ch
staring attire as in time past was supposed meet for none but light
housewives only is now become a habit for chaste and sober matrons. What
should I say of their doublets with pendant codpieces on the breast full
of jags and cuts, and sleeves of sundry colours? Their galligascons to
bear out their bums and make their attire to fit plum round (as they term
it) about them. Their fardingals, and diversely coloured nether stocks of
silk, jerdsey, and such like, whereby their bodies are rather deformed
than commended? I have met with some of these trulls in London so
disguised that it hath passed my skill to discern whether they were men or
women.[155]

Thus it is now come to pass, that women are become men, and men
transformed[156] into monsters; and those good gifts which Almighty God
hath given unto us to relieve our necessities withal (as a nation turning
altogether the grace of God into wantonness, for

"Luxuriant animi rebus plerunque fecundis,")

not otherwise bestowed than in all excess, as if we wist not otherwise
how to consume and waste them. I pray God that in this behalf our sin be
not like unto that of Sodom and Gomorrah, whose errors were pride, excess
of diet, and abuse of God's benefits abundantly bestowed upon them, beside
want of charity towards the poor, and certain other points which the
prophet shutteth up in silence. Certes the commonwealth cannot be said to
flourish where these abuses reign, but is rather oppressed by unreasonable
exactions made upon rich farmers, and of poor tenants, wherewith to
maintain the same. Neither was it ever merrier with England than when an
Englishman was known abroad by his own cloth, and contented himself at
home with his fine carsey hosen, and a mean slop; his coat, gown, and
cloak of brown, blue, or puke,[157] with some pretty furniture of velvet
or fur, and a doublet of sad tawny, or black velvet, or other comely silk,
without such cuts and garish colours as are worn in these days, and never
brought in but by the consent of the French, who think themselves the
gayest men when they have most diversities of jags[158] and change of
colours about them. Certes of all estates our merchants do least alter
their attire, and therefore are most to be commended; for albeit that
which they wear be very fine and costly, yet in form and colour it
representeth a great piece of the ancient gravity appertaining to citizens
and burgesses, albeit the younger sort of their wiv