The fans were of white and coloured feathers, with gold handles set with precious stones, or of crystal and heliotrope; one of them contained a looking-glass, another Leicester's badge of the bear and ragged staff. Her swords had gilt handles and blood-stone studs; her poniards were gold and ivory, ornamented with tassels of blue silk; her slippers of cloth of silver, and of orange-coloured velvet, embroidered with seed pearls; her parasol was of crimson velvet damask, striped with Venetian gold and silver lace, the handle mother-of-pearl.
Her jewels were both numerous and curious: the head ornaments resembling a white lion with a fly on his side, a golden fern-branch with a lizard, ladybird, and a snail upon it, an Irish dart of gold set with diamonds, a golden rose with a fly and spider upon it, a golden frog set with jewels, a golden daisy, and emerald buttons, gown studs of rubies and pearls, and a chain of golden scallop shells, with chains of agate and jet. A sumptuous magnificence was the characteristic of the costume of this reign. When Elizabeth visited the Earl of Hertford, at Elvetham, that nobleman met her with 3,000 followers, with black and yellow feathers in their hats, and most of them wearing gold chains. When she visited Suffolk, 200 bachelors in white velvet, with as many burghers in black velvet coats and gold chains, and 1800 serving-men received on horseback. For the French ambassador's amusement, in 1559, 1400 men-at-arms, clad in velvet, with chains of gold, mustered in arms in Greenwich Park; and on another occasion there was a tournament on Midsummer (Sunday) Night at the palace of Westminster, between ten knights in white, led by the Earl of Essex, and ten knights in blue, led by the Earl of Rutland.
CARE OF THE BEARD.
The Mahometans are very superstitious touching the beard. They bury the hairs which come off in combing it, and break them first, because they believe that angels have charge of every hair, and that they gain them their dismissal by breaking it. Selim I. was the first Sultan who shaved his beard, contrary to the law of the Koran. "I do it," said he apologetically to the scandalized and orthodox mufti, "to prevent my vizier leading me by it." He cared less for it than some of our ancestors, two centuries ago, did for their own. They used to wear pasteboard covers over them in the night, lest they should turn upon them and rumple them in their sleep!
The famous Raskolniki schismatics had a similar superstition to the Mahometan one mentioned above. They considered the divine image in man to reside in the beard.
DOLE IN CONSEQUENCE OF A DREAM.
At Newark-upon-Trent, a curious custom, founded upon the preservation of Alderman Clay and his family by a dream has prevailed since the days of Cromwell. On 11th March every year, penny-loaves are given away to every one who chooses to appear at the Town Hall and apply for them, in commemoration of the Alderman's deliverance, during the siege of Newark by the Parliamentary forces. This gentleman, by will, dated 11th December, 1694, gave to the Mayor and Aldermen, one hundred pounds, the interest of which was to be given to the Vicar yearly, on condition of his preaching an annual sermon. Another hundred pounds were also appropriated for the behoof of the poor, in the way above-mentioned. The origin of this bequest is singular. During the bombardment of Newark by Oliver Cromwell's forces, the Alderman dreamed three nights successively that his house had taken fire, which produced such a vivid impression upon his mind, that he and his family left it, and in a few days the circumstances of his vision actually took place, by the house being burned down by the besiegers.
GLOVE MONEY.
Gloves were popular new-year's gifts, or sometimes "glove-money" in place of them; occasionally, these gloves carried gold pieces in them. When Sir Thomas More was Chancellor, he decided a case in favour of Mrs. Croaker against Lord Arundel; the former, on the following new-year's day, gratefully presented the judge with a pair of gloves with forty angels in them. "It would be against good manners," said the Chancellor, "to forsake a gentlewoman's new-year's gift, and I accept the gloves. The lining you will elsewhere bestow."
GLAIVES.