y her
at Ashridge when she was hurried away in the dead of night to
Hatfield.[605]

The character of the Renaissance of the sixteenth century, just
released from the trammels of Gothic traditions, was somewhat lawless
in England, being unchastened by the classical element which entirely
controlled the movement in Italy.

The queen's dress soon departed from the severe simplicity which she
at first affected, and every part of her costume was covered with
flowers, fruit, and symbolical designs; while serpents, crowns,
chains, roses, eyes and ears crowded the surfaces of the fine
materials of her dresses. These symbolical designs were rich without
grace, and ingenious rather than artistic, although their workmanship
was perfect. In Louisa, Lady Waterford's collection we find a jacket
for a slight girl's figure, of white linen, covered with flowers,
fruit, and berries, all carried out in satin and lace stitches. There
are butterflies with their wings disengaged from the ground; pods
bursting open and showing the round seeds or peas; caterpillars
stuffed and raised; all these astonish us by their quaint perfection,
and shock us by their naturalistic crudeness of design, and the utter
want of beauty or taste in the whole effect. The impression left on
the mind is, how dear it must have cost the pocket of the purchaser
and the eyes of the workers. There are, however, exceptions to these
defective poor designs; and in the same collection is a cushion-cover
worked in gold and silver plate, purl and silk, on a red satin ground,
which is as good as possible in every respect, and is purely English
in style. The stitches and materials are most refined and varied.
Purl, which was a newly made material imported from Italy and Germany,
was then in much vogue, and we have seen a few fine specimens of it,
that have been imitated from the Italian cinque-cento raised and
stuffed needlework, which are very curious and almost very
beautiful,--only one feels that the same effect could have been
produced by simpler means. This work is characteristic of the reigns
of Henry VIII., Elizabeth, and James I. We have needlework of another
most unhappy queen of this date. Poor Mary, Queen of Scots, tried to
soften Elizabeth's heart towards her prisoner by little gifts of her
own embroideries.[606]

We have no account of the cause of the incorporation of the
Embroiderers' Company by Queen Elizabeth,[607] in the third year of
her reign, Oct. 25th,