probably on account of its extraordinary appearance. With regard to head-dresses women were about to fall, as we shall see, into strange and costly vagaries, and even to take pleasure in offending against the laws of modesty. For a very long period Frenchwomen had assumed a costume almost similar to that of men, and consequently of a grave style. They had worn both the skirt or “cotte hardie” and the surcoat, with a pointed head-dress, from which hung a veil covering their shoulders and neck, something like the _guimpe_ of a nun. To the surcoats were added enormous flowing sleeves, which softened the severity of their appearance, and made them more agreeable to the eye. In the romance of “Ermine de Reims” the following passage occurs:— “Two women approached me, wearing surcoats a yard longer than themselves, so that they must needs carry in their arms that which would have dragged on the ground; and they had also long cuffs on their surcoats, hanging from the elbows....” The greater number of the romance writers of the Middle Ages describe costumes of a similar nature. The surcoat, worn by both sexes alike in the reign of St. Louis, derived its name, in all probability, from the German _cursat_, signifying a sort of gown. A garment worn over their cloaks by the Knights of the Star, an Order instituted by John the Good, was also called a surcoat.