208

HISTORY OF LACE.

articles which, judging from the song of Autolyeus—

“ Will you buy any tape,

Or loco for your cape ? ”

were already hawked about among the pedlars’ wares throughout thecountry: one of the “ many laces ” mentioned by Shakespeare. 18

Dismissing, then, her stitches, her laces, and the 30UO gownsshe left in her wardrobe behind her—for, as Shakespeare says,“Fashion wears out more apparel than the man” 19 —we mustconfine ourselves to those articles immediately under our notice,cutwork, bone lace, and purle.

Outwork—“ opus scissum,” as it is termed by the keeper ofthe great wardrobe—was used by Queen Elizabeth to the greatestextent. She wore it on her ruffs, “ with lilies of the like, set withsmall seed pearlon her doublets, “ flourished with squares ofsilver owes; on her forepart of lawn, “ flourished with silver andspangles 20 on her cushion cloths, 21 her veils, her tooth-cloths, 22her smocks, and her nightcaps. 23 All flourished, spangled, andedged in a manner so stupendous as to defy description. It w'as

bought at a fair held in St. Audrey’schapel; fine, without grace or elegance.”— Hailey's Diet. 1764.

Southey (“ Omniana,” vol. i. p. 8)says:—

“ It was formerly the custom iu Englandfor women to wear a necklace of fine silkcalled Tawdry lace, from St. Audrey.

“ She had in her youth been used towear carcanets of jewels, and being after-wards tormented with violent pains inthe neck, was wont to say, that Heaven,in hiB mercy, had thus punished her forher love of vanity. She died of a swellingin her neck. Audrey (the same as Ethel-rede) was daughter of King Anna, whofounded the Abbey of Ely.”

Spenser, in the “ Shepherd’s Calendar,”has:—

“ Bind your fillets fasteAnd girde in your waste

For more fineness with a tawdry lace;”

and in the “ Faithful Shepherdess ” ofBeaumont and Fletcher, Amaryllis speaksof

“ The primrose chaplet, tawdry laceand ring.

13 A passage, already quoted, in “ MuchAdo about Nothing” shows us that, inShakespeare’s time, the term “ to lace ”was generally used as a verb, denoting todecorute with trimming. Margnret, thetiring woman, describes the Duchess ofMilau’s gown as of “ Cloth o’ gold, andcuts, and laced with silver.”

18 “ Much Ado about Nothing.”

28 “ New Year’s Gifts of Mrs. Wyng-field, Lady Southwell, and Lady Wil-loughby. ”— Nichols’ Royal Progresses.

21 “ Mrs. Edmonds. A cushion clothof lawn cutwork like leaves, and a fewowes of silver.”— New Year’s Gifts.

“Eidein pro le edginge unius pannivocat’ a quishion cloth de lawne alb’operat’ cum spaces de opere sciss’ et provii. virg’ de Laquei alb’ lat’ operat’ sup’oss’ 33s. id.” — G. A. IF. Eliz. 31 & 32.

22 ‘‘Mistress Twist, the Court laundress.Four toothcloths of Holland wroughtwith black silk and edged with bone laceof silver and black silk.”— New Year'sGifts.

23 “ Lady Ratcliffe. A night coyf ofwhite cutwork flourished with silver andset with spangles.”— Ibid.