204

HISTORY OF LACE.

marriage of the governor, young Boufflers, to Mademoiselle deVilleroi, the magistrates of Lille presented him with lace to thevalue of 4000 livres. 15

The beauty of the Lille lace owes its celebrity to its ground,called “ Lille ground,” or “ fond clair,” “ the finest, lightest, mosttransparent, and best made of all grounds.” 16 The work is simple,consisting of the ground, with a thick thread to mark thepattern 17 (Big. 06).

•Fie. 97.

Lille.

In the eighteenth century more than two-thirds of the lace-making population of Europe made it under the name of “ mi-gnonettes et blondes de til.”

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15 “ Histoiro populairo <le Lille,"Ilenri Brunet, Lille, 1848; ami “ Histone<le Lille,” V. Derode.

>« “ Report of the Commissioners for1851.”

17 As late as 17G1, Lille was consideredas “ foreign ” with respect to France, andher laces made to pay duty according tothe tariff of 10(14.

In 1708 (31st of July) we have an“ Arrest du Conseil d’Estat du Roy,” rela-tive to the seizure of seventeen cartons oflace belonging to one “ Matliieu, marcliand a Title.” Matliieu, in defence,pretends that “ les dentelles avoient estefnbriquees it llaluin (near Lille), terre dela domination do Sa Majcste.” Arch.Nat. Coll. Roudoneau.