Note 5 — THE JACOBEAN PERIOD

The cushion was in favour at an early date; it is mentioned in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, “Whyssynes upon quelde-poyntes” (1340 c); in the Will of Edward the Black Prince in Nichol’s Royal Wills, “74 curtyns quissyns” (1361); Chaucer’s Troylus, “And down she sett here by hym upon a quysshon gold y-bete” (1229); Isumbras, “Bryn a chayere an a qwyschene” (1400); Wyclif, “Seetis of skynnes ethir cuyschuns” (1388) Wyclif, Ezek iii, “Woo to hem that sewen tegider cusshens” (1382); Mallory, “And there was laid a cusshyn of gold that he should knele upon” (1470–85); and Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt., “They set them down on cosshyns of sylke” (1530).