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HISTORY OF LACE.

Early in the present century the expert trade gave place tomore extensive dealings with France. “ Point de Flandre ” wasthen very much made, the patterns imported by travellingmerchants journeying on their way to Switzerland. Anxious toproduce novelty, the manufacturers of Mirecourt wisely sent fordraughtsmen and changed the old patterns. Their success wascomplete. They soon became formidable rivals to Lille, Geneva,and the Val de Travers (Switzerland). Lille now lowered herprices, and the Swiss lace trade sank in the contest.

Scarcely any but white lace is made, the patterns are variedand in excellent taste, the work similar to that of Lille and Arras.

Some few years since the making of application flowers wasattempted with success at Mirecourt, and though it has not yetattained the perfection of the Brussels sprigs, yet it daily improves,and bids fair to supply France with a production for which shenow pays Belgium 120,01)07. annually. The Lorraine applicationpossesses one advantage over those of Flanders: the flowers comefrom the hands of the lace-makers clean and white, and do notrequire bleaching. 12 The price, too, is most moderate. The pro-duction which of late years has been of the most commercial valueis the Cluny lace, so called from the first patterns being copiedtrom specimens of old lace of the sixteenth and seventeenthcenturies, of Gothic geometric design, in the Musee de Cluny.The immense success of this lace has been highly profitable toMirecourt and Le Puy.

Much of the Lorraine lace is consumed at Paris and in theinterior of France; the rest is exported to America, the EastIndies, and the different countries of Europe.

BURGUNDY.

Colbert was proprietor of the terre de Seignelay, three leaguesfrom Auxcrro, which caused him to interest himself in establishingmanufactories in those countries, and especially that of point de

to purchase. Tl.e women follow thisoccupation when not engaged in fieldwork; hut they only earn from 25 to 40centimes a day. lie lure the Revolution,7/S of the coarse lace was exported to

Germany towards Swabia. Of the finequalities, France consumed 2/3. Theremainder went to the colonies.”

11 So lire those of Coursculles (Calva-dos).