"La bordure contient 25 mailles."

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'La bordure de haut cotiết 35 mailles." This is a very handsome one, resembling pine apples.

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Ce quarré contient 65 mailles." There are several of these squares, and borders appended, of very rich patterns.

But the book contains far more ambitious designs. There are Sol, Luna, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, and others, whose dignities and vocation must be inferred from the emblematical accompaniments.

There is "La Déesse des fleurs représentant le printemps."

"La Déesse des Bleds representant l'esté." "Ce Baccus representant l'Autonne." "Ceste figure representant l'hiver," &c. &c. Appended is this "Extraict du Privilege." "Per grace et privelege du Roy, est permis a Jean le Clerc le jeune, tailleur d'histoires à Paris, d'imprimer ou faire imprimer vědre et distribuer un livre intitulé livre de patrons de Lingerie, DEDIE A LA ROYNE, nouvellement inventé par le Seigneur Federic de Vinciolo Venitien, avec deffences à tous Libraires, Imprimeurs, ou autres, de quelque condition et qualité quilz soyent, de faire ny contrefaire, aptisser ny agradir, ou pocher lesdits figures, ny exposer en vente ledict Livre sans le cõgé ou permission dudict le Clerc, et ce jusques au temps et terme de neuf ans finis et accomplis, sur peine de confiscation de tous les livres qui se trouveront imprimez, et damande arbitraire: comme plus a plein est declaré en lettres patentes, données à Paris ce douziesme jour de Novembre, 1587.”

Another work, preserved in the British Museum, was published at Strasbourg, 1596, seemingly from designs of the same Vinciolo. These consist of about six-and-thirty plates, with patterns in white on a black ground, consisting of a few birds and figures, but chiefly of stars and wreaths pricked out in every possible variety; and at the end of the book a dozen richly wrought patterns, without any edging, were seemingly designed for what we should now call "insertion" work or lace.

There is another, by the same author, printed at Basil in 1599, which varies but slightly from the foregoing.

This Frederick de Vinciolo is doubtless the same person who was summoned to France, by Catherine de Medicis, to instruct the ladies of the court in the art of netting the lace of which the then fashionable ruffs were made.

In another volume we have

"Corona delli Nobili et virtuose Donne, nel quale si dimostra in varij Dissegni tutte le sorti di Mostre di punti tagliati, punti in Aria, punti Fiamenghi, punti à Reticelle, e d' ogni altre sorte, cosi per Freggi, per Merli, e Rosette, che con l' Aco si usano hoggidì per tutta l' Europa.

"E molte delle quali Mostre possono servire ancora per opere a Mayzette.

"Con le dichiarationi a le Mostre a Lavori fatti da Lugretia Romana.

"In Venetia appresso Alessandro di Vecchi, 1620." The plates here are very similar to those in the above-mentioned works. Some are accompanied by

short explanations, saying where they are most used and to whom they are best suited, as—

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Hopera Bellissima, che per il più le Signore Duchese, et altre Signore si servono per li suoi lavori."

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Queste bellissime Rosette usano anco le gentildonne Venetiane da far traverse."

But certainly the best work of the kind is, "The Needle's Excellency," referred to in Mr. Douce's list. It contains a variety of plates, of which the patterns are all, or nearly all, arabesque. They are beautifully executed, many of them being very similar to, and equally fine with, the German patterns before the colouring is put on, which, though it guides the eye, defaces the work. These are seldom seen uncoloured, the Germans having a jealousy of sending them; but we have seen, through the polite attention of Mr. Wilks, of Regent Street, one or two in this state, and we could not but admire the extreme delicacy and beauty of the work. Some few of the patterns in the book we are now referring to are so extremely similar, that we doubt not the modern artists have borrowed the idea of their beautifully traced patterns from this or some similar work; thereby adding one more proof of the truth of the oft quoted proverb, "There is nothing new under the sun."

As a fitting close to this chapter, we give the Needle's praises in full, as sung by the water poet, John Taylor, and prefixed to the last-mentioned work.

THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDle.

"To all dispersed sorts of arts and trades,
I write the needles prayse (that never fades)
So long as children shall be got or borne,
So long as garments shall be made or worne,
So logg as hemp or flax, or sheep shall bear
Their linnen wollen fleeces yeare by yeare:
So long as silkwormes, with exhausted spoile,
Of their own entrailes for man's gaine shall toyle:
Yea till the world be quite dissolv'd and past,
least, the needles use shall last :

So long
And though from earth his being did begin,
Yet through the fire he did his honour win:
And unto those that doe his service lacke,
He's true as steele and mettle to the backe
He hath indeed, I see, small single sight,
Yet like a pigmy, Polipheme in fight:
As a stout captaine, bravely he leades on,
(Not fearing colours) till the worke be done,
Through thicke and thinne he is most sharpely set,
With speed through stitch, he will the conquest get.
And as a souldier (Frenchefyde with heat)
Maim'd from the warres is forc'd to make retreat;
So when a needles point is broke, and gone,

No point Mounsieur, he's maim'd, his worke is done,
And more the needles honour to advance,
It is a tailor's javelin, or his lance;
And for my countries quiet, I should like,
That women kinde should use no other pike.
It will increase their peace, enlarge their store,
To use their tongues lesse, and their needles more.
The needles sharpnesse, profit yields, and pleasure,
But sharpnesse of the tongue, bites out of measure.
A needle (though it be but small and slender)
Yet it is both a maker and a mender:

A grave Reformer of old rents decay'd,

Stops holes and seames and desperate cuts display'd,
And thus without the needle we may see
We should without our bibs and biggins bee;
No shirts or smockes, our nakednesse to hide,
No garments gay, to make us magnifide:

No shadowes, shapparoones, caules, bands, ruffs, kuffs,
No kerchiefes, quoyfes, chinclouts, or marry-muffes,
No croscloaths, aprons, handkerchiefes, or falls,
No table-cloathes, for parlours or for halls,
No sheetes, no towels, napkins, pillow beares,
Nor any garment man or woman weares.
Thus is a needle prov'd an instrument

Of profit, pleasure, and of ornament.

Which mighty queenes have grac'd in hand to take,
And high borne ladies such esteeme did make,
That as their daughters daughters up did grow,
The needles art, they to the children show.
And as 'twas then an exercise of praise,

So what deserves more honour in these dayes,
Than this? which daily doth itselfe expresse
A mortall enemy to idlenesse.

The use of sewing is exceeding old,

As in the sacred text it is enrold:

Our parents first in Paradise began,

Who hath descended since from man to man:

The mothers taught their daughters, sires their sons

Thus in a line successively it runs

For generall profit, and for recreation,

From generation unto generation.

With work like cherubims embroidered rare,

The covers of the tabernacle were.

And by the Almighti's great command, we see,

That Aaron's garments broidered worke should be; And further, God did bid his vestments should

Be made most gay, and glorious to behold.

Thus plainly and most truly is declar'd
The needles worke hath still bin in regard,
For it doth art, so like to nature frame,

As if it were her sister, or the same.

Flowers, plants and fishes, beasts, birds, flyes, and bees,
Hills, dales, plaines, pastures, skies, seas, rivers, trees;
There's nothing neere at hand, or farthest sought,
But with the needle may be shap'd and wrought.
In clothes of arras I have often seene,
Men's figur'd counterfeits so like have beene,
That if the parties selfe had been in place,
Yet art would vie with nature for the grace;