202

HISTORY OF LACE.

dress would amount to 4000 livres, and the “ barbes pleines,” 10 asa lady’s cap was then termed, to 1200 livres and upwards.

The Valenciennes of 1780 was of a quality far superior to anymade in the present century; much of it was still to be found afew years since in the market. The reseau was fine and compact,the flower resembling cambric in its texture; the designs stillbetraying the Flemish origin of the fabric—tulips, carnations, iris,or anemones—such as we see in the old Flemish flower-pieces, trueto nature, executed with Dutch exactness (Coloured Plate XIII.).The city owed not its prosperity to the rich alone, the peasantsthemselves were great consumers of its produce. A woman laidby her earnings for years to purchase a “ bonnet en vraie Valen-ciennes,” some few of which still appear in the northern provincesof France at church festivals and holidays. These caps areformed of three pieces, “barbes, passe et fond.” The Normanwomen also loved to trim the huge fabric with which they over-charge their heads with a real Valenciennes; and even in thepresent day of “ bon marche,” a peasant-woman will spend from100 to 150 francs on a cap which is to last her for life (Fig. 95).

The last important piece made within the town walls was ahead-dress of “ vraie” Valenciennes presented by the town to theDucliesse de Nemours, on her marriage in 1840. It was fur-nished by Mademoiselle Ursule Glairo, herself an aged lady,who employed the few old lace-workers then living, with thepatriotic wish of exhibiting the perfection of the ancient manu-facture. 11

LILLE (Dep. du Nord).

“ Ces points couppds, passements et dentelles,

Los I qui venoient de l’Isle et de Bruxelles.”

Conmlation dee Damee, 1620.

The manufactures of Lille and Arras are identical; both makewhite laces with single grounds (fond simple); but the productionsof Lille are far superior to those of Arras in quality. The manu-facture of the capital of French Flanders vies with those of the

10 The “ barbes pleines ” consisted of apair of lappets from 3 to 5 inches wideeach, and J an ell (20 inches) long, witha double pattern of sprigged flowers androunded at the ends. A narrow lace 1Jell long, called the “ papillon,” with the

bande or passe, and the fond de bonnet,completed the suit.

11 The fault of the old Valencienneslace is its colour, never of a clear white,but inclining to a reddish cast.