Indeed the daughters of the Pilgrims were true "daughters of Zion, walking
with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, and mincing as they go." Save
for the "nose jewels," the complaining and exhaustive list of the prophet
Isaiah might serve as well for New England as for Judah and Jerusalem:
"their cauls and their round tires like moons; the chains and the bracelets
and the mufflers; the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the head
bands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings; the rings and nose jewels; the
changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the
crisping pins; the glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods and the
veils." Nor has the day yet come to pass in the nineteenth century when the
bravery of the daughters has been taken away.
Pleasant it is to think of the church appearance of the Puritan goodmen and
goodwives. Priscilla Alden in a Quakeress' drab gown would doubtless have
been pleasant to behold, but Priscilla garbed in a "blew Mohere peticote,"
a "tabby bodeys with red livery cote," and an "immoderate great rayle" with
"Slashes," with a laced neckcloth or cross cloth around her fair neck, and
a scarlet "whittle" over all this motley finery; with a "outwork quoyf or
ciffer" (New England French for coiffure) with "long wings" at the side,
and a silk or tiffany hood on her drooping head,--Priscilla in this attire
were pretty indeed.
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