Souvenirs de la Marquise de Créquy. 1710-1802.
Clement X. was in the habit of making presents of Italian lace, at that time much prized in France, to M. de Sabière. "He sends ruffles," said the irritated Frenchman who looked for something more tangible, "to a man who never has a shirt."
"M. de Vendôme, at his marriage, was quite astonished at putting on his clean shirt a-day, and fearfully embarrassed at having some point lace on the one given him to put on at night. Indeed," continues she, "you would hardly recognise the taste of the French. The men are worse than the women. They wish their wives to take snuff, play, and pay no more attention to their dress." The exquisite cleanliness of Anne of Austria's court was at an end.
In the old Scotch song of Gilderoy, the famous highwayman, we have an instance:—
"For Gilderoy, that luve of mine,
Gude faith, I freely bought
A wedding sark of Holland fine,