C 211 )

CHAPTER XVIII.

AUVERGNE AND VELAY.

LE PUY (Dep. Haute-Loire).

As early as the fifteenth century, the countrywomen of the mountains of the Velay would congregate together (luring the uinterwithin the walls of the neighbouring cities, and there, formingthemselves into companies, gain their subsistence by making coarselace, to ornament the albs of the priests, the rochets of the bishopsand the petticoats of ladies of quality. And ver) coarsetasteless were these early products, to judge from t e specimewhich remain tacked on to faded altar-cloths, still to be met witin the province, a mixture of netting and darning wit 011 „

They also made what was termed “ dentelles de* menage, ^the coarse thread they used for weaving their cloth. J Stheir linen with it, and both bleached together in t eThis lace region of Central France, of «tak

chief place, is considered to be the most anciem an , ,

in France. It is distributed ocer the four dep« »«. “demploy, from 125,000 to 130,000 women. Itindustry of the H aute-Loire, in which department a 01

industry of Le l>uy, like all others,

various changes; it*has had its trials 2 an 1 S . pC ,, centurv *prosperity. 3 In the chronicles of Le Puy of t e six e ^ _ guivant

we read that the merciers of dfs passementeries,

1 usage, faisaient dans notre ville le comn Vinntimies et

broderies, dentelles etc., comptaient alors quaian

1 Haut-Loire, Gantal, Puy-de-DOme, and Loire.* 1640.

3 1833 and 1848.• By Medecis.

r 2