222

HISTORY OF LACE.

France. In his “ Correspondence ” are twelve letters relating tothis manufacture for 1 (167-74, but it did not succeed.

At last worn out, he says “ the mayor and aldermen will notavail themselves of the means of prosperity I offer, so I leavethem to their bad conduct.”

Specimens of a beautifully fine, well-finished pillow lace, re-sembling old Mechlin, are often to be met with in Belgium(Fig. 99), bearing the traditional name of “ point de Bourgogne,”but no record remains of its manufacture. In the census taken in1571, giving the names of all strangers in the City of London, threeare cited as natives of Burgundy, knitters and makers of lace. 13

In the eighteenth century, a manufactory of Valenciennes wascarried on in the hospital at Dijon, under the direction of themagistrates of the city. It fell towards the middle of the lastcentury, and at the Devolution entirely disappeared. 14 “Lesdentelles sont grosses,” writes Savary, “ mais il s'en debite beaueoupen Franche-Comte.”

LYONNOIS.

Lyons, from the thirteenth century, made gold and silver lacesenriched with ornaments similar to those of Paris. At therevocation of the Edict of Nantes, the trade, of an annual valueof 4,000,000 francs, passed into Switzerland.

The laces of St.-Etienne resembled those of \ alenciennes, andwere much esteemed for their solidity. The finest productionswere for men’s ruffles, which they fabricated of exquisite beauty.

A considerable quantity of blonde was made at Meran, avillage in the neighbourhood of Beauvoisin, but the commercehad fallen off at the end of the last century. These blondes goby the familiar name of “ bisettes.”

Lyons had great trade with Florence; and an author calls it“ ville moitie florentine.”

13 John Roberts, of Burgundy, eightyears in England, “ a knitter of knotted■wool.”

Peter de Grue, Burgundian, “knitterof cauls and sleeves."

Callys de Hove, “ maker of lace,” andJane his wife, bom in Burgundy .—SlatePapers, Dom. Eliz. vol. lxxxiv. P. R. O.

" On referring to M. Joseph Gamier,

the learned archiviste of Dijon, he kindlyinformed the Author that “ les archivesde lliospice Sainte-Anne n’ont conserve'aueune trace de la manufacture de den-telles qui y fut etablie. Tout ce qu’onsait, c’est qu’elle etait sous la directiond’un sieur Helling, et qu’on y fabriquaitle point d’Alenqon.”