THE COMMONWEALTH.

207

must no longer boast of

“ This sliirt five times victorious I have fought under,

And cut through squadrons of your curious Cut-work,

As I will do through mino.” ” 2

In the Roundhead army he will scarce deign to comb his croppedlocks. All is now dingy, of a sad colour, soberly in character withthe tone of the times.

THE COMMONWEALTH.

The rule of the Puritans was a sad time for lace-makers, asregards the middle and lower classes: every village festival, allamusement was put down, bride laces and Mayings—all werevanity.

With respect to the upper classes, the Puritan ladies, as well asthe men of birth, had no fancy for exchanging the rich dress of theStuart court for that of the Roundheads. Sir Thomas Fairfax,father of the general, is described as wearing a buff coat, richlyornamented with silver lace, his trunk hose trimmed with costlyFlanders lace, his breastplate partly concealed by a falling collarof the same material. The foreign ambassadors of the parliamentdisdained the Puritan fashions. Lady Fanshaw describes herhusband as wearing at the court of Madrid, on some stateoccasion, “his linen very tine, laced with very rich Flanderslace.” 83

Indeed, it was not till the arrival of the Spanish envoy, thefirst accredited to the Protectorate of Cromwell, that Harrisonbegged Colonel Hutchinson and Lord \Y arwick to set an exampleto other nations at the audience, and not appear in gold and silverlace. Colonel Hutchinson, though he saw no harm in a rich dress,yet not to appear offensive, came next day in a plain black suit, asdid the other gentlemen, when, to the astonishment of all, Harrisonappeared in a scarlet coat so laden with “ clinquaint ” and lace asto hide the material of which it was made, showing, remarksMrs. Hutchinson, “ his godly speeches were only made that hemight appear braver above the rest in the eyes of the strangers.”

Nor did the mother of Cromwell lay aside these adornments.She wore a handkerchief of which the broad point lace alone could

" The Little Kreuch Lawyer.”

S3 ii Memoirs.'