THE USE OF BEAVER HATS IN ENGLAND

The notice from Fairholt's *Costume in England*, concerning the earliest use of a beaver hat in England, is not very satisfactory. Beaver hats were certainly used in this country long before Stubbes's time. They were originally, like many other articles of dress, manufactured abroad, and imported here. Indeed, this was a great source of complaint by the English artizan until a comparatively late period. The author of *A Brief Discourse of English Poesy*, n.d. (temp. Eliz.) says:— "I merveil no man taketh heed to it, what number of trifles come hither from beyond the seas, that we might clean s…