Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-05-26
GLOVES IN HISTORY
THEIR ANTIQUITY AND THIS VARIOUS
USES THEY WERE PUT TO.

! They Preceded shoes and Other Articles
! of Dress-Aii Christians PreachcdA gainst
Their Use-Monlss as Glove Makers-To-
kens of Love, Honor and Battle.
AS an article of costume gloves pre-
coded shoes with primitive man, and
other parts of his artificial covering
as well.
Prof. Dowkins in his work, early
Man in Britain" says that the cave
men and women wore gloves, reaching
even to the elbows, thus anticipating
the twenty-buttoneu kids that adorn
the modern dame and demoiselle.
Now, according to geology and the
scientists, the cave people lived 100,-
600 years ego, so it may be seen how
ancient the glove is. Neither shoes
nor hats go back so far.
When we come to historic times
there is no literature that does not
mention gloves and the Bible contains
many references to them. The carly
/ Christian fathers considered them to
be a mark of effcminacy and preached
! against their use but it awaited moth
| ing against fashions decree, n thing
that has often happened since when
!
should be worn in the pews. BY and
| by. somewhere about the tenth cen
! tury. the clergy began to wear gloves
also, and the episcopal glove is now
material part of the bishops insignia.
The episcopal glove, with its tassel
or TUT of silk is well seen on the
efligy of one of the archbishOps in
/ Canterbury Cathedral. The monks
otli ,rl.
makers in Europe.
| In coronation ceremOnialS the glove
always bore n conspicuous part, the
champion knighC throwing down a
glove as a challenge to any one who
would question the right of the new
sovereign to the throne. The new
king or queen was also presented with
right-hand glove. with which to
grasp the sceptrc of the kingdom.
There is Il good deal about gloves in
Shakespeare. Master Slender in The
Merry Wives" sWears 10y his gloves.
by this white glove" protests Byron
in cloves Labor Lost" ION. that
were IL glove on that hand that
might touch that chcck." sighed Ro-
mpo as he gaZed upon Juliet in the
balcony.
/ y
/ V" turn upon the exchange of gloves
{ between Vi lllinmS and thr king The
latter subsequently gives the glove Ii"
received to Fluclan. the Wclshman,
and when y Villains comes UP and spies
his glove in Flucllan's cap he gives
him the promised box on the ear. The
king enters. the quarrel is explained,
and Williams is presented with IL glove
full of crowns.
A curious Roman custom is shown
by Shakespeare in "Corolanus,
where the women of Rome fling gloves
upon the hero as he enters the city
returning from his victory over the
Nolscians.
From the earliest times the glove
has been esteemed a token of love. a
pledge of honor and IA gage of battle
The old knights threw down the
gauntlet or the glove in token of de-
fance and as a challenge to combat
and the custom is still expressed
rhetorically in the speeches at the
Bar and in the forum. Benton sneer-
ingly rebulied Webster for refusing to
take up the glove that Hayne had
metaphorically thrown down in the
Senate chamber, rebuke he soon re-
brated reply to Hayne.
This use of the glove as a mode of
defiance probably originated in the
necessity for removing the glove from
the good right hand in order to obtain
a better grip upon weapon.
Gloves have always been a favorite
gift at the time of betrothals and we'd
dings, as well as at other times and
some times they are lined with gold
to make them more precious. 1t was
with these gold Innings that Lord
Chancellor Bacon frequently received
them, much to his subsequent shame
and dishonor. Bacon should have fol
lowed the example of his great pre-
decessor, Sir Thomas More, who, when
a grateful sutton presented him with a
pair of gloves filled with gold coin,
replied: The gloves l accept, but the
, lining you will be pleased otherwise
to bestow"
Curo.ities of ak