32

HISTORY OF LACK.

They till swear—

Foy de Passcment,

Foy de Poincts ct de Biodciic,

De Guipure et d’Orfe'vrerie,

De Gueuse do toute f< 15011 ,”

to declare open war, and to banish the parliament.

The Laces assemble at the fair of St.-Germain, there to be re-viewed by General Luxe.

The muster-roll is called over by Colonel Sotte Depense.Dentelles de Moresse, Escadrons de Neige, Dcntelles de Havre,Escrues, Soies noires, and Points d’Espagne, &c., march forth inwarlike array, to conquer or to die. At the first approach of theartillery they all take to their heels, and are condemned by acouncil of war. The Points to be made into tinder, for the soleuse of the King’s Mousquetaires; the Laces to be converted intopaper; the Dentelles, Escrues, Gueuses, Passemens, and SilkLace to be made into cordage and sent to the galleys; the Goldand Silver Laces, the original authors of the sedition, to be“ burned alive.”

Finally, through the intercession of Love,

“ Lc petit dieu plein de finesse,”

they are again pardoned and restored to court favour.

The poem is curious, as giving an account of the various kindsof lace, and as a specimen of the taste of the time, but the “ tonprecieux ” of the Hotel Rambouillet pervades throughout.

The lace trade, up to this period, was entirely in the hands ofpedlars, who carried their wares to the principal towns and largecountry-houses. It was through his relative, a lace colporteur ofLorraine, that the youthful Claude Gelee was taken to Rome tostudy.

“ One Madame La Boord,” says Evelyn, “ a French peddling-woman, served Queen Katherine with petticoats, fans, and foreignlaces.” These hawkers attended the great fairs 35 of Europe, whereall purchases were made . 36

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

M All articles of luxury were to bemet with at the provincial fairs. When,in 1071, Catherine of Bragnnzn, the

Duchess of Richmond, and the Duke ofBuckingham, visited Saffron Walden fair,the queen asked for a pair of yellowstockings, and Sir Bernard Gascoyne,for a pair of gloves stitched with blue.