NEEDLEWORK.

5

these young ladies are termed “ ehambrieres,” in our English,simply, “ the maidens.” Great ladies prided themselves upon thenumber of their attendants, and passed their mornings at work,their labours beguiled by singing the “ chansons a toile, as theballads, written for these occasions, were termed . 22 In the ward-robe accounts of our kings appear constant entries of workingmaterials purchased for the royal ladies . 23

During the Wars of the lloses, when a duke of the blood royalis related to have begged alms in the streets of the rich Flemishtowns, ladies of rank, more fortunate in their education, gained,like the I rench emigrants of modern days, their subsistence bythe products of their needle . 24

\\ ithout wishing to detract from the industry of mediaevalladies, it must be owned that the swampy state of the country,the absence of all roads, save those traversed by pack-horsesduring the fine season, and the deficiency of all suitable outdooramusement but that of hawking, caused them to while awaytheir time within doors the best "ay they could. Out of doorsexercise for women is but of modern date. Not fifty years

from Madrid, in 1G79, “ for good familiesto put their daughters to ladies, by whomthey are employed to embroider in goldand silver, or various colours, or in silk,about the shift, neck, and hands.”

22 “ I jor fist es chambre son pere,

Une estole et i amict pereDe soie et d’or molt soutilment,

Si i fait ententevementMainte croisette et mainte estoileEt dist ceste chanchon a toile.”

Human de la Viulette.

“ One day, stated in her father’s room jshe wns skilfully working a stole andamict in silk and gold, and she wasmaking in it, with great care, many alittle cross and many a little star, sing-ing all the while this chanson a. toile.”

22 In one of Edward I. we find a chargeof eight shillings for silk bought for theembroidery work of Margaret, the king’sdaughter, and another for 4 oz. of silk200 oz. of gold thread, a spindle, &c.—Liber de Garderoba, 23 Edw. I., PublicRecord Office.

In one of Edward 111., the bum of2f. 7«. 2d. is expended in the purchase of

gold thread, silk, &c., for his Beconddaughter, Joanna. — Liber Garderobm,12-16 Edw. 111., Public Record Office,

Elizabeth of York worked much at herneedle. In the account of her household,preserved in the Public Record Office,every page of which is signed by QueenElizabeth herself, we find—

•‘To Evan Petreson, joiner, for thestuff and making of 4 working stoolsfor the Queen, price of the stool 16 pence,5s. id.

“ To Thomas Fissch, for an elne oflinen cloth for a sampler for the Queen,8 d.”

In the Inventory, 4 Edward VI., 1552(Harl. MSS. No. 1419), are entries of—

“ Item, xii. samplais” (p. 419).

“ Item, one sampler of Normandiecanvas wrought with green and blacksilk” (p. 524).

“ A book of parchment containingdiverses pattemes” (p. 474), probablypurchases for his sisters.

24 See, for inslanee, tho iuteresfingaccount of the Countess of Oxford, givenby Miss Strickland, in her “ Lire of QueenElizabeth of York.”