The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-05
HAND MADE LACE.
STORIES ABOUT ITS COST AND UsE
 BYGONE CENTURIES.
Popular for Ornamental Trimming In
 All Countries.


 All Countries.
 The popularity of one of the daintiest and most exquisite products of indus
 try has not been confined to any one country or any one century though the
 days of gigantic ruffs and ruffles and long, dropping collars have long since passed away. The ruff at the close of the sixteenth century had attained such an outrageous size and that wearer could scarcely turn their heads. They were so stiffened that they cracked like paper, and the story is told that Queen Margot of Navarro was compelled one day, when seated at dinner to send for spoon with handle two feet in length WhereWith to eat her soup. England { suffered from the same mania, and the rage lasted in one form or another down to the close of the eighteenth century, directing both men and women alike. When princess of France married it was no uncommon thing for the bill for her laces and lace-edged linens and counterpanes to amount to twenty five thousand pounds, and a five thousand pound rousseau was of ordinary occur renee. Similarly, throughout the Stuart regime in England. cavaliers and their wives delighted to cucumber their es- tates in order to gratify their tastes for lace, and even if Cromwell lived as a Puritan his body after death was more gorgeously attired than that of any de- ceased sovereign, with purple velvet, er- mine and the richest Flanders lace. James II. died at St. Germain in a To- for1,t %1,t1 al Tn. quet, and was put on when the king was in eXtremis as a compliment to Louis XIV. It was the court etiquette for all the royals to die with nightcap on, and this toquet is still preserved in the museum at Dunkirk, adorning wax model of the kings head. Both William III. and Mary had passion for lace. The queens lace bill for 1894 reached the sum of G1,9lS. while the kings in 1895 rose to G2,459. The lace for six new razor cloths cost him two hundred and seventy pounds, and the cutwork for twelve handkerchiefs four hundred and eighty-flve pounds The lace trade prospered with such generous patronage, and Blandford point lace sold for as much as thirty pounds per yard On their tombs in Westminster Abbey the queen is represented as wearing a lace tucker and double sleeves of the finest raised Venice point, while the king wears a rich lace cravat and ruffles. In the reign of Queen Anne q lady of fashion would give about eighty pounds for a French point or Flanders head and ruffies, ten pounds for handkerchief and five pounds for a black French laced hood. The bill of Margareta Joly for the year 1712 for providing the queen with Mechlin and Brussels lace amounted to e1,41S. Lace for long continued the mania of the day.
 "When you are among yourselves, wrote the bitter tongued Dean Swift in letter to young lady, "how naturally after the first compliments do you en- tertain yourselves with the price and choice of lace, apply your hands to each | others lappets and ruffies, as if the | whole business of your life and the pub- lie concern depended on the cut of your petticoats."
 Brussels lace was the fashion during | the reigns of the first two Georges, and | q Society of Anti Gallicans was founded 1 by certain patriots for the distribution | of prizes for bone. point lace and other articles Of EnSllSH HldHuLdctuie' IC'' though the import of French spanish | and Venetian lace was forbidden by l edict ladies would have the foreign pro duct. and the smugglers drove d profit able trade George III did his best for the native manufacturers. In 1764 he or dered that all the laces and stuffs worn | at the wedding of his sister, Princess Augusta, should be made in England.' Three days before the ceremony the customs officers raided the shop of the leading court milliner of the day and carried off nearly the whole of the clothes silver, gold stuffs and lace found there. In disgust, the French woman retired with fortune of eleven thousand pounds to Versailles, where she purchased a villa and called 1t La Folie des Danes Anglaises." Various acts were passed for the benefit Of the home lacemakers, but fashion still ran in favor of the foreign article. Men as well as women collected lace and were known by their points" and rutfles. people were buried in their costlest lace apparel For example. Mrs Old- field. the actress, was laid in her coffin 'sin a very fine Brussels lace head, a Holland shift with tucker of double ruff1es, and a pair of new kid gloves - London Telegraph.