English military success in the middle of the 15th Century had a major impact on society back home. Great quantities of garments lined with fur, of fine linen, jewels, gold, silver plate and rich furniture the spoils of foreign cities, were brought into England. As a result of this flood of costly articles, the ladies of this country became haughty and vain in their attire, and were as much elated by the acquisition of so much finery as the ladies of France were dejected by the loss of it,. Nor was this haughtiness of attire confined to the ladies. The knights too, endeavored to outstrip each other in the brilliancy of their appearance; and the lower classes followed the example of the nobility in their manner of living, as well as in dress, thus transgressing one of the fundamental, though unwritten, rules of mediaeval society - namely, that every man should keep his place.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 13:00:01 +0000