The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-10
NATIONAL UNIFORMS.
The Dress of English Troops In the
Sixteenth Century.

To us at the present day red seems the
natural colors for things pertaining to war
and royalty, but in fact the idea is almost
modern-moreover, 1t was established by
means that would be thought the most
unlikely. Before Tudor times there was
no such thing as national uniform, of
course; each man would array himself in
a levy as he thought fit. Henry VIII GER
tainly had his own proper colors. In 1914
he summoned the various shires and towns
of the realm to furnish him with so many
recruits. Colchester for instance, had to
provide fifteen able-bodied footmen-three
archers, the rest armed with bills-"cloth-
ed in coats and hosen of the colors APP
pointed for the battle of our army"
What those colors were we never chanc-
ed to learn; the coat was probably white
with the Red Cross of st. George upon
the breast. That was the uniform of the
English troops who served under Charles
V in France. In the church warden's ac-
counts at Darlington, in Devonshire, APP
pears an item for a white banner with
a red cross made for the war" i'm the
reign of Edward vi. From an early period
white was the uniform of London. We
have full description of the muster in
1889, when Henry reviewed the train bands
Mayor and aldermen appeared in white
armor, with coats of black velvet, and
the city arms handsomely embazoned-
on the sleeves, no Doubt They wore
plumed velvet caps, and a steel battle-ax
hung at each saddle bow. Every alder
man had his guard in white silk, with
gilded halberds. Rich citizens also were
arrayed in white silk and breastplates
studded with silver, while the men wore
a white cotton uniform with the city arms
on breast and cuffs, white shoes and
white hose. There, We're 1900 of them,
archers, pikemen, musketeers and artil-
lery.
A review nowadays is a poor show com
pared with this. But white seems to have
been the favorite color for uniforms in
Europe. The French used 1t for regiments
of the line until the downfall of the mon
archy, and the Austrans chung to it I'M
til our own time; genrals and field officers
In full dress still keep the white coat
In our civil war each regiment was ar
rayed in the livery color of the peer of
gentleman" who raised It; green, blue
purple and gray are mentioned Denzil
Holless "Londoners" wore red But our
scarlet was CromwelPs heritage Tradi-
ton says that the dealers of St Ives
mad no sufficient stock of a color more be-
coming to the godly So the Ironsides
were clothed in scarlet and other reei-
ments seem to have followed the lead
Pepys remarks that the militia battalion
guarding the exchange while Monk had
not yet declared his intentions wore a
red uniform. Perhaps Cromwell had oh
served that it is the best color upon the
whole for military operations, as scientific
soldiers declare now, after experiments
innumerable. But his Life Guards under
the RFotcctorate were dressed I'm gray
frock coats with silver "welts" lace in
the seams probably. When the Cold
streams and other regiments took SER
h.
ADVISABLE TO change their uniform. and
so scarlet became the rational color
IL might be supposed that kings yener-
any would choose red as the rovaI itint
put that seems to be an ACQUIRED Aea
only the Abyssinians have done ca &c
we recall. A smart red cloak. turned m
with mazarine blue. was the Empa rore
nVery In Bruce's time. Haroun al Ras-
emo USED 10 put on scarlet suit 10 attend
Durbar, when bent on mischief. and Ter
san shahs4 retained the custom TN iotel,
Inc queen of Scots made a fine dramatic
use OF red upon the scaffoid. She appear-
eu IN black satin robe and Jacket trim
med with black velvet, small black Gar,
and veil of lawn falling behind An was
sable round-the scaffold, the block. the
eXecutloner and the hangings of the an,rt
ment' Then the ladies took off her Veil
and undressed her. Beneath her hIacl,
p
meath the robe a petticoat of crimson vel
vet. To complete the effect they drew a
PAIR or long scarlet sleeves over her arnna
ana she stood forth all afame from mead
TO foot. Very characteristic was tho re-
solve TO make sensation even when dv-
Ing, but assuredly she fulfilled her Eur
pose. Blue, however, has been more i'm
portant, II we may 50 speak, than red If
was the royal color of the Perslans when
they held the empire of the world be-
cause, as the legend went. Astyages, grand
father OF Cyrus, was wearing a blue robe
when taken before the King. The famous
cidaris, the imperial headdress, was IKE
French cap of liberty. with the top erect.
blue and white. Possibly II Is because
this color was sacred to their oppressors
that the Zezidis and the Sabaeans regard
II with passionate adherence. They will
not speak to a man dressed in blue IL n
can be avoided. Upon the other hand. tits
Is the hue dedicated TO Krstna, and ,here-
fore blessed above all 10 Hindoos Young
sportsmen In India are warned that thew
must not shoot a monkey or a blue rig
con. Among the few but stringent rules
imposed by Guru Govind on his discipIes
the Slkhs, was the obligation always 10
wear blue and always to carry iron m
some shape upon the person. The Druse
of the Lebanon is said TO obey the Same
injunctlons, though II would need singular
ingenuity TO prove any connection between
him and the Sikh. He always wears Bue.
however, while the degenerated son OF he
Khalsa In our time arrays himself mostly
In white.