Draft of a paper concerning the history of dress, undated (Series 87.02) - No. 0078

[Page 78]

a Proclamation was then Issued against both a Selected Grave Citizens Placd at every gate to cut the Ruffes & to break the Rapiers Points of all that exceeded a yards leng[th] in their Rapiers   & a nayle of a yard in the depth of their Ruffes  Howes

1574      about the 16th year of Q Elizabeth began the making of Steele poking Stickes until the time all all Landresses usd setting sticks made of wood or Bone [indecipherable]  Howes p.948.  a Poaking Stick or Setting Iron for Ruff Bandes  F  Dressouir   Cotyr
1582      The women use Great Ruffs & Neckercheif (Partlets in the margin) of Holland Lawn & Cambrick  The greatest thread of which is not so big as the smallest pair  these are Smeared & Starchd in the Devils Liquer  I mean Starch, applied to their Goodly necks & under pressd with Supportesses (See mens Ruffs) & they have 3 or 4 degrees of minor Ruffes placd Step by Step one beneath another & all under the maister Devil Ruffe   The Skirts of these Great Ruffes are long & pleated & Crested full Curiously  Then they are Clogged with gold silver of Silk [Case?] of stelely [Priee?], wrought over with needle work speckled & sparkled here & there with the sun the moon & Starres and many other antiquities Some are brought with open work to lie midst of the Ruff some with Purled Lace & other gewgawes  so pasterd that the Ruff is the Least part of itself  Sometimes they are pinned up to their eares Sometimes hang ove their Shoulders   Stubbes anatomy of abuses
tho both Philip & mary appear habited in Ruffs on their Great Seal no Ruff is to be found on any of their Coins   in these delineations the Collar of his Doublet Reaches up to his chin & cheeks  The Queen has almost in every case a bone neck ornamented with a necklace
1575      Longham in his description of the Bards dress at Kenelworth says his Ruff may hold with a stetting Stick & a [Stout?] p 48  it means no doubt a Setting Stick & a Strut
1589      among the new years gifts to Q Elizabeth are two Ruffes with Rabatines       Rabatines of Lawn Artwork  Nichols Progresses vol 2.
1530      Fayle, Feile, an uppermost garment of a woman  Palsgrave
Starch     For Lawne French Folle Fleur   Palsgrave
               Starch  Corn   F Scorgeon, Seigle Blanc, Starch wort  Pied de Veau                  arum 

#  The wife of this william was the first starcher the Queen had, her majesty then wore Ruffes of Cambrick & Lawn but none other in England knew how to starch them