30

HISTORY OF LACK.

7. Valenciennes.

8. Mechlin.—All the laces of Flanders, with the exception ofthose of Brussels, were known in commerce at this period underthe general name of Mechlin (Fig. 16).

9. Guipures.

10. Gold lace.

Most of these laces are enumerated in a jeu d’esprit, entitled“ La Revolte des Passemens,” published at Paris'in 1661. 33

In consequence of a sumptuary edict against luxury in apparel,“ Mesdames les Broderies—

“ Les Poinctes, Dentelles, Passemens,

Qui, par une vaine despenee,

Ruinoient, aujourd’huy la Franco”—

meet, and concert measures for their common safety. Point doGenes, with Point do Raguse, first address the company; next,Point de Venise, who seems to look on Raguse with a jealous eye,exclaims—

“ Encoro pour yous, Poinot de Raguse,

II est bon, crainte d’attcntnt,

D’en vouloir purger uu estat.

Les gens aussy fins que vous cstesNe sont bons que, comme vous fuites,

Pour miner tous les estats.

Et vous, Aurillac on Venise,

Si nous plions notro valise,”

what will be our fate ?

The other laces speak, in their turn, most despondently, till a“ vieille hroderie d’or,” consoling them, talks of the vanity of thisWO rld :—“ Who knows it better than I, who have dwelt in kings’houses?” One “grande dentclle d’Angleterre” now proposesthey should all retire to a convent. To this the “ Dentelles deFlandres ” object; they would sooner be sewn at once to thebottom of a petticoat.

Mesdames les Broderies resign themselves to become “ ameuble-ment;” the more devout of the party to appear as “devantsd’autel; ” those who feel too young to renounce the world andits vanities will seek refuge in the masquerade shops.

“ Dentelle noire d’Angleterre ” lets herself out cheap to a

33 In the “Recueil de pieces les plus The poem is dedicated to Mademoiselle

agrenbles de ce temps, compose'es par de la Troussc, cousin of Madame dedivers autheurs. Paris, chez Charles Sevigne, and was probably written bySercy. mdci.xi.” one of her coterie.