tent-, or
tapestry-, stitch. It represents the Crucifixion and a saint, but M.
Bouchot remarks of it, 'La composition est grossiere et les figures des
plus rudimentaires.'

The other instance occurs on a sixteenth-century manuscript, 'Les Gestes
de Blanche de Castille.' It is bound in black velvet, much worn, and
ornamented with applique embroideries in coloured silks, in shading
stitch, probably done on fine linen. The design on the upper cover shows
the author of the book, Etienne le Blanc, in the left-hand corner,
kneeling at the feet of Louise de Savoie, Regent of France, to whom the
book is dedicated. Near her is a fountain into which an antlered stag is
jumping, pursued by three hounds.

The Dutch, in the numerous excellent styles of bindings they have so
freely imitated from other nations, have not failed to include the
English embroidered books. In the South Kensington Museum is a charming
specimen of their work on satin, finely worked in coloured silks with
small masses of pearls in a rather too elaborate design of flowers and
animals. In the British Museum, besides other instances of Dutch
needlework, there is a very handsome volume of the _Acta Synodalis
Nationalis Dordrechti habitae_, printed at Leyden in 1620, and bound in
crimson velvet. It has the royal coat-of-arms of England within the
Garter, with crest, supporters, and motto, all worked in various kinds
of gold thread; in the corners are sprays of roses and thistles
alternately, and above and below the coat are the crowned initials J. R.,
all worked in gold thread.

_Hints for Modern Broiderers._

Many book-covers have been embroidered during the last few years in
England by ladies working on their own account, or by some of the
students at one or other of the many excellent centres now existing for
the study and practice of the fascinating art of bookbinding.

Although a large proportion of modern work of this kind has been only
copied from older work, I see no reason why original designs should not
be freely and successfully invented. But I think that the ancient work
may be advantageously studied and carefully copied as far as choice of
threads and manner of working them goes. The workers of our old
embroidered books were people of great skill and large experience, and
from a long and careful examination of much of their work, I am
impressed with the conviction that they worked on definite principles.
If I allude briefly to some of these I