I was this morning walking in the gallery, when Sir Roger entered at the end opposite to me, and, advancing towards me, said he was glad to meet me among his relations, the de Coverleys, and hoped I liked the conversation of so much good company, who were as silent as myself. I knew he alluded to the pictures; and, as he is a gentleman who does not a little value himself upon his ancient descent, I expected he would give me some account of (90: 5) them. We were now arrived at the upper end of the gallery, when the knight faced towards one of the pictures, and, as we stood before it, he entered into the matter, after his blunt way of saying things as they occur to his imagination, without regular introduction or care to preserve (10) the appearance of chain of thought. "It is," said he, "worth while to consider the force of dress, and how the persons of one age differ from those of another merely by that only. One may observe, also, that the general fashion of one age has been followed by (15) one particular set of people in another, and by them preserved from one generation to another. Thus, the vast jetting coat and small bonnet, which was the habit[54] in Harry the Seventh's time, is kept on in the yeomen of the guard; not without a good and politic view, because they (20) look a foot taller, and a foot and an half broader; besides that the cap leaves the face expanded, and consequently more terrible, and fitter to stand at the entrance of palaces. [54] Costume. "This predecessor of ours, you see, is dressed after (25) this manner, and his cheeks would be no larger than mine, were he in a hat as I am. He was the last man that won a prize in the Tilt-yard, which is now a common street before Whitehall. You see the broken lance that lies there by his right foot. He shivered that lance of his adversary all to pieces; and, bearing himself--look you, sir--in this manner, at the same time he came within the target of the gentleman who rode against him, and (91: 5) taking him with incredible force before him on the pommel of his saddle, he in that manner rid the tournament over, with an air that showed he did it rather to perform the rule[55] of the lists than expose his enemy. However, it appeared he knew how to make use of a victory; and, (10) with a gentle trot, he marched up to a gallery where their mistress sat,--for they were rivals,--and let him down with laudable courtesy and pardonable insolence. I don't know but it might be exactly where the coffee-house is now. (15) [55] The law of the tournament.