DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.67419#0312
290 THE DAYS OF “ GOOD QUEEN BESS.”
educated daughter of a country knight in Elizabeth’s
days :
“ The silk well couth she twist and twine,
And make the fine march pine,
And with the needlework :
And she couth help the priest to say
His mattins on a holy day,
And sing a psalm in kirk.
“ She wore a frock of frolic green,
Might well become a maiden queen,
Which seemly was to see ;
A hood to that so neat and fine,
In colour like the columbine,
Ywrought full featously.”
The march pine or counterpanes here alluded to,
taxed in these days to the fullest extent both the
purse of the rich and the fingers of the fair. Eliza-
beth had several most expensively trimmed with
ermine as well as needlework; the finest and richest
embroidery was lavished on them; and it was no
unusual circumstance for the counterpane for the
“standing” or master’s bed to be so lavishly adorned
as to be worth a thousand marks.
At no time was ornamental needlework more ad-
mired, or in greater request in the everyday con-
cerns of life, than now. Almost every article of
dress, male and female, was adorned with it. Even
the boots, which at this time had immense tops
turned down and fringed, and which were commonly
made of russet cloth or leather, were worn by some
exquisites of the day of very fine cloth (of which
enough was used to make a shirt), and were em-
broidered in gold or silver, or in various-coloured
educated daughter of a country knight in Elizabeth’s
days :
“ The silk well couth she twist and twine,
And make the fine march pine,
And with the needlework :
And she couth help the priest to say
His mattins on a holy day,
And sing a psalm in kirk.
“ She wore a frock of frolic green,
Might well become a maiden queen,
Which seemly was to see ;
A hood to that so neat and fine,
In colour like the columbine,
Ywrought full featously.”
The march pine or counterpanes here alluded to,
taxed in these days to the fullest extent both the
purse of the rich and the fingers of the fair. Eliza-
beth had several most expensively trimmed with
ermine as well as needlework; the finest and richest
embroidery was lavished on them; and it was no
unusual circumstance for the counterpane for the
“standing” or master’s bed to be so lavishly adorned
as to be worth a thousand marks.
At no time was ornamental needlework more ad-
mired, or in greater request in the everyday con-
cerns of life, than now. Almost every article of
dress, male and female, was adorned with it. Even
the boots, which at this time had immense tops
turned down and fringed, and which were commonly
made of russet cloth or leather, were worn by some
exquisites of the day of very fine cloth (of which
enough was used to make a shirt), and were em-
broidered in gold or silver, or in various-coloured