means of pleasing the English dukes and the principal
envoys, Philip gave to them superb gifts of tapestries, the beautiful
tapestries of Flanders such as were made only in the territory of the
duke. It is interesting to note this authentic account of the
importation of certain Arras tapestries into England.

Subjects at this time introduced, besides Bible people, figures of
Clovis and of Charlemagne. Two hangings represented, the one _The
Seven Cardinal Vices_, with their conspicuous royal exponents in the
shape of seven vicious kings and emperors; the other, _The Seven
Cardinal Virtues_, with the royalties who had been their notable
exponents. Here is a frank criticism on the lives of kings which
smacks of latter-day democracy. All these tapestries were enriched
with gold of Cyprus, as gold threads were called.

This same magnificent Philip the Hardy, had other treaties to make
later on, and seeing how much his tapestries were appreciated,
continued to make presents of them. One time it was the Duke of
Brittany who had to be propitiated, all in the interests of peace,
peace being a quality much sought and but little experienced at this
time in France. Perhaps this especial Burgundian duke had a bit of
self-interest in his desire for amity with the English, for he was
lord of the Comite of Artois (including Arras) and this was a district
which, because of its heavy commerce with England, might favour that
country. A large part of that commerce was wool for tapestry weaving,
wool which came from the _pres sales_ of Kent, where to-day are seen
the same meadows, salt with ocean spray and breezes, whereon flocks
are grazing now as of old--but this time more for mutton chops than
for tapestry wools.

[Illustration: THE SACRAMENTS

Arras Tapestry, about 1430. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York]

The history of the Dukes of Burgundy, because their patronage was
so stimulating to the factories of Flanders, leads us to recall the
horrors of the war with Bajazet, the terrible Sultan of Turkey, and
the way in which this cool monster bartered human lives for human
luxuries. It was when the flower of France (1396) invaded his country
and was in the power of his hand, that he had the brave company of
nobles pass in review before his royal couch that he might see them
mutilated to the death. Three or four only he retained alive, then
sent one of these, the Sire de Helly, back to his France with _parole
d'honneur_ to re