ces of Flanders were freely used. Cromwell
himself, it is said, did not disdain the use of it. His effigy at
Westminster was dressed in a fine Holland lace-trimmed shirt, with bands
and cuffs of the same. This effigy, by the way, was destroyed at the
Restoration.

Charles II., who during his exile in France had become imbued with the
extravagant taste of the French Court, gave vast orders for "Points of
Venice and Flanders," on the plea of providing English lace-workers with
better patterns and ideas.

The falling collar certainly went out of fashion, but lace was liberally
used on other parts of the dress. Lace frills of costly Point edged the
knee-breeches, lace cravats were worn and deep falling cuffs. Charles
II., in the last year of his reign, spent L20 for a new cravat for his
brother's birthday.

During James II.'s reign extravagance in lace purchases are still
mentioned, but it surely reached its culmination in the joint reign of
William and Mary, when enormous sums were spent by both King and Queen.
In one year Queen Mary's lace bill amounted to L1,918. New methods of
using lace were fashioned. A huge head-dress called the "Fontange," with
upright standing ends of Venetian Point, double hanging ruffles falling
from elbow sleeves, lace-trimmed aprons, lace tuckers, characterised the
feminine dress of the day, while the "Steinkirk" cravat and falling
cuffs of William III.'s day ran up accounts not much less than that of
his Queen. In 1690 his bill was L1,603, and in 1695 it amounted to
L2,459!

The effigies of William and Mary in the Abbey, wear the very finest
Venetian Point laces. None of the other figures wear such costly lace,
nor in such profusion.

[Illustration: COLLAR IN GROS POINT DE VENISE.

Louis XIV. period.

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

XI

ENGLISH LACES

XI

ENGLISH LACES

Queen Anne and Mechlin--Establishment of lace-making in
Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire--Buckingham lace--Wiltshire
lace--Devonshire lace--Modern Honiton revival.

It was in Queen Anne's time that the earliest really good lace
manufactured in England appeared. Driven from France by the edict of
Louis XIV., the refugees found a home in England, and encouraged by
Queen Anne's fondness for laces other than Venetian, they made and
taught the English lace-workers, among whom they settled, the art of
real lace-making, which up to this time had apparently been only half
understood. Numerous l