[287] St. Paul’s, ed. Dugdale, p. 328, &c.
[288] Giraldus Cambrensis, De Instructione Principum, pp. 168-173.
[289] Oliver, p. 316.
Shot, or, as they were then called, changeable silks, were fashionable in England during the sixteenth century, for when the King’s (Edward VI.) Lord of Misrule rode forth with great pageantry, among other personages there came “afor xx. of ys consell on horsbake in gownes of chanabulle lynyd with blue taffata and capes of the sam, like sage (men); then cam my lord with a gowne of gold furyd,” &c.[290] At York Cathedral, A.D. 1543, there was “a vestment of changeable silke,”[291] “besides one of changeable taffety for Good Friday.” [292]
[290] Diary of Henry Machyn, ed. Nichols for the Camden Society, p. 13.
[291] Fabric Rolls, p. 301.
[292] Ibid. p. 311.
Marble silk had a weft of several colours so put together and woven as to make the whole web look like marble, stained with a variety of tints; hence it got its name. In the year 1295 St. Paul’s had “paruram de serico marmoreo”[293]—an apparel of marble silk; “tunica de quodam panno marmoreo spisso”[7]—a tunicle of a certain thick marble cloth; “tunica de diaspro marmoreo spisso”[294]—a tunicle of thick diaper marble; “casula marmorei coloris”[295]—a chasuble of marble colour. During full three centuries this marble silk found great favour among us since H. Machyn, in his very valuable and curious Diary tells his readers how “the old Qwyne of Schottes rod thrught London,” and how “then cam the Lord Tresorer with a C. gret horsse and ther cotes of marbull,”[9] &c., to meet her the 6th of November, A.D. 1551.[296]
[293] Ibid. p. 320.
[294] Ibid. p. 322.