Page:The tippets of the canons ecclesiastical - with illustrative wood cuts (IA TippetsOfTheCanonsEcclesiastical).pdf/10

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The Tippets of the

different and more important ornament of the person. It formed a curious and conspicuous part of the hood or capcium, which was then worn almost universally by both sexes and all ranks as a covering for the head and shoulders. Its parts and uses will be easily understood by referring to the description of the antiquary Stow. "These hoods," he says, "were worn the roundlets upon the heads, the skirts to hang behind in their necks to keep them warm, the tippet to lie on the shoulder or to wind about their necks."[1]—It was, however, worn in various fashions, and applied to curious uses. Chaucer tells that the miller in the "Reve's Tale" wore on holidays "his tippet ybounde his hede,"[2] and of "The Frere" we are told that

"His tippet was ay farsed ful of knibes
And pinnes, for to giben fayre wibes."
[3]

The tail-like appendage, called the liripipe, or tippet, varied in its length and

  1. Stow's Survey of London edited by Strype. Book v. shap. vii.
  2. Canterbury Tales, "The Reve's Tale."
  3. Canterbury Tales, "The Frere," in prologue.


Illustrations.

Fig. 2.—Traveller in hood, from Strutt's English Dresses, edited by Planche. Plate lxxiv.
Fig. 3.—Hood twisted round the neck, from English Dresses. Plate lxxiv.
Fig. 4.—Hood fastened round the head, engraved in Boutell's Monumental Brasses, p. 162.
Fig. 5.—Gentleman with hood, from Stratt's English Dresses. Plate lxxiv.