, cut-work, Crown lace, bone lace for ruffs, Spanish chain,
parchment, hollow, and diamond lace. Many of these terms cannot be
understood.

The enormous ruffs worn by Queen Elizabeth were introduced into England
in the time of her sister Mary. Portraits both of Philip of Spain and
Queen Mary show ruffs, but not edged with lace. Queen Elizabeth's, on
the contrary, are both edged with lace and, in some instances, covered
with it. On her poor old effigy at Westminster Abbey, where her waxen
image is dressed in her actual garments, the only lace that appears is
on the enormous ruff, three-quarters of a yard wide, covered with a fine
lace of the loose network kind. The rest of her garments are trimmed
with gold and silver lace and _passementerie_.

In the succeeding reign lace of a geometric design shows itself on the
ruffs of the richest people. Pictures in the National Portrait Gallery
show many exquisite examples of the beautiful Reticella of Venice, which
must have been very costly to the purchaser, as twenty-five yards or
more of this fine lace were required to edge a ruff.

It was in the reign of James I. and his consort, Anne of Denmark, that
Flanders lace and the expensive Point laces of Italy first became widely
popular. Then, as now, they were costly--to such an extent that many
gentlemen sold an estate to buy laces for their adornment.

It was during this reign that we first learn of a lace being made in
England, as Queen Anne of Denmark on her journey south purchased lace at
_Winchester_ and _Basing_, but history mentions not what kind of lace it
was. Apparently only a simple kind of edging was used, made on a pillow.

The enormous ruffs went out of fashion with the death of James I.
Charles I., in all his portraits, wears the falling collar edged with
Vandyke lace. It was during this reign that Venetian lace reached its
apotheosis in England. The dress of the day has never been surpassed,
though it became much more elaborate and ostentatious in the time of
Charles II. and William and Mary. Falling collars were specially adapted
to the display of the handsome laces of Venice. The cuffs of the sleeves
were likewise trimmed with the same; scarves were worn across the
breast, trimmed with the narrower Reticella.

[Illustration: SEVENTEENTH CENTURY FALLING COLLAR TRIMMED WITH FINE
RETICELLA.

(_S.K.M. Collection._)]

During the Commonwealth the laces of Venice suffered a temporary
eclipse, and the plainer la