Morning journal and courier., 1884-12-19

it was strongly suspected, of the unscrIpu- lous Duke William aforesaid; but it is cer- tainly not before the thirteenth century that gloves became generally worn in England At the latter part of that century the young Normans covered their hands with gloves too long and wide for doing anything need ful. The efigies of Henry IT. and Richard |. at Fontevraud displays gloves with jewels on the back of them; and when. King Johns coffin was opened in 1797, at Worcester, jeweled gloves were found on his hands.
 Jeweled gloves were also worn by the dig nified clergy, and appear to have been of white silk or linen, and beautifully embroid- cred. Those which were worn by William of Wykeham, ,and are still preserved at New col lege, Oxford, are of red silk with the sacred monogram, surrounded by glory, in gold on the backs. At what time it became the custom to change the color of the gloves ac- cording to the color of the vestments is not known. Gloves had come into general use in the fourteenth century among the better classes, who were accustomed to carry them in their hands. It is not, however, till the sixteenth century that we find constant allusions to and frequent representations of them in DOT traits. Gloves were customary New Years gifts in the sixteenth century, but, being more expensive than all could afford to pur- chase, money was given instead, which was called "gloFe money.n'
 The short sleeves in the ladies' dresses in the reign of Charles II. introduced the long kid glove, which has now, after an interval, again become fashionable. Gloves trimmed with lace are mentioned by Evelyn in his de- scription of lady's toilet, and a contempo- rary mentions:
 Some of chicken skins for night, To keep their hands plump, soft, and white. Long gloves are seen in the portraits of Mary, consort of William III. and pair of thread gloves occurs in the inventory of 8 lady's wardrobe in 1707.
 Many ancient recipes are extant for the perfuming of gloves, and in an old French work published at Lyons in 1857 the precise directions for 'ECivitte tres exquise pour par fumer gands ct en vindre les mains" is given. In these compositions musk, amber gris, and civit were the chief perfumes and as they were applied inside the gloves, com bined with some sort of oil or grease, their use at the present day would be thought in tolerable. In the middle of the last century the glovers of Paris were also the chief per fumsrs, and constituted considerable commu- nity, having statutes and laws dating as far back as 1190. Perfumed skins were import ed from Spain and Italy for the making of gloves, and were very expensive and 'fort a la mode," but their powerful odor led to their disguise, and Frangipani and Neroli became the only perfumes in fashion for gloves And here we may remark that Fran gipani owes it's renown to its inventor, a Mar quis Frangipani 8 member of very ancient and illustrious family of Rome, and who was marshal in the armies of Louis XIII. What the composition was that gained for the marquis so much reputation is not now known, but ell sorts of utterly different per fumes to this day sold under that name.
 Gloves were frequently held out in promi- nent places in ancient times at fairs, in token of friendship to all corners. In the city of Chester especially, that being place famous for the manufacture of gloves, it was the custom for some days before and during the continuance of the fair to bring out from the town hall their local emblem of com merce, glove, thereby proclaiming that non freemen and strangers were permitted to trade within the city, privilege at all other times enjoyed by the citizens alone.
 A pretty little incident connected with gloves in ancient times is the circumstance that Charles ". King of Spain, was much under the influence of any lady who wore white kid gloves that the use of them at court was strictly prohibited. Modern royal ty is not so fantastical.
 In the time of Louis XV. of France the ladies at their toilet thought nothing of de stroying half dozen pairs of gloves before they got one pair to fit. They were made of white skins, but ornamented with little ribbons and fine rosettes. English-sewn gloves were in the greatest request, and it used to be common saying that for glove to be good three Kingdoms must contribute to it--- Spain for the leather, France for the cutting, and England for the sewing.