CHIMERE

The upper robe worn by a bishop, to which the lawn sleeves are generally attached. Before and after the Reformation, till Queen Elizabeth’s time, the bishops wore a scarlet chimere or garment over the rochet, as they still do when a embled in convocation; and when the sovereign attends parliament. But Bishop Hooper, having superstitiously scrupled at this as too light a robe for episcopal gravity, it was in her reign changed into a chimere of black satin. The chimere seems to resemble the garment used by bishops during the middle ages, and called mantelletum ; which was a sort of cope, with apertures for the arms to pa through.—See Du Cange’s Glo ary . The name of chimere is probably derived from the Italian zimarra , which is described as “vesta talare de’ sacerdoti et de’ chierici.”— Palmer. The scarlet chimere strongly resembles the scarlet habit worn in congregation, and at St. Mary’s, by doctors at Oxford. Some have supposed that our episcopal dre is in fact merely a doctorial habit. Perhaps, however, the origin of both the chimere, the Oxford habit, and the Cambridge doctorial cope, and the episcopal mantelletum , may all be derived from the dalmatic or tunicle , (see Dalmatic ,) which was formerly a characteristic part of the dre of bishops and deacons; from which the chimere differs in being open in front. The sewing of the lawn sleeves (now of preposterous fulne ) to the chimere, is a modern innovation. They ought properly to be fastened to the rochet.— Jebb.