IIISTOIIY OF LACE.

point at an early period. 54 His expression, “ scolpito,” carved,sculptured in basso rilievo, leaves no doubt upon the matter.

Henry VIII. granted to two Florentines the privilege of im-porting for three years’ time all “ manner of fringys and passementswrought with gold and silver or otherwise,” 55 an account of whichwill be found in the notice of that monarch’s reign.

Beyond this, and the statute passed at the “ Sute of theBrowderers,” on account of the “ deccyptful waight of the gold ofLuk, Florence, Jeane, and Venice,” 66 there is no allusion to thelace of Florenco in our English records.

In France, as early as 1545, the sister of Francis I. purchases“soixante aulnes fine dantelle do Florence” 67 for her own use;and some years afterwards, 1582, the Queen of Navarre pays “17ecus 30 sols ” for “ 10 aulnes et demye ” of the same passement“ faict a l’esguille a haulte, dantelle pour mettre a des fraizes.” 68

On the marriage of Elisabeth de France with Philip II. in1550, purchases were made of “passements et de bisette, en filblanc de Florence.”

Seeing the early date of these French accounts, it may beinferred that Catherine de Medicis first introduced, on her arrivalas a bride, the products of her native city. 59

Bay mentions that people of quality sent their daughters ateight years old to the Florentine nunneries, to be instructed in allmanner of women’s work.

Lace was also fabricated at Siennn, but it appears to have beenthe “ lavoro di maglia,” or lacis, called by the Tuscans “ modanoricamato,” embroidered network.

Early in the last century, two Genoese nuns of the convent ofSta. Maria degli Angeli in Sienna executed pillow laces and gold

M “ Qnesto collar scolpi la donna miaDi basso rilevnr, ch’ Arncno mai,

E chi la vinse nol faria piii bello.

Mira quel bel fogliamo, ch’ un ncantoSembra,che sopra un mur vada carponi.Mira quei fior, ch’ un candido ne cadeVicino al seme, npr’ or la bocia 1’ nltro.Quei cordiglin, che’l legnnd’ogniforao,Come rilevan ben ! mostrando ch’ ellaE la veru maestra di quest’ arte,

Come ben compartiti son quei punti!Ve’ come son ugual quei bottoncelli,Como s’ alzano in guisa d’un bel colloL’ un come 1’ altro!

Questi mcrli da man, questi frnforiFece pur ella, et questo punto a spina.Che mettoiu mezzo quo»to cordoncello,F.lla il fe pure, ella lo fece.”

Elegia supra un Colluretto, Firenzuola." Bymcr’s “ Fcedera.” 38 Hen. VI11. =1546.

86 4 Hen. VII. = 1488-9.

57 Compie des ddpenses de la maisnn deMadame Marguerite de France, Sa:ur duRol Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 10,394.

58 Compies de la Rdne de Navarre.Arch. Nat. K. K. 170.

58 In 1535.