ot constantly
surrounded by the storied cloths that were the indispensable
accessories of wealth and glory. Palaces and castles were hung with
them, the tents of military encampments were made gorgeous with their
richness, and no joust nor city procession was conceivable without
their colours flaunting in the sun as background to plumed knights and
fair ladies. Venice looked to them to brighten her historic stones on
days of carnival, and Paris spread them to welcome kings.

FRANCE

When, therefore, Brussels no longer supplied the tissues of her former
excellence, opportunity came for some other centre to rise. The next
important producer was Paris, and in Paris the art has consistently
stayed. Other brief periods of perfection have been attained
elsewhere, but Paris once establishing the art, has never let it drop,
not even in our own day--but that is not to be considered at this
moment.

Divers reigns of divers kings, notably that of Henri IV, fostered the
weaving of tapestry and brought it to an interesting stage of
development, after which Louis XIV established the Gobelins. From that
time on for a hundred years France was without a rival, for the
decadent work of Brussels could not be counted as such. Although the
work of Italy in the Seventeenth Century has its admirers, it is
guilty of the faults of all of Italy's art during the dominance of
Bernini's ideals.

AMERICAN INTEREST

America is too late on the field to enter the game of antiquity. We
have no history of this wonderful textile art to tell. But ours is the
power to acquire the lovely examples of the marvellous historied
hangings of other times and of those nations which were our forebears
before the New World was discovered. And we are acquiring them from
every corner of Europe where they may have been hiding in old chateau
or forgotten chest. To the museums go the most marvellous examples
given or lent by those altruistic collectors who wish to share their
treasures with a hungry public. But to the mellow atmosphere of
private homes come the greater part of the tapestries. To buy them
wisely, a smattering of their history is a requisite. Within the brief
compass of this book is to be found the points important for the
amateur, but for a profounder study he must turn to those huge volumes
in French which omit no details.

Not entirely by books can he learn. Association with the objects
loved, counts infinitely more in coming to an understand