Evening star., 1902-02-15
HANDMADE LACE.
Stories About It's Cost and Use in By
gone Centuries.

From the London Telegraph.
The popularity of one Of the daintiest and
most exquisite products Of industry 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 at
taned such an outrageous size that the
wearers 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 where
with 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, affecting 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 f25,
600, and a housand-pound trOusseau
was Of ordinary occurrence. Similarly,
throughout the Stuart regime In England,
cavaliers and their wives delighted to en-
cumber their estates In order to crafty
their tastes for lace, and even if Cromwell
lived as a Puritan. his body after death
was more gorgeously attred than that Of
any deceased sovereign, with purple velvet,
ermine, and the richest Flanders lace.
James II died at ST. Germain in laced
nightcap. This was called a toquet, and
was put on when the king was in extremis
as compliment to Louis XIV; It was the
court etiquette for all the royals to die with
a nightcap on, and this toquet is still pre-
served in the museum at Dunkrk. adorning
wax model of the kings head. Both
William III and Queen Mary had a passion
for lace. The queens lace bill for 1884
reached the sum of f1,91S, while the kings
in 1855 rose to f2.459. The lace for six
new razor cloths cost him 1910 and the cut
| work for twelve handkerchiefs f4S5 The
lace trade prospered with such generous
patronage, and BlanGford point lace sold for
| as much as f3O per yard. On their tombs
| in Westminster Abbey the queen is repre-
sented wearing a lace tucker and double
| sleeves of the finest raised Venice point,
| while the king wears rich lace cravat and
ruffies. In the reign Of Queen Anne lady
of fashion would give about ESQ for
French point or Flanders head and ruffleS
| f1O for a handkerchief and f5 for a black
French laced hood. The bill Of Margareta
Jolly for the year 1712 for providing the
queen with Mechlin and Brussels lace
amounted to H.41S. Lace for long con-
tinued the mania of the day. when YOU
are among yourselves" wrote the bitter
tongued Dean Swift In a letter to young
lady, "how naturally after the first com
piiments do you entertain yourselves with
the price and choice of lace, apply your
hands to each others lappets and ruffles,
as IL the whole business of your life and
the public concern depended on the cut of
your petticoats."
Brussels lace was the fashion during the
reigns of the first two Georges and q So
ciety Of Anti-Gallfcans was founded by GER
tain patriots for the distribution OF prizes
for bone, point lace and other articles of
English manufacture. Yet, though the i'm
port of French, Spanish and Venetian lace
was forbidden by edct, ladies would have
the foreign product and the smugglers
drove a profitable trade. George III did
his best for the native manufac acturer In
1164 he ordered 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 Gus
toms 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
FrenchwOman retired with fortune Of
Fill 600 to Versailles, where she purchased
a villa and called it 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 ar
ticle Men as well as women collected lace
and were known by their points and
ruffies. People were buried in their cost
liest lace apparel. For example, Mrs Old
field the actress, was laid in her coffin "in
a very fine Brussels lace head, Holland
shift with a tucker of double ruf1es. and
a pair of new kid gloves"