Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-07
FACTS ABOUT GLOVES.


tioiliug that on one ovc'tsiVii - ~ -. |
without gloves, indee"i spi' y, ruin |
when Elimeleck. transferring ms lhn1
10 Bonz. rs snid 10 take off his 'shoe'
n glove Is mennt, ,,
The chief mention OF gloves hinons |
the ancients was of those OF the pug
iirts which are referred to IN tne
.,Iilad " and also frequently in the
"FneId." As The Romans became
more luxurious In their mode OF lNlllB'
the use of gloves increased, until IN
der the emperors, they were rlnde WIN
fingers tdigitalla). aud worn hs orila
,nente or on occasions OF ceremony,
while the mitten (chrothecae) was Tor
common use. The fox-gloye, originaly
afolise-plove." turned upside down, is
exactly mitten shape. Ihese ihttcnS
the Greeks and Romans wore 10 pro
tect the hands in certain KINDS OF mhh
nal labor. and this seems 10 have peen
nrlojnnllv their use with all peoples
Witness the walrus-skin gloves OF the
Jrslsimos of the present day, ana tne
leather mittens Of the blacksmith ana
of the hedger. as well as OF the hawk-
ing gloves formerly worn to protect me
wrists from the sharp talons of the
falcons. Homer tells OF Laertes a,
work In his garden and describes Nun
as wearing gloves to protect his hands
from the thorns
The Romans brought gloves into
Britain, where we find mention made
of them in the seventh century, and
where H,thelred the Unready had
tax on gloves made a portion OF the
commercial duty paid by German
traders. The bishops. in very early
times. wore gloves nf white linen to de-
note purity. In Pugin's "Eoclesiastical
Glossary" we read that the gloves In
which Pope Boniface VIII was buried
were of white silk, worked with pearls,
A pair OF gloves worn by william of
Wykehnm are preserved at New COL
lege. oxford. and are of red SILK. with
I. II. s. in gold, surrounded with n
glory. In the churches and cathedrals
of England gloves are seen on most of
the monumental cffigies of kings and
prelates.
The mailed gloves of the Black Prince
hang over his tomb In Canterbury
Cathedral. and the efigics OF Henry
II. and Richard /. had gloves richly
adorned with jewels. and when in. 1901.
the tomb of King John was opened.
gloves embroidered with gold We're
found on his hands. The opening OF
the stone sarcophngus of Edward the
First in 1774 revealed the circle of gold
and precious stones which had adorned
the backs of his gloves. They were
found lying In their places, although
all traces Of the material of the gloves
had disappeared.
The gauntlets used in combats were
prObaDly OF tnt Rufnt pitttrn us wv
iron gloves used by the knights in the
days OF hand to-hand fighting. when
men were armed with clubs set with
knobs or spikes. Indeed. the glove,
now so common an article OF dress,
was in the days of knights and to u
comparatively recent time expressive
of facts aud feelings, being n pledge of
affection, token of warranty, symbol
of defiance and sign of amity. 1t
Is only a comparatively short time ago
that the custom of throwing down the
gauntlet has been omitted from the
English coronation rites.
Until the thirteenth of fourteenth
century, the use of gloves seems to
have been confined wholly to men, and
tohave been worn as insignia of of
flee, or protection against weather, as
well as In warfare and while Mt work.
During the reign of Elizabeth, hand
coverings became universal among
ladies' of rank Elizabeth was very
fond Of wearing perfumed gloves
those made in Spain being preferred.
Her wardrobe must have been as well
stocked with gloves as with gowns,
since wherever she went she was pre-
scented with gloves, such az, "a palre
of swete gloves, cuffed with gold and
silver" IA paire OF perfumed gloves of
Spnnysshe leather" and so on.
The progresses of Queen Elizabeth
records as gifts:
BY the Ladye Mary Grey. II. peir
swete gloves with Tower dozen buttons
of golde. In every one a side perle.
By Ladye Mary sydney, one pair per-
fumed gloves with xiii smalle buttons
of golde, etc.
Shakespeare makes frequent men
ton of gloves. Hero says to Beatrice:
"Those gloves the count sent mo. they
are of an excellent perfume;' and
Romeo longs to be "a glove upon that
hand" A very interesting relic OF
Mary Queen of Scots is preserved IN
England, In the Walden saffron Mu-
scum. 1t is a glove presented by hel
to member OF the Dnyrell family, II
whose possession 1t remains. II Is o
lght-buff -colored leather worked witt
silver wire and colored silks, In NJ
elaborate pattern OF roses and h'rdq
while the cuffs lined with crimson
satin, are still bright and unfnded, ant
are trimmed with gold lace.
A record in 1850 shows that In somt
cases. at least. gloves were expected t,
correspond with the character of tn,
wearer: "Owen Lloyd to william
REPRESENTATIVES him to send 10 pair o
Oxford gloves of the finest, OF or
greats pair. of double Chevrlllc @ To-
women, for men, and for very an
cient and grave men, spiritual Ahou
the end OF the sixteenth century"glovei
knytte of sylke" were brought from
Holland to London. At this perlot
gloves also made of chicken skin were
thought to impart peculiar delicacA
to the hands, especially II worn n
night: sleeping in gloves having beer
introduced by Henry Ill of Franc,
and practlced by men and womer
alike.
There are many traditions of deatl
from poisoned gloves during the mid
die ages, particularly In France an,
Italy II Is, however. very doubtful
whether there IL proof of such evil do
ing. In feudel times. the challenge q
single combat was sent by hcrol,
bearing a glove. Shakespeare make
Henry v, on the eve OF the battle o
Agincourt, exchange gloves with ~
opponent, MS pledge to renew tue
quarrel. should both survive the battle
But the glove also figured as n sigr
of goodwill and protection, Tenur,
of lands were granted ON tho delivery
of a glove, and In 1894 'The Earl OF
Flanders. by the delivery of glove 10
the king OF France gave lip the good
town Of Flanders" The manor OF
Elston, in Nottinghamshire, was held
by the annual payment OF 'ono pound
OF cummin seed, a steel needle. and
two pairs of gloves" When II gift OF
land was made to the church, u glove
was laid on the altar ms a pledge, and
in 1883 the Earl of Shrewsbury vowed
"a church to St Peter, and sent a glove
TO the monastery as token of gooc
faith AS is well known, lovers ex,
changed gloves and a knight, COINS
to the wars, wore his lady's hand
gear in his helmet, Gloves were ulsC
medium Of bribery, being presented
&c judges and lined with gold to In.