Les lieux en France où il se fait le plus de guipures, sont Saint-Denis-en-France, Villiers-le-Bel, Ecouën, Arcelles, Saint-Brice, Groslait, Montmorency, Tremblay, Villepinte, etc.

The sale of Guipures belonged to the master mercers, the workmanship to the passementiers boutonniers. We find in the Livre Commode ou les Adresses de la Ville de Paris for 1692, that "Guipures et galons de soye se vendent sur le Petit Pont et rue aux Febvres, où l'on vend aussi des galons de livrées."

Godefroy. Le Cérémonial de France, 1610. Sacre du Roy Henry II., 1547.

In 1549. Ibid.

Traité des Marques Nationales, dar M. Beneton de Morange de Peyrins. Paris, 1739.

In the Record Office, Edinburgh.

Une robe de velours vert couverte de Broderies, gimpeures, et cordons d'or et d'argent, et bordée d'un passement de même.

Une robe veluat cramoisi bandée de broderie de guimpeure d'argent.

Une robe de satin blanc chamarrée de broderie faite de guimpeure d'or.

Id. de satin jaune toute couverte de broderye gumpeure, etc.

Robe de weloux noyr semée geynpeurs d'or.

Dictionnaire de l'Académie.

1536-44. Sir Fred. Madden.

2 payr of sleeves whereof one of gold w^h p'chemene lace, etc.

2 prs. of sleves w^h pchmyn lase, 8⁄6.

Ecclesiastical Memoirs, iii. 2, 167.

State Papers, vol. 82, P. R. O.

Surtees' Society, Durham, "Wills and Inventories."

1572. Thynne, in his Debate between Pride and Lowliness, describes a coat "layd upon with parchment lace withoute."

B. M. Add. MSS. No. 5751.

Roll. 1607. P. R. O.

Ibid. 1626. 11 nightcaps of coloured satin, laid on thick, with gold and silver parchment lace, 41. 9. 9.

Roll. 1630.

"Eidem pro novemdecem virḡ et dim̄ aureæ et argenteæ pergamen̄ laciniæ pondent sexdecim unc̄ 2/ʒ 1/℈ venet. ... pro consuat̄ ad ornand̄ duas sedes utroque latere thronæ in domo Parliament."—Gt. Ward. Acc. Car. II. xxx. and xxxi. = 1678-9.

In 1672-73 is an entry for "2 virgis teniæ pergamen̄."

Surtees' "Inventories."

Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 8621.

In the Recueil de pièces les plus agréables de ce temps, composées par divers autheurs. Paris, chez Charles Sercy, MDCLXI.

The poem is dedicated to Mademoiselle de la Trousse, cousin of Madame de Sévigné, and was probably written by one of her coterie.

The Cravates or Croates soldiers had a band of stuff round their throats to support an amulet they wore as a charm to protect them from sabre-cuts. What began in superstition ended in fashion.

These were, in France, Guibray, Beaucaire, and Bordeaux; in Germany, Frankfort; in Italy, Novi.

All articles of luxury were to be met with at the provincial fairs. When, in 1671, Catherine of Braganza, the Duchess of Richmond, and the Duke of Buckingham, visited Saffron Walden fair, the Queen asked for a pair of yellow stockings, and Sir Bernard Gascoyne, for a pair of gloves stitched with blue.

10 Hen. III., Devon's Issues of the Exchequer.

"No lace-woman," says Ben Jonson, "that brings French masks and cut-works." That lace was sold by pedlars in the time of Henry VIII., we find from a play, "The Four P's," written in 1544, by John Heywood. Among the contents of a pedlar's box are given "lasses knotted," "laces round and flat for women's heads," "sleeve laces," etc.

On opening the box of the murdered pedlar (Fool of Quality, 1766), "they found therein silk, linen, laces," etc.

Defoe describes Sturbridge fair as the greatest of all Europe. "Nor," says he, "are the fairs of Leipsig in Saxony, the Mart at Frankfort-on-the-Maine, or the fair of Nuremburg or Augsburg, any way comparable to this fair of Sturbridge."

In 1423, the citizens of London and the suburbs being accused of sending works of "embroidery of gold, or silver, of Cipre, or of gold of Luk, togedre with Spanish Laton of insuffisant stuff to the fayres of Sturesbrugg, Ely, Oxenford, and Salisbury"—in fact, of palming off inferior goods for country use—"all such are forfeited."—Rot. Parl., 2 Hen. VI., nu. 49.

"Lingua, or the Combat of the Tongue." A Comedy. 1607.

This system of colporteurs dates from the early Greeks. They are termed both in Greek and Hebrew, "des voyageurs."

"She came to the house under the pretence of offering some lace, holland, and fine tea, remarkably cheap."—Female Spectator. 1757.

The centres of the lace manufacture before 1665 were:—

Industrial Arts of the Nineteenth Century, Digby Wyatt.

Francesco Nardi. Sull' Origine dell' Arte del Ricamo. Padova, 1839.

Ricamare. Recamar.

The traditions of the Low Countries also point to an Eastern origin, assigning the introduction of lace-making to the Crusaders, on their return from the Holy Land.

Origine ed Uso delle Trine a filo di refe (thread), 1864. Privately printed.

1469.—Io, Battista de Nicollo d'Andrea da Ferrara, debio avere per mia manifatura et reve per cuxere et candelle per inzirare.... It. per desgramitare e refilare e inzirare e ripezare e reapicare le gramite a camixi quatordece per li signori calonexi, et per li, mansonarij le qual gramite staxea malissimamente, p. che alcune persone le a guaste, Lire 1 10. It. per reve et p. candelle, L. 0 5.

1469.—I, Baptist de Nicollo of Andrea da Ferrara, having owing to me for my making, and thread to sew, and candles to wax.... Item, for untrimming and re-weaving and waxing and refixing and rejoining the trimmings of fourteen albs for the canons and attendants of the church, the which trimmings were in a very bad state, because some persons had spoiled them, L. 1 10. It. for thread and wax, L. 0 5.

These trimmings (gramite), Cav. Merli thinks, were probably "trine."

"At Chicago was exhibited the first kind of net used in Italy as lace on garments. It is made of a very fine linen or silk mesh, stiffened with wax and embroidered in silk thread. It was in use during the fourteenth century, and part of the fifteenth" (Guide to New and Old Lace in Italy, C. di Brazza, 1893). This is probably the gramite, or trimmings of the albs, mentioned in the account book formerly belonging to the Cathedral of Ferrara, and now preserved in the Municipal Archives of that city.

See Milan.

Trina, like our word lace, is used in a general sense for braid or passement. Florio, in his Dictionary (A Worlde of Words, John Florio, London, 1598), gives Trine—cuts, snips, pincke worke on garments; and Trinci—gardings, fringings, lacings, etc., or other ornaments of garments.

Merlo, merletto, are the more modern terms for lace. We find the first as early as the poet Firenzuola (see Florence). It does not occur in any pattern book of an older date than the "Fiori da Ricami" of Pasini, and the two works of Francesco de' Franceschi, all printed in 1591.

The laces, both white and gold, depicted in the celebrated picture of the Visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, by Lavinia Fontana, now in the Lambeccari Gallery, executed in the sixteenth century, prove that white lace was in general use in the Italian Courts at that epoch.

At present, if you show an Italian a piece of old lace, he will exclaim, "Opera di monache; roba di chiesa."

Statute 2, Henry VI., 1423. The first great treaty between the Venetians and Henry VII. was in 1507.

Privy Purse Expenses of Elizabeth of York, 1502. P. R. O. Also published by Sir H. Nicolas.

Inv. Henry VIII.

Gremio, when suing for Bianca, enumerates among his wealth in ivory coffers stuffed, "Turkey cushions bossed with pearl; valance of Venice gold in needlework."—Taming of the Shrew.

"One jerkyn of cloth of silver with long cuts down righte, bound with a billament lace of Venice silver and black silk."—Robes of the late King (Edward VI.).

"A smock of cambrik wrought about the collar and sleeves with black silke; the ruffe wrought with Venice gold and edged with a small bone lace of Venice gold."—Christmas Presents to the Queen, by Sir G. Carew. "7 ounces of Venice 'laquei bone' of gold and black silk; lace ruff edged with Venice gold lace," etc. G. W. A. Eliz., passim, P. R. O.

1587.

Madame de Puissieux died in 1677, at the age of eighty.

Venice points are not mentioned by name till the ordinance of 1654. See Greek Islands.

Hudibras.

Italy we believe to have furnished her own thread. "Fine white or nun's thread is made by the Augustine nuns of Crema, twisted after the same manner as the silk of Bolonia," writes Skippin, 1651.

Halimedia opuntia, Linn.

That most frequently met with is the Corona of Vecellio. See Appendix.

First mentioned in the Sforza Inventory, 1493 (see Milan); not in the pattern-books till Vecellio, 1592; but Taglienti (1530) gives "su la rete," and "Il specchio di Pensieri" (1548), "purito in rede."

Plate V.

First given in the Honesto Esempio. 1550 and passim.

Mentioned by Taglienti (1530), and afterwards in the Trionfo (1555), and passim.

Given in Il Monte, circ. 1550, but described by Firenzuola earlier. See Florence.

See Chap. III., notes 104 and 106.

"Toile de la Pale."—A pasteboard about eight inches square, enclosed in cambric or lace, used to cover the paten when laid over the cup.

The whole furniture of a room taken from a palace at Naples, comprising curtains, and vallance of a bed, window curtains, toilet, etc., of straw-coloured laces, reticella, embroidered netting, etc.; the price asked was 18,000 francs = £720. There was also much of the rose point, and a handkerchief bordered with beautiful flat Venetian point of the same colour, forming part of a trousseau. 700 francs = £28.

Taglienti (1530) has groppi, moreschi, and arabeschi; and Il Specchio (1548), ponti gropposi. See also the Sforza Inventory, 1493.

See Genoa.

Taglienti (1530) gives a magliata, Parasole (1600) lavori di maglia.

Punti a stuora occur in Il Specchio (1548), I Frutti (1564), and in the Vera Perfettione (1591) the word stuora (modern, stuoja) means also a mat of plaited rushes, which some of these interlaced patterns may be intended to imitate.

Burato. See Appendix.

There are many patterns for this work in Le Pompe di Minerva, 1642. Taglienti (1530) has desfilato among his punti.

Many other points are enumerated in the pattern-books, of which we know nothing, such as gasii (I Frutti, 1564), trezola (Ibid), rimessi (Vera Perfettione, 1591), opere a mazzette (Vecellio, 1591, and Lucretia Bomana, N.D.).

Tracts on Trade of the Seventeenth Century, published by MacCulloch, at the expense of Lord Monteagle. 1856.

Venice point forms a considerable item in the expenses of Charles II. and his brother James.

Venice noted "for needlework laces, called points."—Travels Thro' Italy and France, by J. Ray. 1738.

Misson, F. M., Nouveau Voyage d'Italie, 4me édition. La Haye, 1702.

Origine delle Feste Veneziane, da Giustina R. Michiel. Milano, 1829.

An Itinerary, containing his Ten Yeeres Travel through Germany, Bohmerland, Switzerland, Netherland, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Turkey, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Lond., 1617.

1591.

See, in Appendix, designs for bavari by Lucrezia.

The entry of the Venetian ambassador, Mocenigo, is described in the Mercure Galant, 1709:—

"Il avoit un rabat de point de Venise.... Sa robe de damas noir avec des grandes manches qui pendoient par derrière. Cette robe etoit garnie de dentelle noir."

Letters from Italy. So, in a play of Goldoni, who wrote in the middle of the last century, the lady has a Brussels (Angleterre) head-dress.

Don Flaminio: "Mi par bellisima cotesto pizzo Barbara: E un punto d'Inghilterra che ha qualche merito."—Gli Amori di Zelinda e Lindoro.

In Goldoni's plays all the ladies make lace on the pillow (ballon), so the art of making the needle Venice point was probably at an end.

"La plus belle dentelle noire fait l'espèce de camail qui, sous un chapeau noir emplumé, couvre leurs épaules et leur tête."—Madame du Boccage, 1735. Lettres sur l'Italie.

"Quella specie de lungo capuocio di finissimo merlo pur nero, chiamato bauta."—Michiel.

"L'île de Burano où l'on fabrique les dentelles."—Quadri, Huit Jours à Venise.

Technical History of Venetian Laces, Urbani de Gheltof. Translated by Lady Layard. Venice, 1882.

Origines de la Dentelle de Venise et l'École de Burano. Venice, 1897.

Traditions of lace-making were kept alive in Venice, Cantu and Liguria during the first half of the nineteenth century by the manufacture of an inferior quality of blonde, once extensively made at Venice, which has since died out, owing to the revival in the production of thread-lace and guipures at Palestrina.

"Velleto (veil) uno d'oro filato.

"Payro uno fodrete (pillow-case) di cambria lavorate a gugia (à l'aiguille).

"Lenzuolo (sheet) uno di revo di tele (linen thread), cinque lavorato a punto.

"Peza una de tarnete (trina) d'argento facte a stelle.

"Lenzolo uno de tele, quatro lavorato a radexelo (reticello).

"Peze quatro de radexela per mettere ad uno moscheto (zanzariere, mosquito curtain).

"Tarneta una d'oro et seda negra facta da ossi (bones).

"Pecto uno d'oro facto a grupi.

"Lavoro uno de rechamo facto a grupi dove era suso le pere de Madona Biancha.

"Binda una lavorata a poncto de doii fuxi (two bobbins) per uno lenzolo."—Instrumento di divizione tre le sorelle Angela ed Ippolita Sforza Visconti, di Milano, 1493, Giorno di Giovedì, 12 Settembre.

"La mità de uno fagotto quale aveva dentro certi dissegni da lavorare le donne."

Harl. MS. No. 1419.

Roll. P. R. O.

P. R. O.

De la Mare, Traité de la Police.

"Statuts, Ordonnances et Reglemens de la Communauté des Maistres Passementiers, etc., de Paris, confirmez sur les anciens Statuts du 23 mars 1558." Paris, 1719.

Grand Dictionnaire Universel du Commerce. 1723.

Voyage en Italie. 1765.

Peuchet, J., Dictionnaire Universel de la Géographie Commerçante. Paris, An vii. = 1799.

Letters from Italy, by a lady. 1770.

Rymer's Fœdera (38 Hen. VIII. = 1546).

4 Hen. VII. = 1488-89.

Compte des dépenses de la maison de Madame Marguerite de France, Sœur du Roi.—Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 10,394.

Comptes de la Reine de Navarre.—Arch. Nat., K. K. 170.

In 1535.

She died in 1862.

See Venice, 1.

Inventaire du Trésor de N. D. de Lorette.—Bib. Nat. MSS.

Letters from Italy.

The gremial, or apron, placed on the lap of the Roman Catholic bishops when performing sacred functions in a sitting posture.—Pugin's Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament.

This reminds one of the lines of Goldsmith, in his poem, "The Haunch of Venison," the giving of venison to hungry poets who were in want of mutton; he says:

A true Relation of the Travailes, and most miserable Captivitie of W. Davies. Lond., 1614.

An Italian Voyage, or a Complete Journey through Italy, by Rich. Lassels, Gent. 2nd edit., Lond., 1698. A reprint, with additions by another hand, of the original edition. Paris, 1670. Lowndes' Bibliographer's Manual. Bohn's new edit.

"Portano alcune vesti di tela di lino sottile, lunghe fino in terra, con maniche larghe assai, attorno alle quali sono attaccati alcuni merletti lavorati di refe sottilissimo."—Habiti di donna dell' Isola d' Ischia. Degli Habiti Antichi e Moderni di Diverse Parti del Mondo di Cesare Vecellio. Venezia, 1590.

We have among the points given by Taglienti (1530), "pugliese." Lace is still made in Puglia and the other southern provinces of Naples and in Sicily.

The Contessa di Brazza says that Punto Pugliese resembled Russian and Roumanian embroidery.

Brydone, Tour through Sicily. 1773.

From the tax-books preserved in the Archives of S. George, it appears that a tax upon gold thread of four danari upon every lira in value of the worked material was levied, which between 1411 and 1420 amounted to L. 73,387. From which period this industry rapidly declined, and the workers emigrated.—Merli.

Signore Tessada, the great lace fabricant of Genoa, carries back the manufacture of Italian lace as early as the year 1400, and forwarded to the author specimens which he declares to be of that date.

"Laqueo serico Jeano de coloribus, ad 5s. per doz." G. W. A. Eliz.—16 & 17 and 19 & 20. P. R. O.

Dated 1639.

Garderobe de feue Madame. 1646. Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 11,426.

Le Vray Théatre d'Honneur et de Chevalerie. Paris, 1648.

Queen Christina is described by the Grande Mademoiselle, on the occasion of her visit, as wearing "au cou, un mouchoir de point de Gênes, noué avec un ruban couleur de feu."—Mém. de Mademoiselle de Montpensier.

"Item, ung peignoir, tablier et cornette de toile baptiste garnie de point de Gênes."—1644. Inv. de la Comtesse de Soissons.

"Un petit manteau brodé et son collet de point de Gênes."—The Chevalier d'Albret.

"Linge, bijoux et points de Gênes."—Loret, Muse Historique. 1650.

"Item, ung autre mouchoir de point de Gênes."—Inv. du Maréchal de La Motte. 1657.

Mém., t. xiv., p. 286.

Signore Tessada has in his possession a pair of gold lappets of very beautiful design, made at Genoa about the year 1700.

Letters from Italy. 1770.

Cavasco. Statistique de Gênes. 1840.

The bobbins appear to have been made in Italy of various materials. We have Merletti a fusi, in which case they are of wood. The Sforza inventory gives a doii fuxi, "two bobbins," then a ossi, "of bone," and, lastly, a piombini; and it is very certain that lead was used for bobbins in Italy. See Parasole (1600).

Memorie Storiche di Santa Margherita. Genoese pillow-laces are not made with the réseau, but joined by bars. Of Milan lace it is said, "It resembles Genoese pillow-lace in having the same scrolls and flowers formed by a ribbon in close stitch, with a mesh or tulle ground, whereas the Genoese lace is held together by bars."—C. di Brazza, Old and New Lace in Italy (1893).

Lefébure writes, "A version of these Milanese laces has been produced by using tape for the scroll forms and flowers, and filling in the open portions between the tapes by needlework stitches." The C. di Brazza calls similar lace Punto di Rapallo or Liguria, a lace formed by a ribbon or braid of close lace following the outline of the design with fancy gauze stitches made by knotting with a crochet needle. The special characteristic of this lace is that the braid is constantly thrown over what has gone before. The design is connected by brides. A modification, where the braid is very fine and narrow, and the turnings extremely complicated, and enriched by no fancy stitches between, is Punto a Vermicelli.—Old and New Lace in Italy.

Communicated by Sig. Gio. Tessada, Junr., of Genoa.

Gandolfi, Considerazioni Agrario.

A small borgo, about an hour's drive from Savona, on the road leading to Genoa.

Cav. Merli.

In the Albert Museum of Exeter are several of these tallies marked with the names of their owners—Bianca, Maria Crocera, and others.

"Many skilful lace-makers in Italy have for some time imitated the old laces and sold them as such to travellers. A Venetian lace-worker, now residing at Ferrara, can copy any old lace known" (Mrs. Palliser, 1864).

This lappet, 357-68, in the Victoria and Albert Museum collection, was described by Mrs. Palliser as "Argentella," and supposed to be of Genoese workmanship. "Formerly much of it was to be met with in the curiosity shops of that city, but now it is of rare occurrence. The Duchess of Genoa possesses a splendid flounce of the same lace, with the Doria eagle introduced into the pattern. It formerly belonged to the Marchesa Barbaretta Saule" (Mrs. Palliser, History of Lace, 1864). Contessa di Brazza suggests that Argentella was the Italian for Argentan.