MILAN.
49
mentioned by iiady Mary Wortley Montagu, when she speaks of“ peddling-women that come on pretext of selling pennyworths oflace.”
MILAN.
“ Milano la Grande.”
“ Margaret. I saw the Duchess of Milan’s gown that they praise so.
“ Hero. O that exceeds, they say.
“Margaret. By my troth, it’s but a nightgown in respect of yours: cloth ogold and cuts, and laced with silver.”
Much Ado about Nothing , iv. 1.
The earliest records of Italian lace belong to Milan, and occurin an instrument of partition between the sisters Angela andIppolita Sforza Visconti, dated 1493.
This document is of the highest interest, as giving the inven-tory of an Italian wardrobe of the fifteenth century. In it, amidsta number of curious entries, are veils of gold network, with cambricpillow-cases, linen sheets, mosquito curtains, and various articles,worked “a reticella,” and “a groppi,” with the needle, bobbins,bones, and other different ways 43 mentioned in the pattern booksof the following century.
Among other items, we find, “Half of a bundle containingpatterns for ladies’ work.” 44
Though the fabric of these fine points dates back for so manycenturies, there is little notice of them elsewhere.
Henry VIII. is mentioned as wearing one short pair of hoseof purple silk of Venice gold, woven like a caul, edged with a“passamaine” lace of purple silk and gold, worked at Milan. 45
In a wardrobe account of Lord Hay, gentleman of his majesty’s
,3 “ Velleto (veil) uno d’ oro filato.
Payro uno fodretc (pillow case) dicombria lavorate a gugia (h l’aiguille).
Lenzuolo (sheet) uno di revo di tele(linen thread), cinque lavorato a punto.
Peza una de taruete (trine) d’ argentofacte a stelle.
Lenzolo uno de tele, quatro lavorato aradexelo (reticello).
Peze quatro de radexela per mettere aduno moschoto (zanzariere, mosquitocurtain).
Tavneta una d’ oro et Boda ncgra factada ossi (bones).
Pecto uno d’ oro facto a grupi.
Lavoro uuo de. rccliamo facto a grupidove era suso le perle de MadonaBiancba.
Binda una lavorata a poncto de doii fuxi(two bobbins) per uno lenzolo.”
Instrumento di divizitme tre le sorelleAngela ed Ippolita Sforza Visconti,di Milano. 1493, Giorno di Gio-vedi, 12 Settembre.
44 “La mita de uno fagotto qualenveva dcntro certi dissegni da lavorare ledonne.”
“ Harl. MS. No. 1419.
E