The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-03-29
GLOVES IN HISTORY
THEIR ANTIQUITY AND THE VARIOUS
IS THEY WE'RE PUT TO.

The rrceded shoes and Other Articlei
OF ss-AII Christians PreachedAg ainst
Their Use-Monks 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 adorr
the modern dame and demoiselle
Now, according to geology and the
scientists, the cave people lived 100,
600 years go, so it may be seen how
ancient the glove is. Neither shoes
nor hats 20 back SO far.
When we come to historic times
there is no literature that does moi
mention gloves and the Bible contains
many references to them. The early
Christian fathers considered them tc
be a mark of effeminacy and preached
against their use, but it availed moth
ing against fashions decree, q thing
the pulpit undertook to direct what
should be worn i'm the pews. BY and
by, somewhere about the tenth cen
fury, the clergy began to wear gloves
also, and the episcopal glove is now
material p.rt of the bishops Insignia
The episcopal glove, with its tassel
OF tuft of silk, is well seen on the
efligy of one of the archbishops in
Canterbury Cathedral The monks
themselves became the earliest glove
makers in Europe.
In coronation ccremonials the glove
always bore n conspicuous part, the
champion knigh, throwing down
glove as 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 sceptre of the kingdom.
There is a good deal about gloves in
Shakespeare. Master Slender in 1.-The
Merry Wives" swears by his gloves.
by this white glove" protests Byron
in Loves Labor Lost" "Oh, that
were glove on that hand that l
might touch that cheek" sighed Ro-
meo as he gazed upon Juliet in the
balcony.
One of the amusing scenes in Henry
"" turn upon the exchange of gloves
between Williams and the king. The
latter subsequently gives the glove he
received to Fluellan, the Welshman,
and when Williams comes up and spies
his glove in Fluellan's cap he gives
him the promised box on the ear. The
king enters. the quarrel is explained,
and Williams is presented with glove
full of crowns.
A curious Roman custom is shown
by Shakespeare in "Coriolanus,"
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
pledge of honor and a gage of battle.
The old knights threw down the
gauntlet or the glove in token of de-
fance and as challenge to combat,
and the custom is still expressed
rhetorically in the speeches at the
Bar and in the forum. Benton sneer-
ingly rebuked Webster for refusing to
take up the glove that Hayne had
lueldplOIlcdllN lllIONU uOWu III the
Senate chamber, Il rebuke he soon re-
GREETED when Webster made his cele-
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
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"