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HISTORY OF LACE.

of sending it out. Well might he say that “ Fashion was toFrance what the mines of Peru were to Spain .” 21

Boileau alludes to the success of the minister in his “ Epistleto Louis XIV.”:—

“ Et nos voisins frnstres de ces tributs serviles• Que pnyait h leur art le luxe de nos villes.”

The point de France supplanted those of Venice and Flanders;but its price confined its use to the rich, and when the wearing oflace became general, those who could not afford so costly aproduction replaced it by the more moderate pillow' lace. Thisexplains the great extension of the pillow-lace manufacture atthis period—the production did not suffice for the demand.Encouraged by the success of the royal manufactures, lace manu-factories started up in various towns of the kingdom. The numberof lace-workers increased rapidly: those of the towns being in-sufficient, they were sought for in the surrounding country, andeach town became the centre of a trade extending round it in aradius of several miles; the work being given out from themanufactory to be executed by the cottagers in their owui homes . 22

from purchasing those of other coun-tries.’’ The king agreed with the mi-nister, whom ho made chief diroctor ofthe trade and manufactures of thekingdom.

J1 A favourite saying of Colbert.

22 “ Rapport sur les Dentelles fait h laCommission franchise do l’ExpositionUniverselle de Londres, 1851.” FelixAubry. One of the best histories of lacepublished.