Songs and satires against “vertugadins” abounded. The “Débat et Complainte des Meuniers et Meunières à l’Encontre des Vertugadins” appeared in 1556, and the “Blason des Basquines et Vertugales, avec la Remontrance qu’ont faict quelques Dames, quand on leur a remontré qu’il n’en falloit plus porter,” in 1563. Next came the “Plaisante Complainte ...,” by Guillaume Hyver, beginning as follows:— “Ung temps fut avant telz usaiges, Lorsque les femmes estoient sages....”[17] This epigram was quickly answered:— “La vertugalle nous aurons, Maulgré eulx et leur faulse envie, Et le busque au sein porterons; N’est-ce pas usance jolye?”[18] Charles IX., Henri III., and Henri IV., all issued edicts against the hoop. But far from disappearing, it became more and more generally worn. Little shopkeepers imitated the great ladies; and in the “Discours sur la Mode,” published in 1613, we read as follows:— “Le grand vertugadin est commun aux Françoises, Dont usent maintenant librement les bourgeoises, Tout de mesme que font les dames, si ce n’est Qu’avec un plus petit la bourgeoise paroist; Car les dames ne sont pas bien accommodées Si leur vertugadin n’est large dix coudées.”[19] In Paris, the royal edicts against hoops had fallen into disuse, but in the provinces certain parliaments had maintained a merciless severity. It is recorded that at Aix a Demoiselle de Lacépède, the widow of the Sieur de Lacoste, having been accused before the court of wearing a hoop of seditious width, appeared before the counsellors and gave her word of honour that the “exaggerated size of her hips, which was the cause of complaint, was simply a gift of nature.” The judges laughed, and she was acquitted. The fashion of vertugadins was especially pleasing to women of humble birth, who also wore hooped gowns, and thus, like high-born dames and maidens, attained a likeness to pyramidal towers or gigantic beehives. This extraordinary whim of fashion was destined to reappear, with various modifications, at different periods. Muffs, like those of the present day, were already used by women of rank. They were called “contenances.” Long gold chains, or cordelières, were twisted in the waist-band, and fell almost to the feet. The women vied with the men in splendour of dress. At court or in town they wore an under-skirt, showing below the gown, which was made with pointed bodice, the skirt widely opened in front, with narrow sleeves to the elbow, where they suddenly widened, and were bordered with lace or fur. The bodice was cut low, disclosing a collerette of fine open-worked cambric or of lace. Silk and satin shoes were still in fashion, widely opened on the instep, which, it must be owned, was not conducive to the elegance of the foot. Some ladies preferred slashed shoes.