of the Royal family it would
undoubtedly be properly counted as a floral specimen. Again, in many of
the portrait bindings flowers and arabesques are introduced, but they
are clearly subordinate, and the chief decorative motive of such designs
must be looked for, and the work classed accordingly. Thus it is evident
that the arrangement of the embroidered books by their designs cannot
be too rigidly applied, although it should not be lost sight of
altogether.

_Division of Embroidered Books according to the material on which they
are worked._

A more useful and accurate classification may however be found by help
of the material on which the embroidered work is done, and this division
is obvious and easy. With very few exceptions all embroidered books,
ancient and modern, are worked on _canvas_, _velvet_, or _satin_, and
while canvas was used continuously from the fourteenth century until the
middle of the seventeenth century, velvet was most largely used during
the Tudor period, and satin during that of the early Stuarts.

Broadly speaking, the essential differences in the kind of work found
upon these three materials follow the peculiarities of the materials
themselves. Canvas, in itself of no decorative value, is always
completely covered with needlework. Velvet, beautiful even when alone,
but difficult to work upon, usually has a large proportion of applique,
laid, or couched work, in coloured silk or satin, upon it, showing
always large spaces unworked upon, and such actual work as occurs
directly on the velvet is always in thick guimp or gold cord. Satin,
equally beautiful in its way, is also freely left unornamented in
places; the needlework directly upon it is often very fine and delicate
in coloured floss silks, generally closely protected by thick raised
frames or edges of metallic threads or fine gold or silver cords.

[Illustration: FIG. 1. Silken thread closely wound round with strip of
flat metal.]

[Illustration: FIG. 2. Silken thread loosely wound round with strip of
flat metal.]

[Illustration: FIG. 3. Strips of flat metal cut into shapes and kept
down by small stitches at regular intervals. Called 'Lizzarding.']

By 'metallic' threads, when they are not simply fine wires, I mean
strands of silk closely (Fig. 1) or loosely (Fig. 2) wound round with
narrow coils of thin metal, mostly silver or silver gilt. The use of
such threads, alone, or twisted into cords, is common on all styles of
embroid