LOUIS XVI. TO THE EMPIRE.

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appealed to the empress. She thinking the price not unreason-able, considering the beauty of the points, showed them toNapoleon, and told him the circumstance. “ I was in the roomat the time,” writes the authoress of the “Memoires.” The emperorexamined minutely each carton, exclaiming at intervals, “ Commeon travaille bien en France, jedois encourager unpareil commerce.Pauline a grand tort.” He ended by paying the bill and dis-tributing the laces among the ladies of the court , 12 Indeed, itmay be said that never was lace more in vogue than during theearly days of the empire.

The morning costume of a French duchess of that court isdescribed in the following terms:—“ Elle portait un peignoir brodeen mousseline garni d’une Angleterre tres-belle, une fraise enpoint d’Angleterre. Sur sa tete la duchesse avait jete en selevant une sorte de ‘baigneuse,’ comme nos meres l’auraientappelee, en point d’Angleterre, garnie de rubans de satin rosepale .” 13 The fair sister of Napoleon, the Princess Pauline Bor-ghese, “ s’est passionnee,” as the term ran, “ pour les dentelles .” 14

That Napoleon’s example was quickly followed by the “ ele-gantes” of the Directory, the following account, given to thebrother of the author by an elderly lady who visited Paris duringthat very short period 15 when the English flocked to the con-tinent, of a ball at Madame Recamier’s, to which she had aninvitation, will testify.

The First Consul was expected, and the elite of Paris earlythronged the salons of the charming hostess — but where wasMadame Recamier ? “ Souffrante,” the murmur ran, retained toher bed by a sudden indisposition. She would, however, receiveher guests “ couchee.”

The company passed to the bedroom of the lady, which, asstill the custom in France, opened on one of the principal salons.There, in a gilded bed, lay Madame Recamier, the most beautifulwoman in France. The bed-curtains were of the finest Brusselslace, bordered with garlands of honeysuckle, and lined with satin

woins quinze livres l’aune.” Arcli. Nat.Y. 58.

1764. Anue Challus leaves her “bellegarniture dedentelle en plein, manchettestour de gorge, palatine et fond.” Ibid.

17G4. Madame de Pompadour, in herwill, says, “ Jedonne a mes deux femmesde chambre tout ce qui concerne ma

garderobe . ... y compris les den-telles.”

'* “ Mem. de Mademoisello d'Avril-lion.”

13 “Memoires sur la llestauration.Par Madame la Duchesse d’Abrantcs.”

14 Ibid. t. v. p. 48.

15 After the Peace of Amiens, 1801.