her-stitch, the edges and outlines marked with
very fine gold twist. On the upper board there is a seated allegorical
figure with cornucopia, probably representing Plenty. Behind her is an
ornamental landscape with a piece of water, the bright lines of which
are feelingly rendered with small stitches of silver thread, hills with
trees, and a castle in the distance. The other side has a similarly
worked figure of Peace, a seated figure holding a palm branch; the
landscape is of a similar character to that on the upper board, but the
river or lake has a bridge over it. The work itself is of the same very
delicate kind, the edges and folds of the dress being marked with fine
gold twist.

Each of these ovals is marked by a solid framework with scrolls,
strongly made with silver threads, and in high relief; in each corner is
a very finely worked flower or fruit, pansy, strawberry, tulip, and
lily. The back is divided into four panels, a very decorative
conventional flower being worked in each, representing probably a red
lily, a tulip, a blue and yellow iris, and a daffodil. The edges of the
boards are bound with a broad silver braid, the edges of the leaves are
gilded and prettily gauffred, and there are remains of four silver ties.

_Psalms._ London, 1633.

There is often much speculation as to who can have worked the English
embroidered books, and it is very rarely that any reliable information
on this interesting point is available.

There is, however, a manuscript note in a copy of the Psalms, printed in
1633 and bound in embroidered white satin, that the work upon it was
done by 'Elizabeth, wife of Matthew Wren, Bishop of Ely,' who was an
uncle of the architect. The volume still belongs to a member of the
family, Dr. W. T. Law of Portland Place, who has most kindly allowed me
to give an illustration of this beautiful book. It measures 4 by 3
inches. The design is different in details on each board, the central
design, however, being in each case contained within a strongly worked
gold border in high relief, widening out at each extremity into a
crownlike form, and richly augmented at intervals with clusters of seed
pearls. On the upper board within the oval is a double rose with curving
stem, leaves, and a bud; the petals are worked in needlepoint, with fine
gold twist at the edges, and a cluster of pearls in the centre. In the
upper corners are a butterfly, with needlepoint wings, and a bird, with
needlepoint wi