Stothard, Charles Alfred; Kempe, Alfred John: The monumental effigies of Great Britain: selected from our cathedrals and churches ; for the purpose of bringing together, and preserving correct representations of the best historical illustrations extant, from the Norman conquest to the reign of Henry the Eight (London, 1817)

14

INTRODUCTION.

some, and placing it on the head of Sir Eustace, said, ' Sir Eustace, I present you with this chaplet,
as being the best combatant this day, either within or without doors; and I beg of you to wear it this
year, lor love of me. I know that you are lively and amorous, and love the company of ladies and
damsels; therefore say, wherever you go, that I gave it you/" ^
These coronets, circlets, or garlands, were at first, perhaps, like the collar of SS. at a later period,
a general distinction for gentle rank or honourable achievement. A ram and a ring were constituted
the prize for the victor at an ancient wrestling-match. The ring spoken of was, we imagine, a circlet
for the head, not for the finger.
" Much worship were it, sothly,
Brothir, unto us all.
Might I the Ram, and als the Ring,
Bringin home to the hall."
Chaucer, The Coke's Tale of Gamelyn.
Chaplets, or garlands, were used at funerals to decorate the corpse or bier of deceased virgins, or
suspended in the church where they had attended divine worship. Within our recollection, some,
curiously formed of paper, were hanging in Farningham church, in Kent. A writer in the Gentle-
man's Magazine for June 1747, says, that "in 1733, as the parish-clerk of Bromley, in Kent, was
digging a grave in the churchyard, close to the east end of the chancel wall, he dug up a funeral
garland, or crown, artificially wrought in filagree-work with gold and silver wire, in resemblance of
myrtle. Its leaves were fastened to hoops of larger wire of iron, which were something corroded with
rust; but both the gold and silver wire remained very little different from its original splendour. The
inside was also lined with cloth of silver." f- The priest at Ophelia's funeral says, she is allowed
" her virgin crants," f or garlands.
The Monumental Effigies afford many interesting specimens of female habits, and of civil costume
in general. Of the wimpled attire of the head, we have examples in the effigies of Aveline Countess
of Lancaster, and of the Lady on the brass in Minster church. Chaucer shows us that these head-
clothes were somewhat weighty: his Wife of Bath,
" Of cloth-making had such a haunt, §
She passid them of Ypres or of Gaunt.
Her coverchiefes were large, and fine of ground,
I durst to swere that ?Aey weyfd fAree poM?;d,
That on a Sonday were upon her hedde.
Her hosin were of fine scarlet redde.
Full strait ystrained; and her shoos new.
Upon her ambler easily she satte.
All wimpled well, and on her hed a hatte
As brode as is a bokeler or a targe ;
A foot mantil about her hippis large." I)
The last line informs us that she wore a mantle down to her feet.
If we refer to the beautifully illuminated Persian MSS. in the British Museum, we shall be
induced to believe the wimple was adopted &om the ladies of the East. The coincidence of chain-
mail armour in these MSS. with that of our old crusaders, is also very remarkable.
* Johnes's Froissart, vol. II. p. 248, 8vo. edit.
t See Dunkin's Outlines of the History of Bromley, in Kent.
I Hamlet, Act V. Scene i.
§ Such a hoard of manufactured cloths for garments.
II Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.