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HISTORY OF LACE.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

SCOTLAND. ,

With the pearlin above her brow.”

Old Scotch Song. >

“ Pearlin-lace as fine as spiders’ webs.” '

Heart of Midlothian.

From her constant intercourse with France, lace must have beenearly known in Scotland.

Of its use for ecclesiastical purposes, at a period when it wasstill unknown to the laity, we have evidence in the mutilatedeffigy of a crosiered ecclesiastic which once stood in a niche of thenow ruined abbey church of Arbroath. The lace which adornsthe robes of this figure is very elaborately and sharply chiselled,and, when first discovered, still preserved some remains of the goldleaf with which it had been ornamented.

In the inventories of King James V.—that handsume but ill-fated monarch—w'e find constant mention of “ pasment ” of goldand silver , 1 as well as an entry of —“ Ane gown of fresit clayth ofgold, with pasment ofperle of gold smyth nark lynit with cramasysating.” 2 And we Lave other proofs , 3 in addition to the testi-mony of Sir Walter Scott, as given in the “Monastery ,” 4 that

1 “ 1539. Ane utlier gowne of purpoursatyne with nno braid pasment oF goldand silver,” &e.

“ Twa Spanye cloikis of black freiswith ane braid pasment of gold andsilver.”

“ 1542. Three peces of braid pasment-tes of gold and silver.”— Inventories ofthe Uoyal Wardrobe and Jewel House ,1488-1G06. Edinb. 1815.

2 1542. Same Inv.

3 In the Inv. of the Earl of Huntley,

1511-12, there is mention of dresses

“ passamente d’or.”

4 Chap X., note.

1537. James V. and Lord Somervilleat Holyrood “ Where are all your menand attendants, my Lord?”

“ Please your Majesty, they are here,”pointing to the lace which was on hisson’s and two pages’ dress. The kinglaughed heaitily and surveyed tho finery,and bade him “Away with it all, andlet him have his stout band of spearsagain.’’