Life in England," p. 263, as being made of cloth, partly gilt, and variously coloured, and belonging to the left foot of the wearer; so that, if other evidence could not be adduced, this is proof, that "rights and lefts are only a very old fashion revived." To this æra I also cannot but attribute a pair of shoes, (highly beautiful in their original state,) which were found, with other sepulchral remains, in an arable field at Southfleet, in Kent, in the year 1801. Two interesting memoirs on these ancient reliques (accompanied with several illustrative plates) from the pen of the Rev. Peter Rashleigh, the Rector of that Parish, appear in the 14th volume of the Archæologia. Mr. R. considers them to be of Roman Origin, and it is with great deference, that I do not embrace his opinion, but am inclined to assign them to the Anglo-Saxon Period. It does not appear, that any Roman Coins were found on this occasion, which so generally accompany the buried deposits of that people, nor are there, as I think, any peculiar features in the articles exhumed, which decidedly pronounce them to be of Roman Origin. The Rev. J. Douglas, in his elaborate work, the " "Nenia Britannica," gives an account of the opening, and contents, of numerous small barrows in various parts of Kent. The articles found in them vary greatly from those discovered in the tumuli on the Wiltshire Plains, (which I should pronounce to be the sepulchres of the Aboriginal Britons, prior to the Roman Invasion.) The general contents, also, of the Kentish Barrows do not assimilate with the accustomed

K K

Roman Reliques, but Mr. Douglas regarded them as pertaining to the Saxons, and, perhaps, after their conversion to Christianity. Many of the articles, as brooches, &c., are beautifully enamelled; but, I do not recollect, at present, (yet I may be mistaken,) that enamel bears a part in Roman Antiquities. Are such articles found at Herculaneum, or Pompeii? The chain, found at Southfleet, was also ornamented with enamel. If it be objected, that the above curious chain, &c., (of which engravings are given,) are too elaborate in their workmanship to be, with propriety, assigned to the Anglo-Saxons, let me refer the objector to the beautiful jewel of Alfred, in the Ashmolean Museum, at Oxford, indubitably genuine, and enamelled. This was found, about the close of the seventeenth century, in the Isle of Athelney, in Somersetshire; and thus is the strength of this objection removed.

To revert to the shoes-“ Between the two urns in the sarcophagus," (says Mr. R.) " were two pair of shoes, much decayed by time, but enough of them is fortunately remaining to show their form, and to prove, that they had been very superb, and of very expensive workmanship; they were made of fine purple leather, reticulated in the form of hexagons all over, and each hexagonal division worked with gold."

The Danes, on their arrival in this country, introduced a variation in the form of the shoe and buskin, wearing them with the point somewhat long, and turned downwards; thus are they depicted in a MS. in the Cotton Library, (marked Caligula A vII,) and in the plates 26

and 27, Vol. I. of Strutt's" Manners, Customs, &c." Whether the elongated points of this Danish Shoe were elastic, or of unyielding strength, it is impossible to say; but, if the latter, the firmness of step must, apparently, have been somewhat impeded by the toes resting on the diminished point. They, also, as well as the Saxons, wore bandages around the legs, after the manner of the Highlanders at a later period; and, I think, it is probable, that the use of these bandages was supplanted gradually, not merely by the invention of the short hose, or stocking, but by the increased height of the shoe-that is, by the boot.

It is extremely probable, that, when the Saxon Line of Princes was resumed under Edward, the Confessor, the fashions underwent a revolution. Edward, prior to his accession to the throne, had spent most of his time in Normandy, and, consequently, he was (as the venerable Camden expresses it)" all Frenchified." This alteration of fashion, however, did not extend itself to the shoe, and the bandages of the leg; and from hence, in the Bayeux Tapestry, great similarity prevails between the shoes, and the leg coverings, of the Saxons and Normans. William, Duke of Normandy, is there represented with shoes, and leg bandages, which latter are fastened in front with tasseled ends as, we may presume, a royal distinction.

Towards the close of the reign of William, the First, short boots were introduced; and, at first, were very short, not reaching above the middle of the leg. They were, probably, made

of cloth, or soft leather, and with a strong sole. When covering the leg and thigh, they assumed the name of chausses; and thus were the boot, and the hose, as I think, of indiscriminate use, and name. I draw this inference from the fact, that Robert, the eldest son of William, the First, who (as observed in p. 231) bore the name of "Curthose," was also denominated "ShortBoots." Strutt says, that the early Norman Historians" are entirely silent respecting the reason for such an appellation being particularly applied to him;" but he seems to have overlooked a passage in Malmesbury, by which, I think, it would appear, that he was thus named, because, being of short stature himself, his boots were also of unusual shortness. Having offended his father, William, by his attempts to wrest Normandy from him in his life-time, the latter, by way of derision, converts (with his usual oath) his name of Robertus into that of Robelinus. The passage in Malmesbury is as follows: "Primò quidem excutiente genitore cachinnos, & subinde dicente per resurrectionē Dei probus erit Robelinus curtâ ocreâ:' hoc enim erat eius cognomen, quòd esset exiguus.” The word

probus is here to be taken in its contemptuous sense; but I am at a loss for the intended meaning of Robelinus, unless William considered it as a diminutive; and, if so, we may then regard him as swearing, that his son should be called the "fine little Robert with the short boot."

In the reign of his successor, William, the Second, the love of dress predominated, and the

fantasies of fashion were on the change. Malmesbury, the living chronicler of those times, in which he lived, in the following, and many other, words, bewails the dissoluteness of the age: "Tunc fluxus crinium," (says he,) " tunc luxus vestium, tunc vsus calceorum cum arcuatis aculeis inuentus." Malmesbury here, as respects the shoe, deprecates alone the lengthened, and sharpened, point; but Ordericus Vitalis hints, that the fashion was introduced by some one to conceal deformed feet; and, that for this purpose, the point was made in the form of a scorpion's tail. These shoes were called pigaciæ, and were generally adopted by all ranks. Thus, gentle reader, we learn, that the riot of fashion has not been confined to the present day. It is said, that a Courtier of the name of Robert had the vacant part of his shoe stuffed with tow, and twisted around in the form of a ram's-horn. This happy absurdity was eagerly embraced; and the fool was dignified with the surname of Cornardus; he was called Robert, the Horned. The Clergy inveighed, but to no purpose, against the fashion of the long toe; but the folly-increased.

I must here remark, that Cordova, in Spain, was, in this age, particularly celebrated for its leather, and that our English Word, Cordwainer, is no other than the corruption of the old French Words, (according to Minshieu,) Cordouannier and Cordouanier. "Hanc appellationem" (he adds) "adeptus est Sutor à corij genere, quod cordouan apud Gallos nominatur, (vnde & Anglicum Cordwaine, i. e. corium, lether) quod ad