shoes&pattens7

117

Shoes in art and literaturę

to distinguish fact from fiction. For example, the persistence of the idea that some were so long that they had to be tied to the knee (or waist) with chains seems to depend on just two scraps of secondary evidence: an 18th-century description (cited in Strutt 1842, ii.236 notę 3) - apparently never substantiated sińce - of a painting of James I of Scotland, and statements by two late 16th/early 17th-century antiquarians, Stów (see above) and Camden (1614, 232-3). Stów gives no source but Camden specifically attributes his statement about ‘poulaines’ chained to the knee to the Eulogium Histońarum, even though when compared with the original text (reproduced above) his ‘translation’ of the same passage can be seen to be no morę than a paraphrase with interpolations. It may be that his copy of the Eulogium had been annotated by later commentators - possibly in the medieval period -but until their authority can be confirmed it seems best to disregard these claims and to draw conclusions about the potential length of ‘poulaines’ from the shoes themselves. Nonę of the shoes in the present collection extend morę than 3-4 inches (75-100 mm) beyond the big toe (see above, Table 8), but even this would apparently have been prohibited by later sumptuary laws. Amongst the 14th-century shoes, pointed toes are common, if not universal, but the same cannot be said for the longer versions of this style.

‘Poulaines’ had passed out of fashion by 1400, if not earlier, and a morę rounded toe style then

157 Detail from the brass of Robert Braunche in St. Margaret’s Church, King’s Lynn. The shoes have ‘poulaines’ and may be of the side-latchet type.

seems to have become popular. By the middle of the 15th century, however, they again retumed to favour, and this time reached such extremes that sumptuary legislation was passed to prohibit their excesses. The intention was presumably to frus-trate the flashy ambitions of the nouveaux ńches and to conciliate the aristocracy, at a time when the king, Edward IV, most needed their support. First, when in 1463 it was enacted that no Knight under the State of a Lord, Esąuire, Gentleman, nor other Person shall use nor wear . . . any Shoes or Boots having pikes passing the Length of Two Inches. ... (5 Edw iv c.5), the use of ‘poulaines’ was restricted to people of the highest rank; and then, in 1465, even this liberty was withdrawn, so that all cordwainers and cobblers within the City of London or its surroundings were forbidden to make shoes of any kind with pikes morę than two inches long (4 Edw iv c.7).

As for the other features of late medieval shoes, late 14th-century brasses of affluent members of the rising middle class show citizens mainly wear-ing shoes cut high at the back of the ankle with strapped - either strap and buckie or latchet -fastenings (Figs. 157-8). This impression seems

158 Detail from the brass of Robert Attelathe (d. 1376) in St. Margarefs Church, King’s Lynn. His shoes are fastened with a strap and circular buckie. Notę the long curying toes.