This book is a revised, and substantially enlarged, version of a doctoral thesis which was begun at Reading University in 1970 and completed in 1976.

The research on which it is based was financed between 1970 and 1973 by the Social Science Research Council. Grants towards additional research carried out since 1973 have been provided by the Nuffield Foundation, The Twenty-Seven Foundation of the Institute of Historical Research and the Arts Research Support Fund of the University of Sussex. The carrying out of additional research, and the rewriting of the thesis, were made possible by the grant of two terms of leave from the University of Sussex. The illustrations were generously financed by the Pasold Foundation for Textile History.

I have been assisted by many people during the preparation of this book. In particular I would like to acknowledge the support of Olwen Hufton, who was an inspiring, encouraging and patient supervisor, of Peter Burke, Maurice Hutt and Jordi Nadal, who read the doctoral thesis and offered valuable advice on rewriting, and of Margaret Thompson who, by checking quotations for me and reading through the final manuscript, contributed to eliminating a number of errors. Maurice Hutt, in addition to the specific act of co-operation just mentioned, has helped me in numerous indirect ways.