QUEEN ELIZABETH.

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all over with purle,” 62 and iu one case the sleeves are offered un-made, with “ a jnece of purle upon a paper to edge them.” 63 Itwas yet an article of great value and worthy almost of entail, for,in 1573, Elizabeth Sedgwicke, of Wathrape, widow, bequeaths toher daughter, Lassells, of Walbron, “ an edge of perlle for aremembrance, desirying her to give it to one of her daughters.” 64

We now turn, before quitting the sixteenth century, to thatmost portentous of all fabrications, on which, breathless with awe,we have gazed in our childhood, before the waxwork figure of theTower—Queen Elizabeth’s ruff.

In the time of the Plantagenets, Flemish tastes prevailed.With the Tudors, Katherine of Aragon, on her marriage withPrince Arthur, introduced the Spanish fashions, and the inventoriesfrom Henry VIII. downwards are filled with Spanish work, Spanishstitch, and so forth. Queen Elizabeth leant to the French andItalian modes, and during the Stuarts they were universallyadopted.

The ruff was first introduced into England about the reign ofPhilip and Mary. These sovereigns are both represented on thegreat seal of England with small ruffs about their necks, andwith diminutive ones of the same form encircling the wrist. 05This Spanish ruff was not ornamented with lace. On the acces-sion of Queen Elizabeth the ruff had increased to a large size, aswe see portrayed on her great seal.

The art of starching, though known to the manufacturers ofFlanders, did not reach England until 1564, when the queen firstset up a coach. Her coachman, named Gwyllam Boenen, was aDutchman; his wife understood the art of starching, a secret sheseems exclusively to have possessed, and of which the queenavailed herself until the arrival, some time after, of MadameDinghen van der Plasse, who, with her her husband, came fromFlanders “ for their better safeties,” 66 and set up as a clear-starcherin London.

“ z New Yeiir’s Gift of Lady Radelift’e,1561.

01 New Year’s Gift of Lady St. Law-rence.

“ Surtees Wills and Inv.” “ ThoughIhe luxury of the court was excessive, thenation at largo were frugal in their habits.•Hir Argentine of Dorset was culled ‘ Ar-gentine the Golden,’ in consequence of his

buckles, tags, and lnces being of gold.Such an extravagance being looked on asa marvel in the remote hamlets of thesouthern counties”

" Hence ruffles, diminutive of ruffs.“Iluff cuffs” they are called in theG. W. A. of James I. 11 d 12.

•• Stowe’s “ Chrnn.”