- stantine the Great, given by Gori,[1] as well as that of a much later
personage, shown us by Du Cange, at the end of his "Glossarium,"[2] shows the front of the imperial tunic, which was purple, to have been figured in gold with a netting-pattern, marked with pearls. Gori, moreover, presents us with a bishop whose chasuble is of the same design.[3] Further still, Paciaudi, in his "De Cultu S. Johannis Baptistæ,"[4] furnishes a better illustration, if possible, by an engraving of a diptych first published by him. Here St. Jacobus, or James, is arrayed in chasuble and pall of netting-patterned silk; and of the same-figured stuff is much of the trimming or ornamentation on the robes of the B. V. Mary, but on those more especially worn by the archangels, St. Michael and Gabriel. In the diapered pattern on some of the cloth of gold found lately in the grave of some archbishop of York, buried there about the end of the thirteenth century, is the same netting discernible.
Striped or barred silks—stragulatæ—got their especial name for such a simple pattern, and at one time were in much request. Frequent mention is made of them in the Exeter Inventories, of which the one taken, A.D. 1277, specifies, "Due palle de baudekyno—una stragulata;"[5] and A.D. 1327, the same cathedral had, "Unum filatorium de serico bonum stragulatum cum serico diversi coloris,"[6] a veil or scarf for the sub-deacon, made of silk striped in different colours. The illuminations on the MS. among the Harley collection at the British Museum, of the deposition of Richard II. published by the Society of Antiquaries, afford us instances of this textile. The young nobleman to the right sitting on the ground at the archbishop's sermon, is entirely, hood and all, arrayed in this striped silk,[7] and at the altar, where Northumberland is swearing on the Eucharist, the priest who is saying mass, wears a chasuble of the same stuff.[8] Old St. Paul's had copes like it: "Capæ factæ de uno panno serico veteri pro parte albi coloris, pro parte viridi;"[9] besides which, it had offertory-veils of the same pattern, one of them with its stripes paly red and green:—"Unum offertorium stragulatum, de rubeo et viridi;" and two others with their stripes bendy-wise: "Duo offertoria bendata de opere Saraceno."[10] York Cathedral also had two red palls paled with green and light blue: "Duæ pallæ rubiæ palyd cum viridi et blodio,"[11] so admirably edited for the Surtees Society, by Rev. Jas. Raine, jun. Under this kind of patterned silks must be put one the name for which has hitherto not been explained by our English antiquaries.
