say no worse of the misappropriation.

Though we have had no schools of lace in England (unless we can call
our imitative industries schools), we have samplers of the time of
Queen Elizabeth, and down to the middle of the last century, showing
that drawn lace and cut lace were regularly taught, probably as an
accomplishment, by Italians. The laces of Devonshire and the Isle of
Wight (called Honiton) form a group totally distinct from those of
Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and Oxfordshire, which last are very
simple cushion bobbin-laces.

From the sixteenth century English ladies have, for their amusement,
made cut laces. Still, we must confess we have no national style of
lace, and the only enduring ones have been those of France and
Belgium, which have always kept the lead since their establishment,
though fluctuating in design with the varying fashions of each epoch.
Perhaps the reason of their longevity is that they have followed
always the taste of their day. That of our time being decidedly
archaeological, ancient patterns are now the most successful.

There is a kind of embroidery darned-work, called "Limerick lace,"
which is said to be only made in Ireland, and being partly
machine-made, is not pure lace, and therefore little esteemed. Very
fine thread laces have been produced at Irish work schools; but no
commercial result has followed. Clever imitations of Venice point have
come from Ireland lately, called "raised crochet." This is a novelty,
and it is extremely fine and beautiful work.

[Illustration: Pl. 46.
Egyptian "Gobelins," Woven and Embroidered.]

The Exhibition of Irish Lace in London (June, 1883), shows how
widespread have been the efforts of Irish ladies to employ the
peculiar genius of the sister island for delicate work with the
needle, which has always been shown in their beautiful embroideries on
muslin and cambric. It appears that every kind of lace, except,
perhaps, Brussels point, has been made in Ireland within the last 180
years; but as in each case the effort was always that of one
individual woman, the school fell away when she died.

The names of these ladies are now worthily recorded in the official
catalogue of the exhibition, with photographs of the specimens
produced under their superintendence and care. Perhaps a permanent
industry may crown, however late, their exertions to help the women of
Ireland.

_Part 8._

TAPESTRY--OPUS PECTINEUM.

It is necessary to de