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THE COMMONWEALTH. 297 must no longer boast of “ This shirt five times victorious I have fought under, And cut through squadrons of your curious Cut-work, As I will do through mine.” 82 In the Roundhead army he will scarce deign to comb his cropped locks. All is now dingy, of a sad colour, soberly in character with the tone of the times. THE COMMONWEALTH. The rule of the Puritans was a sad time for lace-makers, as regards the middle and lower classes: every village festival, all amusement was put down, bride laces and Mayings—all were vanity. With respect to the upper classes, the Puritan ladies, as well as the men of birth, had no fancy for exchanging the rich dress of the Stuart court for that of the Roundheads. Sir Thomas Fairfax, father of the general, is described as wearing a buff coat, richly ornamented with silver lace, his trunk hose trimmed with costly Flanders lace, his breastplate partly concealed by a falling collar of the same material. The foreign ambassadors of the parliament disdained the Puritan fashions. Lady Fanshaw describes her husband as wearing at the court of Madrid, on some state occasion, “his linen very line, laced with very rich Flanders lace.” 83 Indeed, it was not till the arrival of the Spanish envoy, the first accredited to the Protectorate of Cromwell, that Harrison begged Colonel Hutchinson and Lord Warwick to set an example to other nations at the audience, and not appear in gold and silver lace. Colonel Hutchinson, though he saw no harm in a rich dress, yet not to appear offensive, came next day in a plain black suit, as did the other gentlemen, when, to the astonishment of all, Harrison appeared in a scarlet coat so laden with “ clinquaint ” and lace as to hide the material of which it was made, showing, remarks Mrs. Hutchinson, “ his godly speeches were only made that he might 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 82 “ The Little French Lawyer.” 83 <i Memoirs.”