JAMES I.

283

of Mrs. Turner at Tyburn, in 1G15, are usually said, on theauthority of Ilowel, 16 to have put an end to the fashion of yellowruffs, but the above extracts show they were worn for some yearslater.

The bishops, who first denounced the ruff, themselves held tothe fashion long after it had been set aside by all other profes-sions. Folks were not patriotic in their tastes, as in more moderndays; they loved to go “ as far as Paris to fetch over a fashionand come back again.” 17

The lace of Flanders, with the costly points and cutworks ofItaly, 18 now became the rage, and continued so for nigh twocenturies. Ben Jonson speaks of the “ruffs and cuffs of Flanders,” 19while Lord Bacon, indignant at the female caprice of the day,writes to Sir George Yilliers:—“ Our English dames are muchgiven to the wearing of costly laces, and if they be brought fromItaly, or France, or Flanders, they are in much esteem ; whereas,if like laces were made by the English, so much thread wouldmake a yard of lace, being put into that manufacture, would befive times, or perhaps ten or twenty times the value.” 20 ButBacon had far better have looked at home, for he had himself,when chancellor, granted an exclusive patent to Sir Giles Mom*pesson, the original of Sir Giles Overreach, for the monopoly ofthe sale and manufacture of gold and silver thread, the abuses ofwhich caused in part his fall. 21

James had half ruined the commerce of England by thegranting of monopolies, which, says Sir John Culpepper, are “ asnumerous as the frogs of Egypt. They have got possession of ourdwellings, they sip in our cups, they dip in our dish. They sit byour fire. We find them in the dye-vat, wash-bowl, and powdering-tub, etc.; they have marked and sealed us from head to foot.” 22The bone-lace trade suffered alike with other handicrafts. 23 In

16 “ Mistris Turner, the first inven-tresse of yellow starch, was executed in acobweb lawn ruff of that colour at Tyburn,and with her I believe that yellow starch,which so much disfigured our nation andrendered them so ridiculous and fantastic,will receive its funerall.”— Hoieel’s fet-ter*, 1645.

17 Curio, in “Every Man Out of HisHumour,” 1599.

19 “ Eidom pro 29 virg’ de opere sciss’bon’ Italic’, ad 35*., 681. 5*.”— Gi. W. A.

Juc. I. 5 & 6.

10 “ The New Inn.”

jo « Advice to Sir George Villiers.”

91 See “ Parliamentary History of Eng-land.”

Sir Giles was proceeded against as *• amonopolist and patentee,” and sentencedto be degraded and banished for life.

22 Speech in parliament. “ RushoutPapers,” vol. xi. p. 916.

23 “The office or grant for sealingbone lace was quashed by the King’s