es, both in attire and
costly housekeeping, cannot tell when and how to make an end, as being
women indeed in whom all kind of curiosity is to be found and seen, and in
far greater measure than in women of higher calling. I might here name a
sort of hues devised for the nonce, wherewith to please fantastical heads,
as goose-turd green,[159] peas-porridge tawny, popingay blue,[160] lusty
gallant, the devil-in-the-head (I should say the hedge), and such like;
but I pass them over, thinking it sufficient to have said thus much of
apparel generally, when nothing can particularly be spoken of any
constancy thereof.[161]

CHAPTER IX.

OF THE MANNER OF BUILDING AND FURNITURE OF OUR HOUSES.[162]

[1577, Book II., Chapter 10; 1587, Book II., Chapter 12.]

The greatest part of our building in the cities and good towns of England
consisteth only of timber, for as yet few of the houses of the communalty
(except here and there in the West-country towns) are made of stone,
although they may (in my opinion) in divers other places be builded so
good cheap of the one as of the other. In old time the houses of the
Britons were slightly set up with a few posts and many raddles, with
stable and all offices under one roof, the like whereof almost is to be
seen in the fenny countries and northern parts unto this day, where for
lack of wood they are enforced to continue this ancient manner of
building. It is not in vain, therefore, in speaking of building, to make a
distinction between the plain and woody soils; for as in these, our houses
are commonly strong and well-timbered (so that in many places there are
not above four, six, or nine inches between stud and stud), so in the open
champaign countries they are forced, for want of stuff, to use no studs at
all, but only frankposts, raisins, beams, prickposts, groundsels, summers
(or dormants), transoms, and such principals, with here and there a
girding, whereunto they fasten their splints or raddles, and then cast it
all over with thick clay to keep out the wind, which otherwise would
annoy them. Certes this rude kind of building made the Spaniards in Queen
Mary's days to wonder, but chiefly when they saw what large diet was used
in many of these so homely cottages; insomuch that one of no small
reputation amongst them said after this manner--"These English (quoth he)
have their houses made of sticks and dirt, but they fare commonly so well
as the king." Whereby it appeareth that