Every man who had acquired wealth, or even a modest competence only, built himself a residence according to his taste, and frequently displayed magnificence far beyond his means. Dressers, cupboards, carved chests, ivory, bronze, enamelled copper, miniature statues, reliquaries, and a quantity of other articles, hitherto unknown, were to be seen in palaces and wealthy houses, and even in humbler abodes. But among the poor there was no such change. Their homes had remained the same for many centuries, their cottages and little enclosures of land were unaltered. These contained the barest necessaries only. Yet a marked improvement was apparent in furniture and cooking-utensils. With greater comfort in their homes and with better furniture than in the past, both Frenchmen and Frenchwomen were making an onward progress in their mode of life and their social relations. In the towns as well as in the depth of the country, people met together of an evening to listen to a band of skilful minstrels—a sort of concert. On the eves of feasts the women sat together at their embroidery or the spinning-wheel. Long legends were narrated, to the delight of family circles, and children were made happy by little picture-books drawn expressly for their amusement, while maidens and youths would draw sweet music from their lyres. These assemblies naturally developed a taste for dress. The poet Eustache Deschamps speaks of the splendour of women’s dress, of their gold and silver chains and belts, and of the little bells with which they adorned their garments. [Illustration] [Illustration: Charles VI 1395 to 1422 Charles VII and Louis XI 1422 to 1483] CHAPTER VII. REIGNS OF CHARLES VI. AND CHARLES VII. 1380 TO 1461. Taste in dress becomes purer—Heart-shaped head-coverings, the “cornette,” and the “hennin” in the reign of Charles VI.—Husbands complain—Preachers denounce—Thomas Connecte declaims against the diabolic invention—Brother Richard tries to reform it—The “hennin” gains the victory—Costume of Jeanne de Bourbon—“Escoffion”—An absurd figure—Gravouère—Isabeau de Bavière—Gorgiasetés—Tripes—Splendour of the court—Agnes Sorel—“Coiffe adournée;” diamonds; the carcan—Walking-sticks. It is a curious fact, of more frequent occurrence than might be imagined, but the terrible Hundred Years’ War, which cost so much French and English blood, in nowise diminished women’s passion for dress and fashion, whims and extravagance of all kinds. It must even be acknowledged that this melancholy period of our history was remarkable for the splendour of its fashions. From the time of the Capets there had been much variation in dress and in luxury. The taste of the nation was stimulated and improved by foreign importations. Emblazoned garments had become a thing of the past.