in Shottesbrooke Church, Berkshire, above a tomb, in accordance with the old custom, of burying a knight with his martial equipments over his grave, originally consisting of his shield, sword, gloves, and spurs, the boots being a later and more absurd introduction. The pair which we are now describing, are formed of fine buff leather, the tops are red, and so are the heels, which are very high, the toes being cut exceedingly square. With the great Revolution of 1688, and his Majesty William III. came in the large jack boot, and the high quartered, high heeled, and buckled shoe, which only expired at the end of the last century. Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick, has one of these jack boots, in his collection of armour, at Goodrich Court; and it has been engraved in his work on ancient arms and armour, from which it is copied in pl. 3, fig. 8. It is a remarkably fine specimen of these inconvenient things, and is as strait, and stiff, and formal as the most inveterate Dutchman could wish. The heel it will be perceived is very high, and the press upon the instep very great, and consequently injurious to the foot, and altogether detrimental to comfort. An immense piece of leather covers the instep, through which the spur is affixed, and to the back of the boot, just above the heel, is appended an iron rest for the spur. Such were the boots of our cavalry and infantry, and in such cumbrous articles did they fight in the low countries, following the example of Charles XII. of Sweden, whose figure has become so identified with them, that the imagination cannot easily separate the Sovereign from the boots in which he is so constantly painted, and of which a specimen may be seen in his full length portrait preserved in the British Museum. A boot was worn by civilians, less rigid than the one last described, the leg taking more of the natural shape, and the tops being smaller, of a more pliant kind, and sometimes slightly ornamented round the edges. We have here two examples of Ladies' shoes, as worn during the period of which we are discussing. The first figure, copied from Vol. 67, of the "Gentlemans Magazine,” shows the peculiar shape of the shoe, as well as the clog beneath; these clogs were merely single pieces of stout leather, which were fastened beneath the heel and instep, and appear to be only extra hindrances in walking, which must materially have destroyed any little pliancy which the original shoe would have allowed the foot to retain. The second figure is copied from the first volume of "Hone's Every Day Book," and that author says, "This was the fashion that beautified the feet of the fair, in the reign of King William, and Queen Mary." Holme, in his 'Academy of Armoury,' is minutely diffuse on the gentle craft: he engraves the form of a pair of wedges, which he says 'is to raise up a shoe in the instep, when it is too straight for the top of the foot;' and thus compassionates ladies' sufferings. Shoemakers love to put ladies in their stocks, but these wedges, like merciful jus tices upon complaint, soon do ease and deliver them. If the eye turns to the cut-to the cut of the sole, with the line of beauty adapted by the cunning of the workman's skill, to stilt the female foot if the reader behold that association, let wonder cease, that a venerable master in coat armour, should bend his quarterings, to the quartering of a ladies' shoe, and forgetful of heraldic forms, condescend from his high estate to the use of similitudes." : This shape, once firmly established, was the prevailing one during the reigns of George I. and II. figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, of pl. 3, will fully display the different forms and style, adopted by the fashionables of that day. They always wore red heels, at least all persons who pretended to gentility. The fronts of the gentlemen's shoes were very high, and on gala days, or showy occasions, a buff shoe was worn. The ladies appear to have preferred silk or velvet to leather thus fig. 10, is entirely made of a figured blue silk, and it has bright red heels, and silver buckles. Fig. 11, is of brown leather, with a red heel, and a red rose for a tie above the instep. Fig.12, : is altogether red, in a pattern of different strengths of tint; the tie and heels being deepest in colour. Her Majesty's grand Bal Costumé, given during the past year, revived for a night the fashion of a century ago and the author of these pages, was then under the necessity of hunting up the few remaining makers of wooden heels in order to furnish the correct shoe, to complete the costume of many of the most distinguished individuals, who figured on that occasion. The making of the high heeled shoe, was at all times a matter of great judgment and nicety of operation; the position required to be given to the heel, the aptitude of the eye and hand, necessary to the cutting down of the wood; the sewing in of the cover, kid, stuff, silk, or satin, as it might be the getting in and securing the wood or "block;" the bracing the cover round the block; and the beautifully defined stitching, which went from corner to corner, all round the heel part, demanding altogether the cleverness of first rate ability. The shoes became lower in the quarters during the |