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HISTORY OF LACE

ClJALTER XIII.

THE LACE MANUFACTURES OF FRANCE.

France is a lace-making, as well as a lace-wearing, country.

Of the half-million of lace-makers in Europe, nearly a quarterof a million are estimated as belonging to France.

Linder the impulse of fashion and luxury, lace receives thestamp of the special style of each country. Italy furnished itspoints of Venice and Genoa; the Netherlands, its Brussels,Mechlin, and Valenciennes; Spain, its silk blondes; England,its Honiton; France, its sumptuous point d’Alenpon, and itsblack lace of Bayeux. Now, each style is copied by everynation; and though France cannot compete with Belgium in thepoints of Brussels, or the Valenciennes of Ypres, she has no rivalin her points of Alenpon, or her black silk laces. To begin withAlenpon, the only French lace not made on the pillow.

ALENPON (Dec. de l’Ornk), NORMANDY.

“ Aleneliou est sous Siirthe assis,

II luic ilivise le pays.”

Romani de Roil.

The account given by the historian of Alenpon of the esta-blishment of the points de France in that town differs widelyfrom that we have related (p. 128), but as it was the generallyreceived version until the publication of the “ Colbert Corre-spondence,” we give it here.

In 1665, at the recommendation of the Hieur Ruel, Colbertselected Madame Gilbert, a native of Alenpon, already acquaintedwith the manner of making Venice point, and making her anadvance of 50,000 crowns, established her at his chateau of Lonray(Fig. 78), near Alenpon, with thirty forewomen whom he had, atgreat expense, caused to be brought over from Venice.

In a short time, Madame Gilbert arrived at Baris with the