Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-01-31

The interchangeable, patient, invinciblc, inquis-
tive, sometimes tedious, but almost always
amusing, q 'rlnan raveler, Herr Ko l. has r, .
Gently been pursuing his earnest investigations
in e'gum. His book on the Netherlands
mas uSt been issued, and we shall translate,
with abridgments, one Of its most instructive
md agreeable chapters-tLat relating TO Lace
ma i1g.
The practical acquaintance Of our iamale
readers with that elegant ornament, lace, is
ch ely confined TO wearing it, and their resear-
ches into the quality and price. A few min
utcs attention to Mr.. Kohl will enlighten them
on other subjects connected with what is to
them, most Interesting topic, for lace is assc-
ciated with recollectons of medGval history,
and with the palmy days of the Flemish school
Of painting More than one of the celebrated
masters of that school have selected, from
among his laborious countrywomen, the lace
makers Cor, as they are called in Flanders,
SpeldemerhsterS) pleasing subjects for the exer-
else of his pencil. The plump iair-haired
Flemish girl, bending earnestly over her lace
work, whilst her fingers nmby ply the intr-
cately winding bobbins, figure in many Of those
highly esteemed representations of homely life
and manners, which have found their way from
the Netherlands into all the principal picture
galleries of Europe.
Our German friend makes it his practice,
whether he is treating of the geology of the
earth, or the manufacture of Swedish bodLins
to begin at The very beginning. He therefore
commences the history of lace-making which,
he says, is like embroidery, an art of very an
cicnt origin, lost like multitude Of other ori-
gins, in the darkness of by-gone ages. 1t
may, with truth, be said that it is the national
| { IL, A.
and one to which they have steadily adhered
from very remote times. During the long civ
il and foreign wars waged by the people of the
Netherlands, while subject to Spanish domin-
ion, other branches of Belgc industry either
dwindled to decay. or were tran planted to for
eign countries; but lace-making remained faith
full 10 the land which had lostered and brought
it to perfection, though it received tempting Of
iers from abroad, and had to struggle with many
difficulties at home. This Mr.. KhoI explains
by the fact, that lace-making is "A branch Of in
dustry chiefly confined to female hands, and
as women are less disposed to travel than men.
all arts aud handlcras exclusively pursued by
women have a local and enduring character.
Notwithstanding the overwhelming supply
OF limitations which m odern ingenuity has ere,
ated, re4l Brussels lace has maintained its va
ue, like the precious metals and the precious
stones 10 the patterns of the best bone lace
the changeful influence of fashion is less mark
ed than in most other branches of industry =
indeed, she has adhered with wonderful peril
nacity to the quaint old patterns of former
times. These are copied and reproduced will
that scrupulous uniformity which characterize,
the figures in The Persian aud Indian swawls
Frequent experiments have been tried to i'm
prove these old patterns, by tie introduction o
slight aud tasteful notifications, but these in
noYations have not succeeded, and very skill
iul and experienced lack-workers assured Mr.
Kohl that the anliqua,ed designs, with all lhei