Draft of a paper concerning the history of dress, undated (Series 87.02) - No. 0021

[Page 21]

John [Reid?] of warwick complains that by the Shortness of their Coats they they exposed those parts to view that aught to be Concealed  Henry hist of England  Chaucer in his Parsons Tale Complains of a Like indecency in the apparel of his Friars
             3d  Edw 4th Ch 5
1463      22  Edw 4  Ch 1  Enacts that no one shall wear a gown that is not Long
1452        enough to cover his Privy Parts & his Buttocks
Surely breeches were not in use when all these things came to Passs
The Statute is omitted [in our] Printed [body?] 
Stow States the contents of it as follows
"no yeman or Person under that degree, wear in their arraye for their bodies any boulsters of wool Cotton or other stuff or in their dublet any thing save Lining Equal to the outside - That no person wear gown jacket or cloak but of such Lengh as, the same man standing upright, the same shall cover his buttocks, nor any Tayler to Stuff or boulster any garment or to make him shorter or otherwise than is Limited &c  Howe  p. 417 
1683     Englands [variety?] 1683 in describing the dress of our ancestors says what huge breekes like Petcoat what slashd Doublets what Guarded Breeches with huge Sets of Points round the Knees  p. 124.
Strut says in explanation of the Harseline or Hauseline or Cutted Sloppe of chaucers Parsons tale that they were breeches which tyeing at the hips reachd to the mid-thigh.  The hose being drawn up strait were tucked under these - this agrees with the Print of Edwd 6th granting the Charters of Bridewell   see English Expositor   in Strutt vol 2 pl 46 we see a soldier who has an arrow stuck into his bare backside  he certainly did not wear breeches  Breeches were not worn in edwd 3d time Camden Remains p 253 of the hinder part of the Buttock it is full horrible for to see that foul part show they to the People   chaucers Parsons Tale   upon the other side to speak of the  horrible disordinate [certiness?]  as these cutted slops or hauselines that through their Shortness cover not the Shamefull parts of men do do
galigaskins     I have know a gentleman who hath borne threescore at once in one Pair of Galigaskans  [Harrison?] in Holingshead    p 91 Shipmens hose of galligascins which seem to counterfeit the same [Caliga gallicantes?]  Alveahy
1633      The breeches worn breeches usd in France at this time Reachd below the midleg & were Fastend to the under doublet by Points  They were either close or buttond on the sides Hosier per Londre de [dn?] Esprit
1580      would you have your Lined Doublet or your Trusse & wast doublet Alveary  S. Doublet was not his Trusse the Breech
aglet       The Tag of a Point  Alveary - Tags for Points Ferrette Florio
To pull a Breech from a Bare arsed man  do a breech was then usd  the breeches were unknown   see the word Bare Do
Breeches or mens oveerstocks,  a Breech  Subliger subligaculum  Brecke Porzonia  Do  
Hollingshead Editor talks of a Soldier having his Breech pinnd to an arrow   [Se Harrison?] discourse 
slop          a Slender Slop close Couched to your [Deck?]  Gascoigne 2 p. 154 Breech overstock  The Covering of the Backside Conceald under the Trusse See Slop  alveary   The overstock & neather Stock were fasten together  along the midthigh by the Garter
1583         in an ordnance for the apparel of apprentises they are to wear Little breeches