Apparell in generall

Of the Apparell in generall. · Book 2, encoded section 65 · Text transcription · marked gaps

Original source (English)

THe habits accustomed and agréeable to the season, are good: as in Summe [illegible passage] a habite of Linnen cloth and fine Wooll in Winter a new garment, and of strong wooll. To him onely which is at law, and which is a servant desiring liberty, new a [illegible passage] parell is bad, because he must have long time to use them, and refuse them again. A white garment is good only to Priests: to others it signifies trouble: to Mechanicks, it signifies they shall have no work: and revealeth Malefactors: to the sick it is death but the black garment it is health. Notwithstanding, I have often séene poore men, servants, and captives, having dreamt they were attyred in black, died. This black habit is bad except to them which would doe secret things. To have a garment of divers colors, or scarlet, for Priests, jesters and Stage-Players, it is good, to others it signifies troubls, dangers, and revealing of secrets: to the sick it is they shalbe tormented with strong and abundant humors. A robe of scarlet to servants, and rich men is good: signifying liberty and honour, or dignity. It kils the sick, and brings greater poverty to the poore; to many it hath signified captivity, for the man clad in purple or scarlet, must also have a diadem or a crown, and many about him to guard his body. Every such robe dyed in Scarlet, is to some hurts, to others, an ague. A womans gown is good; onely to those which have no wife, and which come upon stages [illegible passage] o play. Others after this dream, lose their wife, or fall into great sicknes, by reason of the delicacy and effeminatenesse of those which wear such garments. And yet notwithstanding in cause of rejoycing and assemblies, neither gowns of divers colours▪ nor womens gowns, are bad. To have a gown of the fashion of some strange nation is good luck among strangers, to him which purposeth to go, or remain, or leade his life amongst them, to others it is sicknesse, and hindrance of affayrs: to have a delicate and sumptuous gown, is good for rich and poore: for to the first, their present prosperity shall continue, and to the other, their goods shall increase. Broken and torn gowns, is hur [illegible passage] and hindrance of affayrs. A Coat, a jacket or short cloak, or shirt of woollen cloth, is anger, and losse of a Law suit: wherefore it [illegible passage] better to dream you lose them, then you have them. But the losse of any other hab [illegible passage] is not good; except to the poore, servan [illegible passage] captives, and debtors: for these garments being lost, argue losse of evils; which encompasse them: for others it is not good [illegible passage] dream of losse or nakednesse: for it signifieth losse of goods, and pleasant things. [illegible passage] fair and brave gown, and of divers colour [illegible passage] is good for a rich and joyfull woman, for the one kéeps her brave for her pleasure, the other divers colours argue her profit. It [illegible passage] always better to dream to have good, fayr, rich, and cleanly garments, then little and durty; except to those wh [illegible passage] exercise [illegible passage] ovenly and durty trades.

[illegible passage] marks a gap in the source transcription.