274

HISTORY OF LACE.

Aprons, too, of lace appeared in this reign. The queen, as wehave mentioned, wears one in her portrait at Gripsholm. 60

“ Those aprons white, of finest thread,So choicelie tied, so dearly bought;So finely fringed, so nicely spread;

So quaintly cut, so richly wrought,”

writes the author of “ Pleasant Quippes for Upstart Gentlewomen,”in 1596. The fashion continued to the end of the eighteenthcentury.

Fig. no. Fig- Hi.

!!S252:

Christening caps, needle-made Brussels, eighteenth century.

Laced handkerchiefs now came into fashion. Maydes andgentlewomen,” writes Stowe, “ gave to their favourites, as tokensof their love, little handkerchiefs of about three or four inchessquare, wrought round about,” with a button at each corner. 61 Thebest were edged with a small gold lace. Gentlemen wore them intheir hats as favours of their mistresses. Some cost sixpence, sometwelvepence, and the richest sixteenpence.

Of the difference between purles and true lace it is diffi-cult now to decide. The former word is of frequent occurrenceamong the New Year’s gifts, where we have “ sleeves covered

e ° In 1584-5, Queen Elizabeth sends amost wonderful apron to be washed andstarched, of cambric, edged with lace ofgold, silver, and in grain carnation silk,operat’ super oss’,” with “ pearl buttonspro omntione diet’ apron.”— G. TV. A. Eliz2(i & 27.

61 “ A handkerchief she had,

All wrought with silke and gold,Which she, to stay her trickling tears,Before her eyes did hold.”

Ballad of George Bamteell.