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Masks Book III, Chapter 1, Section 2 After covers for the head, of which I have given you divers examples and fashions both ancient and modern: I shall now proceed to give you some covers for the face, and through an omission here, I have caused them to be Engraven, chap.5. numb.63.64. where you may see the form and manner of such things, but I shall treat of them here. Masks and vizards He beareth a Mask. This is a thing
that in former times Gentlewomen used to put over their
Faces when they travel to keep them from the Sun burning;
it covered only the Brow, Eyes and Nose, through the
holes they saw their way; the rest of the Face was covered with a Chin-cloth.
Of these Masks they used them either square with a flat and even top, or else the top cut with an half round; they were generally made of Black Velvet. The second form of Mask, is the Vizard Mask, which covers the whole face, having holes for the eyes, a case for the Nose, and a slit for the mouth, and to speak through; this kind of Mask is taken off and put on in a moment of time, being only held in by the Teeth by means of a round bean fastned on the in-side over against the mouth, see chap.5. numb.64. A Vizard is another kind of cover for the Face, and it is made after the form of ugly ill shapen Faces; these are used in Interludes and Plays to make Mens Faces appear to what they act, as deformed Creatures, Apes or Devils. [The images are included on the Chapter 5 plate, and have been repeated here.] Previous section
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