ry about them. These products are
recognisable through much study of marks and details and much digging
in learned foreign books, where careful records are kept--a congenial
business for the antiquary.

But even though we may neglect in the main the lesser factories, there
is one great development which must have full notice. It is the
important English venture known as Mortlake.

Sully, standing at the elbow of Henri IV of France, called James I of
England the wisest fool in Europe. A part of his wisdom was the
encouraging in his own kingdom the royal craft of tapestry-making. To
this end he followed the example set by that grand Henri of Navarre,
and gave the crown's aid to establish and maintain works for tapestry
production.

The elegance of the Stuart came to the front, desiring gratification;
but craftiness had a hand in the matter, too. After the introduction
of Italian luxury into England by Henry VIII, and the continuance of
art's revival through the brilliant period of Elizabeth, it is not
supposable that no tapestry looms existed throughout the length and
breadth of the land at the time that James came down from Scotland.

They were there; documents prove it. But they were not of such
condition as pleased the fastidious son of Marie Stuart, who needs
must import his weavers and his artists. And therein was shown his
craftiness, for he had coaxed secretly from Flanders fifty expert
weavers before the canny Dutch knew their talented material was thus
being filched away. Every weaver was bound to secrecy, lest the Low
Countries, knowing the value of her clever workmen, put a ban upon
their going before the English king had his full quota for the new
venture.

Wandering about old London, one can identify now the place where the
king's factory had habitat. The buildings stood where now we find
Queen's Court Passage, and near by, at Victoria Terrace, was the house
set aside for the limners or artists who drew and painted for the
works.

To copy Henri IV in his success was dominant in the mind of James I.
To the able Sir Francis Crane he gave the place of director of the
works, and made with him a contract similar to that made with Francois
de la Planche and Marc Comans in Paris by their king.

If to James I is owed the initial establishment, to Crane is owed all
else at that time. It was in 1619 that the works were founded and Sir
Francis took charge. He was a gentleman born, was much seen at Court,
had a