The Washington bee., 1899-03-04
GLOVES In HISTORY
THEIR ANTIQUITY AND THs VARIOUS
USES THEY WERE PUT TO.
They Preceded Shoes and Other Articles
of Drsss-All Christ ans PreachedA gainss
Their Uss-Msnks as Glove Msksrs-To-
ksns of Love, Asnor and Battle.

of Drsss-All Christ ans PreaehedAgainss
Their Uss-Msnks as Glove Maksrs-TO-
ksns of Love, Asnor and Battle.
AS an article of costume gloves pre-
coded shoes with primitive man, and
other parts of his artificial covering
as we'll
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-buttoned kids that adOrn
the modern dame and demoiselle-
Now, according to geology and the
scientists, the cave people lived 1OO,-
900 years ago, so 1t 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 early
Christian fathers considered them to
be a mark of effeminacy and preached
against their use, but it avafled moth
ing against fashions decree, a thing
that has often happened since when
the pulpit undertook to direct what
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 tuft of silk, is well seen on the
effigy of one of the archbishops in
Canterbury Cathedral. The monks
themselves became the earliest glove
makers in Europe.
In coronation ceremonials the glove
always bore conspicuous part, the
champion knighl throwing down
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
4 right-hand glove, with which to
grasp the sceptre of the kingdom.
There is a good deal about gloves in
Shakespeare Master Slender in The
Merry Wives" swears by his gloves
by this white glove" protests Byron
IN Loves Labor Lost" "Oh, that
were a 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 " llliams and the king. The
latter subsequently gives the glove he
received to Fluellans the Welshman,
and when Williams comes up and spies
his glove in Fluellan's cap he gives
1im the promised box on the ear. The
king enters, the quarrel is explained,
and Williams is presented with a glove
full of crowns.
A curious Roman custom is shown
oy Shakespeare in ''CoriOlanus,"
where the women of Rome fling gloves
upon the hero as he enters the city
returning from his victory over the
Volscians.
From the earliest times the glove
mas been esteemed token of love, q
pledge of honor and a gage of battle
The old knights threw down the
gauntlet or the glove in token of de
dance and as challenge to combat,
and the custom is still expressed
electrically in the speeches at the
Bar and in the forum. Benton sneer-
ngly rebuked Webster for refusing to
take up the glove that Hayne had
netaphorically thrown down in the
Senate chamber, a rebuke he soon re-
gretted when Webster made his cele-
grated reply to Hayne.
This use of the glove as a mode of
defiance probably originated in the
necessity for removing the glove from
he good right hand in order to obtain
better grip upon weapon.
Gloves have always been a favOrite
gift at the time of betrOthals and we'd
1ings. as well as at other times, and
some times they are lined with gold
20 make them more precious. 1t was
with these gold Innings that Lord
Chancellor Bacon frequently received
.hem much to his subsequent shame
md dishOnOr. Bacon should have fol-
lowed the example of his great pre-
1ecessor. Sir Thomas More. who. when
1 grateful suitOr presented him with a
pair of gloves filed with gold coin,
.eplied: The gloves l accept. but the
lining you will be pleased otherwise
% bestOw."