The Art of Needle-work, from the Earliest Ages Part 10

In what precise way the beards were sewed on the mantles we are not exactly informed. Whether this royal exuberance was left to s.h.i.+ne in its own unborrowed l.u.s.tre, its own naked magnificence, as too valuable to be intermixed with the grosser things of earth: whether it was thinly scattered over the surface of the "rich scarlet;" or whether it was gathered into locks, perhaps gemmed round with orient pearl, or cl.u.s.tered together with brilliant emeralds, sparkling diamonds, or rich rubies--"Sweets to the sweet:" whether it was exposed to the vulgar gaze on the mantle, or whether it was so arranged that only at the pleasure of the mighty wearer its radiant beauties were visible:--on all these deeply interesting particulars we should rejoice in having any information; but, alas! excepting what we have recorded, not one circ.u.mstance respecting them has "floated down the tide of years." But we may perhaps form a correct idea of them from viewing a s.h.i.+eld of human hair in the museum of the United Service Club, which may be supposed to have been _compiled_ (so to speak) with the same benevolent feelings as that of the heroes to whom we have been alluding. It is from Borneo Island, and is formed of locks of hair placed at regular intervals on a ground of thin tough wood: a refined and elegant mode of displaying the scalps of slaughtered foes.

These coincidences are curious, and may serve at any rate to show that King Ryence's mantle was not the _invention_ of the penman; but, in all probability, actually existed.

The ladies of these days did not confine their handiwork merely to the adornment of the person. We have seen that among the Egyptians the couches that at night were beds were in the daytime adorned with richly wrought coverlets. So amongst the cla.s.sical nations

"------the menial fair that round her wait, At Helen's beck prepare the room of state; Beneath an ample portico they spread The downy fleece to form the slumberous bed; And o'er soft palls of purple grain, unfold _Rich tapestry, stiff with inwoven gold_."

And during the middle ages the beds, not excluded from the day apartments, often gave gorgeous testimony of the skill of the needlewoman, and were among the richest ornaments of the sitting room, so much fancy and expense were lavished on them. The curtains were often made of very rich material, and usually adorned with embroidery.

They were often also trimmed with expensive furs: Philippa of Hainault had a bed on which sea-syrens were embroidered. The coverlid was often very rich:

"The ladi lay in hire bed, With riche clothes bespred, Of gold and purpre palle."[62]

"Here beds are seen adorned with silk and gold."[63]

"------on a bed design'd With gay magnificence the fair reclin'd; High o'er her head, on silver columns rais'd, With broidering gems her proud pavilion blaz'd."

"Thence pa.s.s'd into a bow'r, where stood a bed, With milkwhite furs of Alexandria spread: Beneath, a richly broider'd vallance hung; The pillows were of silk; o'er all was flung A rare wrought coverlet of phoenix plumes, Which breathed, as warm with life, its rich perfumes."[64]

The array of the knights of these days was gorgeous and beautiful; and though the materials might be in themselves, and frequently were costly, still were they entirely indebted to the female hand for the rich elegance of the _tout ensemble_. And the custom of disarming and robing knights anew after the conflict, whether of real or mimic war, to which we have alluded as a practice of cla.s.sical antiquity, was as much or even more practised now, and afforded to the ladies an admirable opportunity of exhibiting alike their preference, their taste, and their liberality.

"Amadis and Agrayes proceeded till they came to the castle of Torin, the dwelling of that fair young damsel, where they were disarmed and mantles given them, and they were conducted into the hall."[65]

"Thus they arrived at the palace, and there was he (the Green Sword Knight) lodged in a rich chamber, and was disarmed, and his hands and face washed from the dust, and they gave him a rose-coloured mantle."[66]

The romance of "Ywaine and Gawin" abounds in instances:

"A damisel come unto me, The semeliest that ever I se, Lufsumer lifed never in land, Hendly scho toke me by the hand, And sone that gentyl creature Al unlaced myne armure; Into a chamber scho me led, And with a mantil scho me cled; It was of purpur, fair and fine; And the pane of ermyne."

Again--

"The maiden redies hyr fal rath,[67]

Bilive sho gert syr Ywaine bath, And cled him sethin[68] in gude scarlet, Forord wele with gold fret, A girdel ful riche for the nanes, Of perry[69] and of precious stanes."

And--

"The mayden was bowsom and bayne[70]

Forto unarme syr Ywayne, Serk and breke both sho hym broght, That ful craftily war wroght, Of riche cloth soft als the sylk, And tharto white als any mylk.

s...o...b..oght hym ful riche wedes to wer."

On the widely acknowledged principle of "Love me, love my dog," the steed of a favoured knight was often adorned by the willing fingers of the fair.

"Each damsel and each dame who her obeyed, She task'd, together with herself, to sew, With subtle toil; and with fine gold o'erlaid A piece of silk of white and sable hue: With this she trapt the horse."[71]

The tabards or surcoats which knights wore over their armour was the article of dress in which they most delighted to display their magnificence. They varied in form, but were mostly made of rich silk, or of cloth of gold or silver, lined or trimmed with choice and expensive furs, and usually, also, having the armorial bearings of the family richly embroidered. Thus were women even the heralds of those times. Besides the acknowledged armorial bearings, devices were often wrought symbolical of some circ.u.mstance in the life of the wearer.

Thus we are told in Amadis that the Emperor of Rome, on his black surcoat, had a golden chain-work woven, which device he swore never to lay aside till he had Amadis in chains. The same romance gives the following incident regarding a surcoat.

"Then Amadis cried to Florestan and Agrayes, weeping as he spake, good kinsman, I fear we have lost Don Galaor, let us seek for him. They went to the spot where Amadis had smitten down King Cildadan, and seen his brother last on foot; but so many were the dead who lay there that they saw him not, till as they moved away the bodies, Florestan knew him by the sleeve of his _surcoat_, which was of azure, worked with silver flowers, and then they made great moan over him."

The shape of them, as we have remarked, varied considerably; besides minor alterations they were at one time worn very short, at another so long as to trail on the ground. But this luxurious style was occasionally attended with direful effects. Froissart names a surcoat in which Sir John Chandos was attired, which was embroidered with his arms in white sarsnet, argent a field gules, one on his back and another on his breast. It was a long robe which swept the ground, and this circ.u.mstance, most probably, caused the untimely death of one of the most esteemed knights of chivalry.

Sir John Chandos was one of the brightest of that chivalrous circle which sparkled in the reign of Edward the Third. He was gentle as well as valiant; he was in the van with the Black Prince at the battle of Cressy; and at the battle of Poictiers he never left his side. His death was unlooked for and sudden. Some disappointments had depressed his spirits, and his attendants in vain endeavoured to cheer them.

"And so he stode in a kechyn, warmyng him by the fyre, and his servantes jangled with hym, to {thentent} to bring him out of his melancholy; his servantes had prepared for hym a place to rest hym: than he demanded if it were nere day, and {therewith} there {came} a man into the house, and came before hym, and sayd,

'Sir, I have brought you tidynges.'

'What be they, tell me?'

'Sir, surely the {frenchmen} be rydinge abrode.'

'How knowest thou that?'

'Sir,' sayd he, 'I departed fro saynt Saluyn with them.'

'What way be they ryden?'

'Sir, I can nat tell you the certentie, but surely they take the highway to Poiters.'

'What {Frenchmen} be they; canst thou tell me?'

'Sir, it is Sir Loys of Saynt Julyan, and Carlovet the Breton.'

'Well, quoth Sir Johan Chandos, I care nat, I have no lyst this night to ryde forthe: they may happe to be {encountred} though I be nat ther.'

"And so he taryed there styll a certayne s.p.a.ce in a gret study, and at last, when he had well aduysed hymselfe, he sayde, 'Whatsoever I have sayd here before, I trowe it be good that I ryde forthe; I must retourne to Poictiers, and anone it will be day.'

'That is true sir,' quoth the knightes about hym.

'Then,' he sayd, 'make redy, for I wyll ryde forthe.'

"And so they dyd."

The skirmish commenced; there had fallen a great dew in the morning, in consequence of which the ground was very slippery; the knight's foot slipped, and in trying to recover himself, it became entangled in the folds of his magnificent _surcoat_; thus the fall was rendered irretrievable, and whilst he was down he received his death blow.

The barons and knights were sorely grieved. They "lamentably complayned, and sayd, 'A, Sir Johan Chandos, the floure of all chivalry, vnhappely was that glayue forged that thus hath {wounded} you, and brought you in parell of dethe:' they wept piteously that were about hym, and he herde and vnderstode them well, but he could speke no worde."--"For his dethe, his frendes, and also some of his enemyes, were right soroufull; the Englysshmen loued hym, bycause all n.o.blenesse was founde in hym; the frenchmen hated him, because they doubted hym; yet I herde his dethe greatly complayned among right n.o.ble and valyant knightes of France[72]."

Across this surcoat was worn the scarf, the indispensable appendage of a knight when fully equipped: it was usually the gift of his "ladye-love," and embroidered by her own fair hand.

And a knight would encounter fifty deaths sooner than part with this cherished emblem. It is recorded of Garcia Perez de Vargas, a n.o.ble-minded Spanish knight of the thirteenth century, that he and a companion were once suddenly met by a party of seven Moors. His friend fled: but not so Perez; he at once prepared himself for the combat, and while keeping the Moors at bay, who hardly seemed inclined to fight, he found that his scarf had fallen from his shoulder.

"He look'd around, and saw the Scarf, for still the Moors were near, And they had pick'd it from the sward, and loop'd it on a spear.

'These Moors,' quoth Garci Perez, 'uncourteous Moors they be-- Now, by my soul, the scarf they stole, yet durst not question me!

"'Now, reach once more my helmet.' The Esquire said him, nay, 'For a silken string why should you fling, perchance, your life away?'

'I had it from my lady,' quoth Garci, 'long ago, And never Moor that scarf, be sure, in proud Seville shall show.'

"But when the Moslems saw him, they stood in firm array: He rode among their armed throng, he rode right furiously.

'Stand, stand, ye thieves and robbers, lay down my lady's pledge,'

He cried, and ever as he cried, they felt his faulchion's edge.