WHEN WERE UMBRELLAS INTRODUCED INTO ENGLAND?

Thomas Coryat, in his *Crudities*, vol. i. p. 134., gives us a curious notice of the early use of the umbrella in Italy. Speaking of fans, he says: "These fans are of a mean price, for a man may buy one of the fairest of them for so much money as countervaileth one English groat. Also many of them (the Italians) do carry other fine things of a far greater price, that will cost at the least a ducat, which they commonly call in the Italian tongue *umbrellaes*, that is, things that minister shadow unto them for shelter against the scorching heat of the sun. These are made of leather, something an…