GEORGE IIf.

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Mrs. Oldfield in her lifetime was a great judge of lace, and treasureda statuette of the Earl of Strafford, finely carved in ivory by Grin-ling Gibbons, more, it is supposed, for the beauty of its lace Van-dyke collar 21 than any other sentiment.

In 17G3, another instance is recorded in the “London Maga-zine,” of a young lady buried in her wedding clothes, point lacetucker, handkerchief, ruffles, and apron; also, a fine point lappethead. From this period, we happily hear no more of such extra-vagances.

Passing from interments and shrouds to more lively matterswe must quote the opinion of that Colossus of the last century,Dr. Johnson, who, instead of sticking to his Dictionary, was tooapt to talk on matters of taste and art, of which he was no com-petent judge. “ A llrussels trimming,” declaims he to Mrs. Piozzi,“ is like bread sauce; it takes away the glow of colour from thegown, and gives you nothing instead of it: but sauce was inventedto heighten the flavour of our food, and trimming is an ornamentto the manteau or it is nothing.” 22 A man whose culinary ideasdid not soar higher than bread sauce could scarcely pronounce onthe relative effect and beauty of point lace.

If England had leant towards the products of France, in 1788,an Anglomania ran riot at Paris. Ladies wore a cap of mixedlace, English and French, which they styled the “ Union of Franceand England.” On the appearance of the French Kevolution, theclassic style of dress—its India muslins and transparent gauzes—caused the ancient points to fall into neglect. From this timedates the decline of the lace manufacture throughout Europe.

Point still appeared at court and on state occasions, such as onthe marriage of the Princess Caroline of Wales, 1795, but as anarticle of daily' use, it gradually disappeared from the wardrobesof all classes. A scrupulous feeling also arose in ladies’ minds asto the propriety of wearing articles of so costly a nature, forgettinghow many thousands of women gained a livelihood by its manu-facture. Mrs. Hannah More, among the first, in her “ Ocelebs inSearch of a Wife,” alludes to the frivolity of the taste, when thelittle child exclaimed “at the beautiful lace with which the frockof another was trimmed, and which she was sure her mamma had

21 This seems to have been r speciality Gibbons, very masterly.” — andof Gibbons; for we find among tho treft- Antiquities of Twickenham. London,sures of Strawberry Hill: “A beautiful 1797.

cravat, in imitation of lace, carved by 22 Mrs. Piozzi’s “ Memoirs/