JAMES I.

289

Towards the end of James I.’s reign a singular custom cameinto fashion, brought in by the Puritan ladies, that of representingreligious subjects, both in lace, cut work, and embroidery, a fashionhitherto confined to church vestments. We find constant allusionsto it in the dramatists of the day. Thus, in the “ City Match ,” 43we read—

“ She works religious petticoats, for flowersShe’ll make church histories. Her needle dothSo sanctify my cushionets, besidesMy smock sleeves have such holy embroideries,And are so lenrned, that I fear in timeAll my apparel will be quoted bySome pious instructor.”

Again, in the “ Custom of the Country ” 44 —

“ Sure, you should not beWithout a neat historical shirt.”

We find in a Scotch inventory 45 of the seventeenth century :“ Of Holland scheittes ii pair, quhairof i pair schewit (sewed) withhollie work.” 46

The entries of this reign, beyond the “ hollie work,” picked 47and seaming 48 lace, contain little of any novelty; all articles ofthe toilet were characterised by a most reckless extravagance.

Tanyer and Margarett Le Moyne, “ may-dens and makers of bone lace,” wind upthe catalogue of the Dover “ Alycns.”

The Maidstone authorities complainthat the thread-makers’ trade is muchdecayed by the importation of threadfrom Flanders. “List of Foreign Pro-teslants resident in England,” 1(118-88.Printed by the Camden Society.

13 Jasper Mayne.

44 Beaumont and Fletcher.

45 ‘ Valuables of Glenurquhy,” 1640.Innes’ “ Sketches of Early ScotchHistory.”

41 Collars of “ Hollie worke ” appear inthe inventories of Mary Stuart.

41 “ Thomas Hodgi s, for making ruffeand cuffes for his Highness of cuttworkeedged with a fnyro peake purle, 71.”—2nd Aca. of Sir J. 1 ill tent. PrinceOiarles, 1617-18. P. It. O.

“ 40 yards broad peaked lace to edge6 cupboard cloths, at 4s. per yard, 81.”—Hid.

48 “ Seaming ” lace and spacing laceappear to have been generally used at thisperiod to unite the breadths of linen, in-stead of a seam sewed. We find them em-ployed for cupboard cloths, cushion cloths,sheets, shirts, &c., throughout the accountsof King James and Prince Charles.

“ At Stratford-upon-Avon is preserved,in the room where Shakspeare’s wife,Anne Hathaway, was born, an oakenlinen chest, containing a pillow case anda very large sheet made of homespunlinen. Down the middle of the sheet isan ornamental open or cut work insertion,about an inch and a half deep, and thepillow case is similarly ornamented.They are marked E. H., and have al-ways been used by the Hathaway familyU