The Carpenter's Wife, the heroine of the Miller's Tale, has her dress
partly described: the collar of her shift was embroidered both before
and behind with black silk; her girdle was barred or striped with
silk; her apron, bound about her hips, was clean and white, and full
of plaits. The tapes of her white headdress were embroidered in the
same manner as the collar of her shift; her fillet, or headband, was
broad and was made of silk, and "set full high"; probably meaning with
a bow or topknot on the upper part of her head. Attached to her girdle
was a purse of leather, tasselled or fringed with silk, and ornamented
with _latoun_--a kind of copper alloy of which ornaments were made--in
the shape of pearls. She wore a brooch or fibula upon "her low
collar," as broad, says the poet, as the boss of a buckler; her shoes
"were laced high upon her legs."

In addition to these characters of Chaucer, it may be added that the
country Ale-Wife is thus described by a contemporary writer: "She put
on her fairest smocke; her petticoat of a good broad red; her gowne of
grey, faced with buckram; her square-thrumed hat; and before her she
hung a clean white apron."

The subject of public entertainment in the Middle Ages brings to
light curious practices. In the towns, the burghers were not willing
to entertain strangers gratuitously, notwithstanding the Scriptural
injunction to do so, reinforced by the reminder that thereby some have
entertained angels unawares. The custom of offering entertainment to
travellers was, however, still practised in the country districts,
but the Anglo-Saxon notion of three days as a reasonable limit for
the tarrying of wayfarers seems still to have obtained. Aside from
the public inns, rich burghers opened their homes, with their superior
comforts, to royal personages and to rich barons, for an honorarium.
They frequently practised extortion upon their accidental guests, and
had arts to allure such to their homes. While having the appearance of
great exclusiveness, they nevertheless employed persons to be on the
watch for travellers. These would approach such strangers, engage them
in conversation, and, on pretence of being from the same part of the
country, offer guidance and advice to the stranger, who was usually
glad to be directed to an "exclusive" place for entertainment. In some
of these places, as well as in the public inns, the guest would be
beguiled into contracting gambling or other debts