perhaps be drawn from the Ital. Huose, highshooes." The word, hose, in different æras, has been differently applied. By the Anglo-Saxons I have little doubt, that its meaning was restricted to the article of dress, denominated by us-the stockings; a pair of which would have been called by them (in the plural number)—a pair of hosen. The Normans, on their arrival, introduced the chausses, an article of dress, which covered both the leg, and thigh; and, in fact, we must regard these as the proto-type of the modern pantaloons. To this dress the native inhabitants of this Isle also attached the name of hose, or hosen; but, let it be understood, the same appellative was continued to be given to the stocking. Strutt gives us the following amusing story of the vanity of William, the Second, which he has culled from the "De Gestis Regum Anglorum" of William of Malmesbury, but, whether it applies to the short hose, that is, the stockings, or to the high hose, that is, the chausses, it is impossible to say, as the term "caligas" in the original is applicable to, and, indeed, by the Romans, was used for, either. Their value, however, and the more general fashion of the Normans, may sanction the conclusion, that the article of dress in question was the chausses. Now for the tale-" The stockings," (says Strutt,) "worn by the Norman Nobility, must have been a very expensive part of their habit, if we may be allowed to draw any inference from the example of William Rufus, who dis dained to wear a pair of less value than a mark, which was nearly equal to ten pounds of the present money. His chamberlain, says Malmesbury, brought him one morning a new pair of stockings; but when he was told that they cost only three shillings, he was exceedingly angry, and commanded the officer to purchase a pair for him worth a mark. The chamberlain, adds the historian, brought him a pair inferior in quality to the former, and declaring that they cost a mark, the King was perfectly satisfied with them."* I have thus given the story as told by Strutt, but on referring to the original work of Malmesbury, I find his account to be so much more racy, that I cannot refrain from its transcript. In speaking of this King, says Malmesbury, "Vestium suarum pretium in immensum extolli volebat, dedignans si quis alleuiasset. denique cùm quodam mane calciaretur, nouas caligas interrogauit cubicularium quanti constitissent, cùm ille respondisset tres solidos. indignabundus & fremens, fili ait meretricis, ex quo habet rex caligas tam exilis pretij, vade & affer mihi emptas marca argenti. Tuit ille, & multo viliores afferens, quanti precepisset emptas, emētitus est. Atqui inquit rex istæ regiæ conueniunt maiestati. Ita cubicularius ex eo pretio vestimentoru eius pro voluntate numerabat, multa perinde suis vtilitatibus nundinatus."† William of Malmesbury (21) lived in those * Strutt on "Dresses, &c.," Vol. 1, p. 104. + Willielmus Malmesburiensis de Willielmo Secundo. Lib. j. p. 69. days. In all his historical works," (says Henry,) "which are written in a Latin style more pure than that of any of his contemporaries, he discovers great diligence, much good sense, and a sacred regard to truth, accompanied with uncommon modesty. I do not,' says Malmesbury, set a very high value on the applause of my contemporaries, which I hardly expect; but I hope that when both favour and malevolence are dead, I shall obtain from posterity the character of an industrious, though not of an eloquent historian.'"* I doubt not the correctness of this story of William Rufus; who, like many a modern spendthrift, (but with a better responding treasury,) was discontented, save with high prices. Malmesbury has related the tale as a faithful historian; yet he could not but have deprecated, as, gentle reader, we all must, that unking-like expletive, "fili meretricis," which, probably, never before, nor since, the time of Rufus, issued from royal lips. The same story is well told in verse by the old poetic historian, Robert of Glocester. The verses, as here given, are divested of their very obsolete orthography: "As his chamberlein him brought as he arose one day, He ask'd what they cost him. Three shillings, the other said. A worse pair full enough the other sith him brought, And said they cost a mark, and therefore so were bought; *Henry's "Hist. of Britain," Vol. 6, p. 137. Chaucer, in his description of the "Wif of Bathe," clearly applies the term hose to the stocking she, he says, 66 was a worthy woman all hire live, Housbondes at the chirche dore (22) had she had five.” And, in describing her dress, he adds thus of her hosen, or stockings : "Hire hosen weren of fine scarlet rede, Such hosen, or stockings, were of cloth in the earlier ages, and of this material, doubtlessly, were the "fine scarlet rede" hosen of this mettlesome widow, whose face was "bold," and "fair and rede of hew." In the Gent. Mag. of 1782, is a controversy as to the exact period of the introduction of knit hose, or worsted stockings. It is a matter de lanâ capriná, as to this question; and it sufficeth me to say, that, as stockings were known by the appellation of the hose, or hosen, in the earlier times of the Saxons, so also were they thus denominated in the much later days of Henry, the Eighth. In the "Household and Privy Purse Accounts of the Lestranges of Hunstanton, from A.D. 1519 to A.D. 1578," (Archæologia, vol. 25, p. 411,) are the following items: "pd. for ij yerds of Rybband for Garters for my Mr. viijd." Now we must draw the conclusion, that these garters were intended to be used with the short hose, or stockings. In another part of the accounts payments are made for knytt hose : "1533. 7 Sept. Peyd for 4 payr of knytt hose viijs." The first-mentioned were for Sir Thomas Lestrange, the second for his children. They were certainly short hose, or stockings. Robert, Duke of Normandy, the eldest son of William, the First, was surnamed, "Curthose," from, as we may presume, his preference in wear, of stockings-short hose-to the Norman Chausses, or long hose. This Gallic Name, Curthose, has been anglicised into that of Shorthose, which may not be unknown to some of my readers. Edmondson, in his " Complete Body of Heraldry," gives the name as of Yorkshire. To the seller of the short hose, or stockings, (and not of the long hose, or chausses,) the appellative (as to his trade) of "Hosier " was thus given; but we may presume this trade was not so called, until the introduction of the "knytt" hose, or stockings, which did not take place, until the reign of Henry, the Eighth. Silk "knytt" hose were first brought into use in the time of Elizabeth, as is testified by Howe, in the Continuation of Stow's Annales. "In the second year of Queen Elizabeth," (says he,)" her silk woman, mistress Montague, presented to her majestie a pair of black knit silk stockings, for a new-year's gift; which, after a few days wearing, pleased her highness so well, that she sent for mistress Montague, and asked where she had them, and if she could |