I Irish Costume av Edmund Spenser (1552?–1599), i A View of the Present State of Ireland, omtalte han kappar slik:

Eudox. Sith then the necessity thereof is so commodious, as ye allege, that it is instead of housing, bedding, and clothing, what reason have ye then to wish so necessary a thing cast off?

Iren. Because the commodity doth not countervail the discommodity for the inconveniences that thereby do arise are much more many; for it is a fit house for an outlaw, a meet bed for a rebel, and an apt cloak for a thief. First the outlaw being for his many crimes and villanies banished from the towns and houses of honest men, and wandering in waste places, far from danger of law, maketh his mantle his house, and under it covereth himself from the wrath of heaven, from the offence of the earth, and from the sight of men. When it raineth it is his pent-house; when it blows it is his tent; when it freezeth it is his tabernacle. In summer he can wear it loose, in winter he can wear it close; at all times he can use it; never heavy, never cumbersome. Likewise for a rebel it is as serviceable; for in his war that he maketh (if at least it beseemeth the name of war) when he still flieth from his foe, and lurketh in the thick woods and strait passages, waiting for advantages, it is his bed, yea, and almost his household stuff. For the wood is his house against all weathers, and his mantle is his cave to sleep in. Therein he wrappeth himself round, and encloseth himself strongly against the gnats, which in that country do more annoy the naked rebels, whilst they keep the woods, and do more sharply wound them than all their enemies’ swords or spears, which can come seldom nigh them: yea, and oftentimes their mantle serveth them when they are near driven, being wrapt about their left arm instead of a target, for it is as hard to cut through it with a sword; besides it is light to bear, light to throw away, and, being (as they then commonly are) naked, it is to them all in all. Lastly, for a thief it is so handsome, as it may seem it was first invented for him; for under it he can cleanly convey any fit pillage that cometh handsomely in his way, and when he goeth abroad in the night on free-booting, it is his best and surest friend; for lying, as they often do, two or three nights together abroad to watch for their booty, with that they can prettily shroud themselves under a bush or bank’s side, till they may conveniently do their errand: and when all is done, he can in his mantle pass through any town or company, being close hooded over his head, as he useth, from knowledge of any to whom he is endangered. Besides all this, if he be disposed to do mischief or villany to any man, he may under his mantle go privily armed without suspicion of any, carrying his head-piece, his skean, or pistol if he please, to be alway in readiness. Thus necessary and fitting is a mantle for a bad man, and surely for a bad housewife it is no less convenient. These be some of the abuses for which I would think it meet to forbid all mantles.

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