The reason need not be sought far.
They must have suffered to a much greater
extent from the wear and tear of everyday
use, and the influence of fashion in their case
was no doubt of a more destructive nature.
In the early Middle Ages, embroidery
often served to adorn the ordinary costume
of men and women, and was even employed .
to emblazon the armorial bearings on the
surcoat of the knight. Among the tattered
coats of this latter class which have survived,
that of Edward the Black Prince is the best
known. It is still suspended, with his helmet,
shield, and gauntlets over his monument in
Canterbury Cathedral. The ground is of
faded velvet, originally red and blue, em-
broidered in gold with the Royal Arms of
England.
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