National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-22
syatiuuaI gtpabIitaH
IYYEsrIrrRE - GLOYE.

With white, French gray, lavendar, ana even
those primrose tints which old gentlemen used
TO wear when they were young dandies, and
some who are very old-fashioned win persist IN
wearing still, Il seems difficult to believe that
there eyerwas time when gloves were great
luxury, sim more difficult to fancy = time
when they actually did not exist. And yotWe
need not 90 very far back to come upon that
time Of luxury. Roger de Beauyoir, in his
'sHistory Of Fashion," giving an aecOuns Of .
certain performance that was very much in
vogue in the days OF Queen Elizabeth, mentions
how Edward de We're, Marquis Of Oxford, who
had travelled through Europe and resided some
time IN Italy, brought home to his royal mis-
tress a pair of perfuned gloves, ornamented
with four rosettes Of colored silk.
The gloves were the deligh and the envy Of
the court, and the Queen herself was 80 graft
fed that she had portrait taken, n which
she appeared with both hands gloVed. The
perfume with which these gloves were scented
was long known IN the English court as she
'sAIarquis Of Oxford Perfume" Astog gloves IS
necessaries, history takes rs further back into
times very remote, indeed-when we aPpre-
bend the lives and exploits OF men, 1ut canil0s
figure to ourselves their habits and customs
Thus, XenOphon, inveighing against the effem-
macy of the Persians, tells Us that they put 3
thick covering ever their feet, and not thst
only, but protected their hands with some
kind Of overall, which can have been nothing
but pair Of gloves.
When Dr.. Riecabocca was found in the par
ish stocks by the squire, in answer 70 the qnes-
ton put to him by his astonished friend, how
did he get there, he replied that Pliny the e.
der got into the crater of Mount NesuTiu8-
Now, Of this most memorable journey Of the
philosopher, his nephew has Just left us most
interesting account and among the details Of
that history is one to the effect that his uncle
was accompanied on this occasion by a secre-
tary, who was to write at the dictatiOn Of the
sage whatever matters Of interest should have
occurred in this memorable tour, and the sec
retary had gloves on his hands so as TO keep
up the necessary warmth when they got into
those snowy regions.
Then gloves, too, had their part in matters
Of ceremony and investiture, Of which but one
relic has remained to modern times. In old
days, when writing was little used, tormalities
were more common; thus, one OF the most
usual WAYS Of conveying land was BY what was
called feofeunt with liberty Of seisin, and Was
I performed @by delivery Of the ring or .haspe Of
the doOre, or BY twigge of tree, or turfe
| ofland.o The parties met, and holding be
tween them the deed of conveyance and the
/ ring of the door, haspe, twiggs, or turle, as
/ the case might be, the VeBder sclemnly deliE-
| cred over the possession Of these parts Of his
\ property in the name Of It all; then the pur-
| chaser, if It were q house, entered i alone,
! shut the door after him, and afterWard opened
/ 1t to his friends.
Al the time wheu these formalities were
needful to the effective conveyance Of lamb
then the only real property-giving possession
i by the delivery of gloves prevailed as . custom
in other countries. Thus, in the eleventh cen
tury, the Bishopso of Paderborn and Moncerco
gained the actual tenure of their sees BY ac-
cepting pair Of gloves. Gloves st that time
were essentially an episcopal emblem, as the
mitre continues to be; and 30 much Importance
was attached to the matterof dress that when
some of the French abbOts TOOK upon them to
adopt gloves the Council Of POictiers took the
affair in hand, and positively forbade their use
by the inferior dignitaries Of the Church, and
gave the reasons OF their decree. Gloves they
said, were, like sandals and rings special en-
blems Of the episcopal degree peculiar TO bish-
ops,who wore them, not as mere coverings but
adorned with Jewels as part Of the dress and
badge of their high spiritual ONCE. And for
the same reason, when the old Kings Of Francs
were crowned, part of the ceremony Of the
coronation consisted in the blessing Of the
gloves, and for long time investiture BY glove
remained 3 practice In Eastern countries.
There Is a memorable scrap OF oriental history
to support the evidence Of the existence Of this
| CUSTOM When King OonEadin lost his crown
through the successful usuFpation Of MainfroY,
and the unfortunate king had to mount the
scaffold, he addressed the crowd round about
him, asserted his right to the crown, giving a
proof of his inyestiturs glove which he held
: In his hand, and then flung down among the
crowd, charging whoever should pick it up that
he would conyeyit TO some one Of his surviving
relations, who would reward the service and
ayenge the usurpstiOn. The glove was picked
up by some knight, who took it to Peter o.
Arragon, and that king was crowned at Pa
lermo In virtue Of the inyestiture Of this glove