ENGLAND TO QUEEN ELIZABETH.

257

have, too, in the Harleian inventory, 31 a “ coif laid over with pas-samyne of gold and silver.”

These “ Acts of Apparell,” as regards foreign imports, are,however, somewhat set aside towards the year 1546, when Henrygrants a licence in favour of two Florentine merchants to exportfor three years’ time, together with other matters, “ all manner offryngys and passements wrought with gold or silver, or otherwise,and all other new gentillesses of what facyon or value soever theymay be, for the pleasure of our dearest wyeff the Queen, ournobles, gentlemen, and others.” 32 The king, however, reserves tohimself the first view of their merchandise, with the privilege ofselecting anything he may please for his own private use, previousto their being hawked about the country. The said “ dearestwyeff,” from the date of the act, must have been Katherine Farr;her predecessor, poor Katherine Howard, had for some four yearsslept headless in the vaults of the White Tower Chapel. Of these“ gentillesses ” the king now began to avail himself. He selects“ trunk sleeves of redd cloth of gold with cutwork; ” knittedgloves of silk, and “ handkerchers ” edged with gold and silver;his towels are of diaper, “ with Stafford knots,” or “ knots androses; ” he has “ coverpanes of fyne diaper of Adam and Evegarnished about with a narrow passamayne of Venice gold andsilver; handkerchers of Holland, frynged with Venice gold, reddand white silk,” others of " Flanders worke,” and his shaving clothstrimmed in like fashion. 33 The merchandise of the two Florentineshad found vast favour in the royal eyes. Though these articleswere imported for our dear “ wyeff’s ” sake, beyond a “ perleedging ” to the coif of the Duchess of Suffolk, and a similar adorn-ment to the tucker of Jane Seymour, 34 lace seems to have beenlittle employed for female decoration during the reign of KingHenry VIII.

That lace was early used for the adornment of the ministers ofthe church, we have ample evidence. M. Aubry states having seen,in London, lace belonging to Cardinal Wolsey. On this matter wehave no information; but we know the surplices were ornamentedround the neck, shoulders, and sleeves, with “ white work ” andcutwork 35 at this period. The specimens we give (Figs. 107

31 Inv. of Hen. VIII. and 4 Edw. VI.Hurl. MS. 1419, A und B.

33 38 lien. VIII. = 154G. Rvmor’sEcodeTti,” vol. xv. ]>. 105.

33 Ilarl. MS. 1410, passim.

34 See Holbein’s portraits.

33 “ The old cutwork cope .”—Tlmummil ami Fletcher , The Spanish Curate.

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