seum.

"Les singuliers et nouveaux Pourtraicts du Seigneur Federic de
Vinciolo Venitien, pour toutes sortes d'ouvrages de Lingerie. Dedie a
la Reyne. A Paris, 1578."[117]

The book opens with a sonnet to the fair, which announces to them an
admirable motive for the work itself:--

"Pour tromper vos ennuis, et l'esprit employer."

Aux Dames et Damoyselles.

SONNET.

"L'un s'efforce a gaigner le coeur des {grands} Seigneurs
Pour posseder en fin une exquise richesse;
L'autre aspire aux estats, pour monter en altesse,
Et l'autre, par la guerre alleche les honneurs.

"Quand a moy, seulement pour chasser mes langueurs,
Je me sen satisfaict de vivre en petitesse,
Et de faire si bien, qu'aux Dames ie delaisse
Un grand contentement en mes graves labeurs.

"Prenez doncques en gre (mes Dames) ie vous prie,
Ces pourtrais ouvragez lesquels ie vous dedie,
Pour tromper vos ennuis, et l'esprit employer.

"En ceste nouveaute, pourrez beaucoup apprendre,
Et maistresses en fin en cest oeuvre vous rendre,
Le travail est plaisant: Si grand est le loyer."

Which, barring elegant diction and poetic rule, may be read thus:--

Whilst one man worships lordly state
As yielding all that he desires--
This, fertile acres begs from fate;
Another, bloody laurels fires.

To dissipate my devils blue,
Trifles, I'm satisfied to do;
For surely if the fair I please,
My very labours smack of ease.

Take then, fair ladies, I you pray,
The book which at your feet I lay,
To make you happy, brisk and gay.

There's much you here may learn anew,
Which _comme il faut_ will render you,
And bring you joy and honour too.

Proceed we to the--

"Ouvrages de point Coupe," of which there are thirty-six. Some birds,
animals, and figures are introduced; but the patterns are chiefly
arabesque, set off in white, on a thick black ground.

Then, with a repetition of the ornamented title-page, come about fifty
patterns, which are represented much like the German patterns of the
present day, in squares for stitches, but not so finely wrought as
some which we shall presently notice. These patterns consist of
arabesques, figures, birds, beasts, flowers, in every variety. To many
the stitches are ready counted (as well as pourtrayed), thus:--

"Ce Pelican contient en longueur 70 mailles, et en hauteur 65." This
pattern of maternity