t. It is frequently said that the last-named
lace came from Genoa or Milan, but most of the present-day authorities
agree that this is one of the many fairy tales with which the passing of
time has adorned the history of lace.

The persecution of the Protestants when the Huguenots fled to England,
bringing with them their arts of silk-weaving and lace-making, led to
the introduction of English lace. Devonshire apparently received a
contingent of laceworkers quite distinct from those who settled in
Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, and from the first stages showed far
finer methods and designs. With the exception of "Old Honiton," England
cannot boast of anything very fine, and even this is merely a
meaningless meandering of woven tape-like design for the greater part.
The lace of Buckinghamshire ranks, perhaps, lowest in the scale of lace
products, its only merit being its extreme durability.

The laces of Ireland are of comparatively recent growth, and though in
many instances exquisitely fine, do not as yet show much originality.

[Illustration: ORIGINAL PATTERNS DESIGNED BY VINCIOLA.]

II

THE ART OF LACE-MAKING

[Illustration: NEEDLEPOINT RESEAUX.

No. 1.--Brussels.
No. 2.--Alencon.
No. 3.--Argentan.
No. 4.--Argentella.]

II

THE ART OF LACE-MAKING

Needlepoint--Pillow Laces--Charts of various Reseaux--Technical
Terms.

Lace-making naturally falls into two classes--the Needlepoint and Pillow
varieties. In some laces, more especially of the Belgian class, there is
a _mixed_ lace, the "toile" or pattern, being worked with the needle,
and the ground, or "reseau," made round it on the pillow and _vice
versa_.

To the first-named class we must assign the Needlepoint laces of Italy
and the exquisite handmade laces of France. To the latter order belong
the early Macrame lace, called "Punto a Groppo"; the Genoese and
Milanese laces of Italy; Mechlin and Brussels of Belgium; Valenciennes,
Lille, and Chantilly of France; and the English laces of Honiton,
Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire.

Pillow lace may be easily distinguished from Point lace, as in the
former the ground, or reseau, is made of plaited threads. That of Point
lace is composed of threads made by the use of the buttonhole stitch
only, or, in the case of Alencon point, the mesh is worked in a special
manner. The later laces, _i.e._, those made during the last hundred
years, have frequently a ground of machine lace, a