116

HISTORY OF LACE.

were sumptuary edicts issued against luxury. 12 The court set abad example; and in 1577, at the meeting of the states of Blois,Henry wore on his own dress four thousand yards of pure goldlace. His successor, Henry IV., issued several fresh ordinances 13against “ clinquants 14 et dorures.” Touching the last, Kegnier,the satirist, writers:—

“ A propos, on m’a (lit

Quo contre les clinquants le roy faict un edict.” 15

Better still, the king tried the effect of example : he wore acoat of grey cloth with a doublet of taffety, without either trimmingor lace—a piece of economy little appreciated by the public. Hisdress, says an author, “ sentait des miseres de la Ligue.” Sully,anxious to emulate the simplicity of Louis XI., laughed at those“ (|ui portoient leurs moulins et leurs hois de haute futaie surleurs dos.” 16 “ It is necessary,” said he, “ to rid ourselves of our

neighbours’ goods, which deluge the country.” So he prohibited,under pain of corporal punishment, any more dealings with theFlemish merchants.

But edicts failed to put down point coupe; Beine Margot,Madame Gabrielle, and Bassompierre were too strong for theminister.

The wardrobe accounts of Henry’s first queen are filled withentries of point coupe and “ passements a l’aiguille; ” 17 and though

12 No less tlmn ten were sent forth bythe Valois kings, from 1549 to 1583.

13 These were dated 1594, 1000, 1001,and 1000.

11 Copper used insti ad of gold threadfor embroidery or lace. The term wasequally applied to false silver thread.

“1582. Dix escus pour dix aulnes degaze blanche raye'e d’argent clinquantjurur faire ung voille k la Boullonnoise.”—Comptes de la Heine de Navarre. Arch.Nat. K. K. 170.

11 Regnier, Math., “SesSatyres,” 1042.

18 The observation was not new. ARemonstrance to Catherine do Medicis,1580, complains that “ leurs moulins,leurs terres, leurs prez, leurs hois et leursrevenuz, se coulent en binderies, pour-filures, pa-semens, franges, tortis, cauo-tilles, recamcurs, clienettes, picqueurs,arrierepoins etc. quVn invente do jour hautre.”— Discount sur Fexlreme cherleetc.,presenttf d la Mere du Hoi, par un sirn

julelle Seriiteur (l)u Hnillnn), Bordeaux,1580.

" “ 1579. Pour avoir remonste troisfraises a poinct coup pc', 15 sols.

“ Pour avoir monte cinq fraizes h poinctcouppe sur linmuple, les avoir ourllcs eteouzeus a la petite eordellikre et an poinctnouc a lai.-on de 30 sols ]x>ur chacune.

“ Pour la finpui de sept rabatz ourllcs iidouble arrierepoinctetcouzu le passementuu dessus.

“ 1580. Pour avoir faict d’ung mouchoirouvrc deux rabatz, 20 sols.

“ Pour <kux pieces de poinct eouppepour servir a ladicte dame, vi livrts.

“ Pour dix liuiet aulnes de passementblanc pour mestre a des fraizes a troisescus l’aulne.”

1582. The account for this year con-tains entries for “ passement faict ii les-guille,”—“ grand passement,”—“ passo-urc.ut faict. au mestier,” &c.—Comptes drla Heine de Navarre. Arch. Nat.