300

HISTORY OF LACE.

bone lace, outworks, &c., setting forth, “ Whereas many poorchildren have attained great dexterity in the making thereof, thepersons so employed have served most parts of the kingdom withbone lace, and for the carrying out of the same trade have causedmuch thread to be brought into the country, whereby the customshave been greatly advanced, until of late large quantities of bonelace, cutwork, &c., were brought into the kingdom and soldcontrary to the former Statutes and the proclamation of Novemberlast; all such bone lace is to be forfeited, and a penalty of 100/'.paid by the offender.” 4

This same act only occasioned the more smuggling of lacefrom Flanders, for the lace made in England had never attainedthe beauty of Brussels, and indeed, wherever fine lace is mentionedat this period, it is always of foreign fabric. That Charles himselfwas of this opinion, there can be no doubt, for in the very sameyear he grants to one John Eaton a licence to import such quan-tities of lace, “ made beyond the seas, as may be for the wear of theQueen, our dear Mother the Queen, our dear brother James, Dukeof York,” and the rest of the royal family. The permission issoftened down by the words, “And to the end the same may bepatterns for the manufacture of these commodities here, notwith-standing the late Statute forbidding their importation.” 5 Charleshad evidently received his lessons in the school of Mazarin. Asthe galleries of the cardinal were filled with sculptures, paintings,and maiolica—rich produce of Italian art, as patterns for Franco,“ per mostra di fame in Francia ”—so the king’s “ pilea nocturna,”pillowberes, cravats, were trimmed with the points of Venice 6 andlace of Flanders, at the rate of COOZ. per annum, for the sake ofimproving the lace manufacture of England.

The introduction of the flowing wig, with its long curls cover-ing the shoulders, gave a final blow to the falling band; the endsfloating and tied in front could alone be visible. In time theydiminished in size, and the remains are still seen in the laced bandsof the lawyer, when in full dress, and the homely bordered cambric

4 14 Car. II. c. 13. Statutes at large. (Teneatari) fur 3 cravats *• de poynt de

The acts of Charles II. date from the Venez,” and 24s. per yard for 57 yardsdeath of his father; so the year of the of narrow point, “ tenho poynt august®,”Restoratian, 1660, is counted as the to trim his fulling ruffles, “ manicis ca-thirteenth of his reign. dentibus,” &e.— G. W. A. Car. II. 24

5 1662. “ State Papers, Dom.” Charles & 25.

1L vol. lv. \ T o. 25. I\ R. O. Later (1676-7) we find charged for

He pnys 1491. to Ids laccman “ un par manicarum, le poynt, 141.”