120
HISTORY OF LACE.
of Italian points, no lace coverlets to his “ Lict el’ange moiretabizee, couleur de rose, chamarree de dentelles d’or et d’argent.”
We may almost imagine that the minister and his secretarycombined were already meditating the establishment of Points deFrance.
In this reign, fresh sumptuary ordinances are issued. That of27th November HiGO is the most important of all, 4 and is highlycommended by Sganarelle in the “ Jficole des Maris” of Molierc,which appeared the following year:—
“ Oh ! trois ct quatrc fois soit beni cot edit,l’ar qui des vetemens le luxe est intordit;
Les peines des maris ne seront pus si grandee,
Et les femmes auront mi frein ii leurs demmides.
Oh ! quo jo snis au roi bon gre de ses decrets ;
Et quo, pour le repos de ces monies maris,
Je voudrais bien qu’on fit do la coquetterieCouiino do la guipure et de la broderie.”
This ordinance, after prohibiting all foreign “passemens, den-telles, points de Genes, points coupes,” &c., or any French laces orpassements exceeding an inch in width, allows the use of the“ collerettes ” and “ manchettes ” persons already possess for thespace of one year, after which period they are only to be trimmedwith a lace made in the kingdom, not exceeding an inch in width.
The ordinance then goes on to attack the “ canons,” 5 which, itstates, have been introduced into the kingdom with “ un exces dedepenso insupportable, par la quantite de passemens, points deVenise et Genes,” with which they are loaded. The use ofthem is now entirely prohibited, unless made of plain linen orof the same stuff as the coat, without lace or any ornament.
The lace-trimmed canons of Louis XIV., as represented inthe picture of his interview with Philip IV., in the Island of
* It is to be found at tlio ArchivesNat. or in the Library of the Courdo Cassation. In the Archives Nat.is a small collection of ordinancesrelative to lace collected by M. llondo-neau, extending from 1G6G to 1773. Itis very difficult to get at all the ordi-nances. Many are printed in De laMarc (“ Traite de la Police”); but themost complete work is the “Itecueilgeneral des ancienncs Lois frum;aises,
depuis l’an 120 jusqu’ii la Revolution de1789,” par 31M. Humbert, Ducrusv etTaillandier. Paris, 1829. The ordi-dances bear two dates, that of their issueand of their registry.
5 The “ has a bottes,” afterwards called‘ canon,” wasacircle of linen or other stufffastened below the knee, widening atthe bottom so as to till the enlarge mentof the boot, and, when trimmed withlace, having the appearance of a rullh .