be preferred in fine weather, and when shoes were worn, they were generally of a close warm kind, adapted to our climate; the most antique representations of the Gaulish native chiefs as given on Roman sculpture, and which may be taken as general representations of British chiefs, may be received as good authorities, their resemblance to each other being so striking as to draw from Cæsar a remark to that effect.

The Saxon figures as given in the drawings by their own hands, to be seen in manuscripts in most of our public libraries, display the costume of this people from the ninth century downwards; and the minute way in which every portion of the dress is given, afford us clear examples of their boots and shoes. According to Strutt, high shoes reaching nearly to the middle of the legs, and fastened by lacing in the front, and which may also be properly considered as a species of half boots, were in use in this country as early as the tenth century; and the only apparent difference between the high shoes of the ancients and the moderns, seems to have been that the former laced close down to the toes, and the

latter to the instep only. They appear in general to have been made of leather, and were usually fastened beneath the ancles with a thong, which passed through a fold upon the upper part of the leather, encompassing the heel, and which was tied upon the instep. This method of securing the shoe upon the foot was certainly well contrived both for ease and convenience. Three specimens of shoes are here given

No. 1.

No. 2.

No. 3.

from Saxon drawings. The first is the most ancient and curious, it is copied from "the Durham book," or book of St. Cuthbert, now preserved among the Cottonian manuscripts in the British Museum, and is believed to have been executed as early as the seventh century by the hands of Eadfreid, afterwards Bishop of Lindisfarne, who died in 721. It partakes of the nature of shoe and sandal, and with the exception of the buttons down the front is precisely like the

Persepolitan sandal, already engraved and described

as well as like the Roman ones constructed on the

same model, and it is curious to see how all are formed after this one fashion.

No.2, is copied from Strutt's complete view of the dress and habits of the people of England, pl. 29, fig. 16, and which he obtained from the Harleian M.S., No.603. It very clearly shows the form of the Saxon shoe, and the long strings by which it was tied. Fig. 3, delineates the most ordinary kind of shoe worn, with the opening to the toes already alluded to, for lacing it. But little variety is observable in the form of this article of dress among the Saxons, it is usually delineated as a solid black mass, just as the last figure has been here engraved, with a white line down the centre to show the opening, but, quite as generally without it, and these two forms of shoe or half-boot, are by far the most commonly met with, and are depicted upon the feet of noble and royal personages as well as upon those of the lower class.

Strutt, remarks that wooden shoes are mentioned in the records of this era, but considers it probable

that they were so called because the soles were formed of wood, while the upper parts were formed of some more pliant material: shoes with wooden soles were at this time worn by persons of the most exalted rank; thus, the shoes of Bernard, king of Italy, the grandson of Charlemagne, are thus described by an Italian writer, as they were found in his tomb.

"The shoes" says he, "which covered his feet, are remaining to this day, the soles of wood and the upper parts of red leather, laced together with thongs: they were so closely fitted to the feet that the order of the toes, terminating in a point at the great toe might easily be discovered; so that the shoe belonging to the right foot could not be put upon the left, nor that of the left upon the right." It was not uncommon to gild and otherwise ornament the shoes of the nobility. Eginhart, describes the shoes worn by Charlemagne on great occasions, as set with jewels.

The Normans wore boots and shoes of equal simplicity, rustics are frequently represented with a half boot plain in form, fitting close to the foot, but wide at the ancle, like fig.1, of the group here

part. Such boots were much used by the Normans, and are frequently mentioned by the ancient historians; they do not appear to have been confined to any particular classes of the people, but were worn by persons of all ranks and conditions, as well of the clergy as of the laity, especially when they rode on horseback. The boots delineated in their drawings are very short, rarely reaching higher than the middle of the legs; they were sometimes slightly ornamented, but the boots and shoes of all personages represented in the famous tapestry of Bayeux, are of the same simple form of construction; and this celebrated early piece of needlework was believed to have been worked by the wife of the Conqueror, to commemorate his invasion of England and the battle of Hastings. Another form