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HISTORY OF LACE.

of embroideries and such like, but no distinct allusion to“lace.” 4

According to Anderson, the first intimation of such an occupa-tion being known in England is the complaint, made in 1454, bythe women of the mystery of thread-working in London, in conse-quence of the importation of six foreign women, by which themanufacture of needlework 6 of thread and silk, not as yet under-stood, was introduced. These six women, probably Flemings,had brought over to England the cutwork or darning of the time, awork then unknown in this country.

All authors, up to the present period, refer to the well-knownact of Edward IV., 6 1463, in which the entry of “ laces, corses,ribans, fringes, de soie and de file, laces de file soie enfile,” &c.are prohibited, as the first mention of “lace” in the publicrecords.

The English edition of the “ Fcedera,” as well as the statutes atlarge, freely translate these words as laces of thread, silk, twined,laces of gold, &c.; and the various writers on commerce and manu-factures have accepted the definition as “ lace,” without troublingthemselves to examine the question. 7 Some even go so far as torefer to a MS. in the Harleian Library, 8 giving “ directions formaking many sorts of laces, 9 which were in fashion in the times ofKing Henry VI. and Edward IV.,” as a proof that lace was alreadywell known, and formed the occupation of the “ handcraftry ”—asthose who gained their livelihood by manual occupation were then

* In the statute 2 Rich. II. = 1378,merchant strangers are allowed to sell ingross and in retail “ gold wire or silverwire,” and “ other such small ware.'’Neither in this nor in the treaty 13 Rich.II.=1390, between England, the Countof Flanders, and “ les bonnes Gentz desTrois bonnes villes des Flandres. Gand,Brugges et Ipre”(see Rymer), is thereany mention of lace, which, even if fabri-cated, was of too little importance, as anarticle of commerce, to deserve mentionsave as other u small wares.”

5 Pins not yet being in common use,any lace would be called “ work of theneedle.”

6 3 Edw. IV. cap. iv.

T “ 1463. John Barett bequeaths to‘My Lady Walgrave, my musk ball ofgold with pie and lace.

“ ‘Item, to John Eden, myogr. of tawnysilk with poynts of needle work ,—opttspunrtatum.’ ”—Bury Will and Inven-tories.

8 Bib. Hurl. 2320.

8 Such as “ Lace Bascon, Lace en-dented, Lace bordred on both syde, yn osyde, pykke Lace bordred, Lace Condruk,Lace Dawns, Lace Piol, Lace covert,Lace coverte doble, Lace compon coverte,Lace maskel, Lace cheyne brode, LasCheveron, Lace Oundc, Grene dorge,Lace for Hattys,” &c.

Another MS. of directions for makingthese same named laces is in the posses-sion of the vicar of Ipsden, Oxfordshire,and has been examined by the author,through the kindness of the late Mr. W.Twopenny.