Such a fondness for costly raiment had at this period crept into fashion that it became necessary to repress it by legislative enactments. And hence the statute of 37 Edward III. (1363.) against excess of apparel, by which it was ordered that none whose income was below four hundred marks a year should wear cloth of gold, or drapery enamelled (aymelez) or embroidered[1]. How far this enactment may have been efficacious it is difficult to say, since Embroidery still prevailed, and in those ages of correct design, as in these of servile imitation, no one probably liked to be left behind his neighbours, and as every one's resources were not equal to bear the same cost, a spurious method of embroidery found customers; so that in the 2nd year of Henry IV. it was represented to the Parliament, that whereas divers persons occupying "the crafte of Brauderie, maken diverse werkes of Brauderie of unsuffisaunt stuff, and unduely wrought as well upon velowet, and cloth of gold, as upon all other clothes of silk wrought with gold or silver of Cipre, and gold of Luk, or Spaynyssh laton togedre, and suiche warkes, so untrewely made by suiche persons aforesaid, dredyng the serche of the wardens of Brauderie in the said citie of London, kepen and senden unto the fayres of Steresbrugg, Ely, Oxenford, and Salesbury, and ther thei outre hem, to greet deseit of our soverain Ld. the Kyng and all his peple." To which it was replied that all such counterfeits should be forfeited to the king[2].
Cope of Crimson Velvet, Campden, Gloucestershire
Compared with the great number of splendid church vestments that once existed in this country, very few at present remain. At the cathedral of Durham, where copes continued to be worn as late as the prelacy of Bishop Warburton, there are three, said to be as old as the fourteenth century. The Roman Catholic college of St. Mary's, Oscott, has a very beautiful suit, found walled up in the cathedral of Waterford, and subsequently presented to the institution by the Earl of Shrewsbury. One of crimson velvet at Black Ladies, Staffordshire. One of cloth of gold, at Stonyhurst. One of crimson velvet, embroidered with
