An old satirical print, dated 1644, gives drawings of men of all the new varieties of religious belief and practices which “pestered Christians” at the beginning of the century. With the exception of the Adamite, whose garb is that of Adam in the Garden of Eden, all ten wear doublets. These vary slightly, much less than in Stubbes’s list of jerkins. One is open up the back with buttons and button-loops. Another has the “four laps on a side,” showing it is a jerkin. Another is opened on the hips; one is slit at back and hips. All save one from neck to hem are buttoned in front with a single row of buttons, with no lapells, collar, or cuffs, and no “flaps,” no ornaments or trimming. A linen shirt-cuff and a plain band finish sleeves and neck of all save the Arminian, who wears a small ruff. Not one of these doublets is a graceful or an elegant garment. All are shapeless and over-plain; and have none of the French smartness that came from the spreading coat-skirts of men’s later wear. The welts or wings named in the early sumptuary laws were the pieces of cloth set at the shoulder over the arm-hole where body and sleeves meet. The welt was at first a sort of epaulet, but grew longer and often set out, thus deserving its title of wings. A dress of the times is thus described:— “His doublet was of a strange cut, the collar of it was up so high and sharp as it would cut his throat. His wings according to the fashion now were as little and diminutive as a Puritan’s ruff.” A note to this says that “wings were lateral projections, extending from each shoulder”—a good round sentence that by itself really means nothing. Ben Jonson calls them “puff-wings.” There is one positive rule in the shape of doublets; they were always welted at the arm-hole. Possibly the sleeves were sometimes sewn in, but even then there was always a cap, a welt or a hanging sleeve or some edging. In the illustrations of the _Roxburghe Ballads_ there is not a doublet or jerkin on man, woman, or child but is thus welted. Some trimming around the arm-hole was a law. This lasted until the coat was wholly evolved. This had sleeves, and the shoulder-welt vanished. These welts were often turreted or cut in squares. You will note this turreted shoulder in some form on nearly all the doublets given in the portraits displayed in this book—both on men and women. For doublets were also worn by women. Stubbes says, “Though this be a kind of attire proper only to a man, yet they blush not to wear it.” The old print of the infamous Mrs. Turner given here shows her in a doublet. The high borne Prince Iames Dvke of Yorke borne October = the 13.1633 James, Duke of York. Another author complains:— “If Men get up French standing collars Women will have the French standing collar too: if Dublets with little thick skirts, so short none are able to sit upon them, women’s foreparts are thick skirted too.”