XIX
After my father had debated the affair of the breeches with my mother,вБ†вАФhe consulted Albertus Rubenius upon it; and Albertus Rubenius used my father ten times worse in the consultation (if possible) than even my father had used my mother: For as Rubenius had wrote a quarto express, De re Vestiaria Veterum,вБ†вАФit was RubeniusвАЩs business to have given my father some lights.вБ†вАФOn the contrary, my father might as well have thought of extracting the seven cardinal virtues out of a long beard,вБ†вАФas of extracting a single word out of Rubenius upon the subject.
Upon every other article of ancient dress, Rubenius was very communicative to my father;вБ†вАФgave him a full and satisfactory account of
The Toga, or loose gown.
The Chlamys.
The Ephod.
The Tunica, or Jacket.
The Synthesis.
The Pænula.
The Lacema, with its Cucullus.
The Paludamentum.
The Prætexta.
The Sagum, or soldierвАЩs jerkin.
The Trabea: of which, according to Suetonius, there were three kinds.вБ†вАФ
вЄЇвБ†But what are all these to the breeches? said my father.
Rubenius threw him down upon the counter all kinds of shoes which had been in fashion with the Romans.вБ†вЄї
There was,
The open shoe.
The close shoe.
The slip shoe.
The wooden shoe.
The soc.
The buskin.
And The military shoe with hobnails in it, which Juvenal takes notice of.
There were,
The clogs.
The pattins.
The pantoufles.
The brogues.
The sandals, with latchets to them.
There was,
The felt shoe.
The linen shoe.
The laced shoe.
The braided shoe.
The calceus incisus.
And The calceus rostratus.
Rubenius showed my father how well they all fitted,вБ†вАФin what manner they laced on,вБ†вАФwith what points, straps, thongs, latchets, ribbons, jaggs, and ends.вБ†вЄї
вЄЇвБ†But I want to be informed about the breeches, said my father.
Albertus Rubenius informed my father that the Romans manufactured stuffs of various fabrics,вБ†вЄЇвБ†some plain,вБ†вАФsome striped,вБ†вАФothers diapered throughout the whole contexture of the wool, with silk and goldвБ†вЄЇвБ†That linen did not begin to be in common use till towards the declension of the empire, when the Egyptians coming to settle amongst them, brought it into vogue.
вЄЇвБ†That persons of quality and fortune distinguished themselves by the fineness and whiteness of their clothes; which colour (next to purple, which was appropriated to the great offices) they most affected, and wore on their birthdays and public rejoicings.вБ†вЄЇвБ†That it appeared from the best historians of those times, that they frequently sent their clothes to the fuller, to be cleanвАЩd and whitened:вБ†вЄЇвБ†but that the inferior people, to avoid that expense, generally wore brown clothes, and of a something coarser texture,вБ†вАФtill towards the beginning of AugustusвАЩs reign, when the slave dressed like his master, and almost every distinction of habiliment was lost, but the Latus Clavus.
And what was the Latus Clavus? said my father.
Rubenius told him, that the point was still litigating amongst the learned:вБ†вЄЇвБ†That Egnatius, Sigonius, Bossius Ticinensis, Bayfius, Bud√¶us, Salmasius, Lipsius, Lazius, Isaac Casaubon, and Joseph Scaliger, all differed from each other,вБ†вАФand he from them: That some took it to be the button,вБ†вАФsome the coat itself,вБ†вАФothers only the colour of it:вБ†вАФThat the great Bayfius, in his Wardrobe of the Ancients, chap. 12вБ†вАФhonestly said, he knew not what it was,вБ†вАФwhether a tibula,вБ†вАФa stud,вБ†вАФa button,вБ†вАФa loop,вБ†вАФa buckle,вБ†вАФor clasps and keepers.вБ†вЄї
вЄЇвБ†My father lost the horse, but not the saddleвБ†вЄЇвБ†They are hooks and eyes, said my fatherвБ†вЄЇвБ†and with hooks and eyes he ordered my breeches to be made.