290

HISTORY OF LACE.

“ There is not a gentleman now in the fashion,” says Penchant, 4?“whose band of Italian cntwork nowstandeth him not in the leastthree or four pounds. Yes, a semster in Holborn told me thatthere are of threescore pounds.” AVe read how two-thirds of awoman’s dower was often expended in the purchase of cutworkand Flanders lace.

In the warrant of the great wardrobe for the marriage expensesof the ill-fated princess Elizabeth, on which occasion it is recordedof poor Arabella Stuart, the “ Lady Arabella, though still in theTower, has shewn her joy by buying four new gowns, one of whichcost 1500Z.,” 60 in addition to “ gold cheine laze, silver spangled,silver looped, myllen bone lace, drawneworke poynte, black silkNaples lace,” &c., all in the most astonishing quantity, we havethe astounding entry of 1(592 ounces of silver bone lace. 61 Nowonder, in after days, the princess caused so much anxiety to thepalatine’s privy purse, Colonel Schomberg, who in vain imploresher to have her linen and lace bought beforehand, and paid atevery fair. 62 “ You brought,” he writes, “ 3000Z. worth of linenfrom England, and have bought 1000Z. worth here,” and yet “ youare ill provided.” 63

on special occasions, such ns births,deaths, and marriages. This is still acommon custom in Warwickshire; andmany families can proudly show em-broidered bed linen, which has been usedon state occasions, and carefully pre-served in old carved chests for threecenturies and more.”—A Shahspeare Me-morial, 1864.

19 “ The Truth of the Times,” W.Peacham, 1638.

50 “ State Papers, Dom.” Jas. I. vol.lxxii. No. 28.

51 Warrant on the Great Wardrobe,1612-13, Princess Elizabeth’s marriage.

M Frankfort fair, at which most of theGerman princes made their purchases.

” “ German Correspondence,” 1614-15P. R. O.

We find among the accounts of Col.Schomberg and others:—:

“ To a merchant of Strasbourg, for lneeswhich she had sent from Italy, 288 rix-dullars.” And in addition to numerousentries of silver and other laces :—

“ Pour dentelle et linge. kare pourMadame, 115 florins.”

“ Donne Madame de Caus pour desmouchoirs h point couppee pour Madame,41.”

“ Une petite dentelle h point couppe,31.” &c.

Point coupe handkerchiefs seem to havebeen greatly in fashion. Ben Jonson,“ Bartholomew Fair,” 1614, mentionsthem:—

“ A cutwork handkerchief she gave me.”