any noble
mansions were enriched and adorned by its productions. In the first
year of his reign, Charles was indebted L6000 to the establishment for
three suits of gold tapestry; Five of the Cartoons were wrought here,
and sent to Hampton Court, where they still remain. A suit of
hangings, representing the Five Senses, executed here, was in the
palace at Oatlands, and was sold in 1649 for L270. Rubens sketched
eight pieces in Charles the First's reign for tapestry, to be woven
here, of the history of Achilles, intended for one of the royal
palaces. At Lord Ilchester's, at Redlinch, in Somersetshire, was a
suit of hangings representing the twelve months in compartments; and
there are several other sets of the same design. Williams, Archbishop
of York, and Lord Keeper, paid Sir Francis Crane L2500 for the Four
Seasons. At Knowl, in Kent, was a piece of the same tapestry wrought
in silk, containing the portraits of Vandyck, and St. Francis himself.
At Lord Shrewsbury's (Hoythorp, Oxfordshire) are, or were, four
pieces of tapestry from designs by Vanderborght, representing the four
quarters of the world, expressed by assemblages of the nations in
various habits and employments, excepting Europe, which is in
masquerade, wrought in chiaroscuro. And at Houghton (Lord Oxford's
seat) were beautiful hangings containing whole lengths of King James,
King Charles, their Queens, and the King of Denmark, with heads of the
Royal Children in the borders. These are all mentioned incidentally as
the production of the Mortlake establishment.

After the death of Sir Francis Crane, his brother Sir Richard sold the
premises to Charles I. During the civil wars, this work was seized as
the property of the Crown; and though, after the Restoration, Charles
II. endeavoured to revive the manufacture, and sent Verrio to sketch
the designs, his intention was not carried into effect. The work,
though languishing, was not altogether extinct; for in Mr. Evelyn's
very scarce tract intituled "Mundus Muliebris," printed in 1690, some
of this manufacture is amongst the articles to be furnished by a
gallant to his mistress.

One of the first acts of the Protectorate after the death of the king,
was to dispose of the pictures, statues, tapestry hangings, and other
splendid ornaments of the royal palaces. Cardinal Mazarine enriched
himself with much of this royal plunder; and some of the splendid
tapestry was purchased by the Archduke Leopold. This however f