Draft of a paper concerning the history of dress, undated (Series 87.02) - No. 0072

[Page 72]

The Great Seal of Queen Elizabeth affords an authentic & most detaild representation of the Court dress usd at the beginning of her Reign so determing was that Strong minded women to Exhibit to advantage her gorgeous apparrell, That She Causd a hand to be Engravd on Each side of her Seal as Issueing from the Clouds & employd in holding aside her Coronation or Parliament Robes, for the Purpose of Shewing distinctly every part of her dress which the mantle would otherwise have Conceald
her hair is short & dressd with abundance of Curls over the whole of the head, a jewel hangs down over her Forehead,  her Ruff is large, her ruffles similar in their Pleats to her Ruff, her waiste very narrow, her Gown full & much Pleated, spread out below but without any appearance of a hoop or Fordingale, a fashion which no doubt had not at that time been adopted, her Sleeves are Full & very large but without the Ruffs or wreaths, which Randle Holmes describes,  They reach almost to her wrists & terminate in a Short Ruff of Ermin, below whichthe Ruffles appear, The Lining of her chair & her Cushion are some with Fleurs de Lis
The most ancient dresses of Ladies of which an authentic Record is Preservd as those taken from their Seals as procurd Engravd in Sandford & some of them in Speed,  among these are Ela Countess of Salisbury married to Wm Longespe Son of Hen 2nd by Fair Rosamond, 
Ela Lungespeye  Countess of Warwick The same Lady it is presumd as the 
1150    former Elianor of aquitain or Guyen married to Hen the 2nd 
1114    matilda or maud the Empress daughter & in Fact heiress of Hen 1st or maud Queen of Hen 1st  See Speed  p 461
1204    elisabeth Countess of Holland 7th daughter of Edwd 1st by Eleanor his Queen born
1554    The Great Seal of Mary first Represents her majesty with Long Tresses her head coverd by a close head dress her Ruff very small & her Ruffles Similar in their Pleats to her Ruff.
1348    in the Reign of Edwd the 3d the English Ladies Enjoyd a delightfull Triumph over the French ones   in Consequence of his victories Such abundance of Furs Fine Linnens Jewels Gold & Silver Rich Furniture & Garments were imported by our armies as the spoils of France that Every woman of [condition?] obtaind a