208

HISTORY OF LACE.

BAILLEUL (Df:i>. du Nord).

As already mentioned, up to 1700 the" vraie Valenciennes’was only made in the city of that name. The same lace manu-factured at Lille, Bergues, Bailleul, Avesnes, Cassel, Armentieres,as well as that of Belgium, was called “ fausses Valenciennes.”“ Armentieres et Bailleul ne font que de la Valencienne fausse,dans tous lex prix,” writes Peucliet. “ On nomrae,” states anotherauthor, 28 “fausses Valenciennes la dcntello de memo cspeee,inferieure en qualite, fabriquec moins serree, dont le dessin cstmoins recherchd et le toile des fleurs moins marque.” Of such isthe lace of Bailleul, whose manufacture is the most ancient andmost important, extending to Ilazebrouck, Bergues, Cassel, andthe surrounding villages. 29

Previous to 1830 Bailleul fabricated little besides straightedges for the Normandy market. In 1822 the scalloped edgewas adopted, and from this period dates the progress and presentprosperity of the manufacture. Its laces are not much esteemedin Paris. They have neither the finish nor lightness of the Belgianproducts, are soft to the touch, the mesh round, and the groundthick; but it is strong and cheap, and in general use for trimminglace. The lace, too, of Bailleul is the whitest and cleanest Valen-ciennes made; hence it is much sought after, for exportation toAmerica and India. The patterns are varied and in good taste;and there is every reason to expect that in due time it may attainthe perfection, if not of the Valenciennes of Ypres, at least to thatof Bruges, which city alone annually sends to France lace to thevalue of from 120,000/. to 100,000/.

CHAMPAGNE.

The Ardennes lace was generally much esteemed, especiallythe “ points de Sedan,” which derived their name from the citywhere they were manufactured. 30 Not only were points made

28 “ Statistiquo des Gens do Lcitres,’’ dispersed over tlio district.

1803, Herbin, t. ii. 80 Savory. Sedan was ceded to Louis

28 In 1851, there were 8000 lace-makers XIII. in 1012.