The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-16
THE PR SS.
A Story of Starch.

wears ago-not the starch of the period, that
YOU see advertised everywhere, whose agents
are little population in themselves. Intact,
the first introduction of starch into England,
where it came from, how it was established,
and how it grew fashionable; with a little
love, a little jealousy, the whole to be con
cluded by most happy marriage.
Nearly three hundred years ago takes us in
to the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and it is
known to historians that this reign was not
only great period for wars and truces, for
continental double-dealing and religious in
trigue; but the fashion, dress, and such like
trivolitles, fourished throughout the land, as
you might expect they would flourish, when
the occupier of its throne, though mascu-
line woman, was still-a woman.
And so the excellent John Stowe, who had
made his fortune as a tailor and a silk mercer,
one day stuck his needle for the last time in
to its cushion, and, taking up his pen instead,
became the serious and useful chronicler OF
the important trtles of the day. His history
is more valuable than a work in which more
important circumstances would be better told !;
the sartorial point of view which ne adopts
and from which he surveys the fashionable
world all around him, gives his book the in
terest at once of history and a novel. His
information is all from the most reliable
sources, about the most important personages,
but the things that he tells us might seem in
themselves trivial and undignified ~ u 3AA
1t was, as i have said a great time for fash
ion and magnificent attire. Edward de We're,
Marquis of Oxford, had just returned from
Italy, and had appeared at court with gar
ments of perfumed leather, that were the en-
Wy and despair of other courtiers; he had
presented the queen with pair of scented
amber gloves, adorned with four rosettes of
colored silk, and Elizabeth was so delighted
M fba oyif hot CHI had hor trai fob
with both gloves ON. The peculiar scent of
these gloves was known everywhere as mar
guess of Oxford perfume. r,-..-.
Now, one evening there came to Stoves
house, near Temple Bar, a young girl from
Flanders, who brought letters of introduction
to the court tailor, in which he was requested
to do what he could for this young stranger,
whom it was hoped he might take as an APP
prentice. Miss Dinghen van den Plasse was
both well born and good looking, and it would
seem that Stowe was very well satisfied with
what she had to say, and really befriended
her and put her in the way of making her
livelihood. ea. .:..l-e st.a-I.- s,..-.:
In the meantime the brght-eyed little mai
den lived near his house, and every afternoon
the tailor would pay his visit and give &C
counts. of the wonders of the fashionable
world, with which his art made him SO famil-
lar. Miss Dinghen showed little respect for
the cosmetics and oils and paints with which
the beauties of that day did not scruple to as
sist nature. 1t was in vain that Stowe taught
her how to prepare and warm wine 'tto be
applied to the cheeks SO as to give them a
lovely tint;;' this was universal practice. of
those days, andin the ILLUSTRATION of Brit
ish History you will find acomplaint of the
great quantity of wine which Mary Queen of
SCOTS used for that purpose, and how the
ernor ii. e. jailor), demanded on that score
an increase of allowance. The cheeks of
Miss Dinghen needed no such assistance, and
she only laughed at the poor court tailor, and
chuckled over little secret which she would
take her own time to bring forth and make
known.
Can you at all fancy the scene and the pc
Rod? In the morning poor Stowe, whose
heart is breaking for this little pert beauty
calls one of his apprentices, loads him with
pieces and remnants of the most lovely taffe-
tas, silks, sarcenets, ETC., and followed by the
boy struts forth, full of his own dignity and
Importance, to the precincts of the court, or
it may be to the palace itself. As he passes
under certain window which he is sure to
pass, he kisses his hand to the little beauty
upstairs, and she glances down archly at him
and gives back the salute. Cost fan tutti.
Then she returns to her room, and leisurely
and daintily proceeds with bewildering tot
let. 4sss5 N .atge ysss-sr ~ s,s,sl,.<,-.-...
Poor Stowe by this time has reached the
end of his journey-London distances were
not then so great-and is in the most intimate
conversation with courtiers and politicians it
may be that his measuring tape is passing Ov-
er the heart of the great Lord Burleigh. Poor
Stowe may the pride of the tailor support
the trials of the man. -..t.,...,,
Miss Dinghen, in the mean time, has COM
pleted her attire, and she too, passes under
Temple Bar. The gossips and old maids of
the neighborhood admire the beauty of her
collars and cuffs, their brightness, their, their
wilderness, their ''set'' and if the women can
admire the dress of the little foreigner, the
men can admire also. Where lasses are fair
many lovers are found. WI - -
In the evening poor Stowe will return, and
will tell her of the adventures of the day
what this lord has bought, and what that
lord has ordered, of the visit of the queen to
to Kenilworth castle, and all the rumors and
gossip about the earl of Leicester; but the
heart of thelittle beauty is not in these things,
and the more court news he tells her, the
more restless and ennuye she becomes.
Now, near Temple Bar aud not far, from
Stoves house, there lived at that very time
needy man of letters named Edge; his works
made no noise then, and are now only known
to antiquarians and book worms. = They con-
sist entirely of satires on the fashions and lux
ury of the period. Edge was in fact the Bax-
ter Of his time, and his sarcasms are nearly as
sharp and as outspoken as his successors.
He was young, fair, interesting looking, and,
as the chronlcler shortly puts it, mistress
Dinghen saw him, and he was pleasing unto
her," Unfortunately, marriage lay in the
distance. He lived, or rather. starved, in
garnet; she was but a dressmaker's appren-
tice. Marriage in such a case would only
mean misery, and as she realized this, she
thought more and more over the secret which
she had brought with her from Flanders, and
set her mind to see how she might turn it to
advantage. 40 Et)IIF1f7A
There was to be a great ball given at the
queens palace, and Edge contrived to get an
admission for himself and his friend.
The lord chamberlain's office existed in
those days, but his duties were not so strict.
Edge borrowed an orange doublet, and
Spanish cape, SO as to conduct Mis-. Dinghen
to the ball with fitting dignity i'- lait d
1t is difficult to imagine a more unhappy
figure than that which the man of letters pre-
scented in the midst of all this gayety he in
terrupted the dances, he stood on the ladies'
dresses, and drove his spurs into the long vel
vet trains. He had often satirized all this
frivolous magnifcence, and now he hated it
more and more. al % -r,trlt. b. =.
AT last he got into corner where he might
WaCcn without being much In the way From
this coign of vantage he could see all the dan
GERS, and amongst them his lady-love, attend
ed by masked cavalier whose bearing and
dress was more splendid than that of all the 9th
ercourtiers. He watched hertreading through
all the intricate measures of that court minu-
ct; there was presence and dplomb about
her dancing that he could not but admire,
that every one admired. All the cour tiers
crowded round the dance and praised the
beautiful foreigner.
TWAS more than poor jealous Edge could
bear. Tired, jealous, and angry, he left the
hall and hurried to his garnet near Temple
Bar; but even at home he could find no peace.
He paced up and down the wretched room.
BE told himself over and over again that he
had no cause to be angry. He remembered
how trusting and confiding she had been to
him; how she had come upon him i'm his
great poverty and despair, like vision, like
messenger from another sphere; what hope
she had given him in his hopeless work. The
days had been less dreary for him lately, and
the future days were to be more cheerful.
he looked round at the wretched furniture.
ana ms quick eye detected her hand in a thou
sand little trif1es. She had been with him
that morning to arrange about the ball. He
remembered all her expectation and delight:
how She had selected his dress for him. and
described to him her own; how she had insist
ed on arranging the frills and cuffs and collar
that, with the orange doublet and Spanish
cape. were to transform him into courtier
And then she had come in the evening, bring
ing the frills with her, so beautifully stiff and
white that he, who did not much notice such
things had Doticad these. and then Sbo hod