Volltext Seite (XML)
SPAIN. 73 The early pattern books contain designs to be worked in gold and silver, 2 a manufacture said to have been chiefly carried on by the Jews, 3 as indeed it is in many parts ol Europe at the present time; an idea which strengthens on finding that two years after the expulsion of that persecuted tribe from the country, in 1492,. the most Catholic kings found it necessary to pass a law pro- ; hibiting the importation of gold lace from Lucca and Floience, | except such as was necessary for ecclesiastical purposes. ; We find no mention of lace in the ordinances of Toledo and | Sevilla of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, nor in those of Granada of the sixteenth and seventeenth, nor in the laws of Ferdinand and Isabella; 4 although there is preserved in the cathedral of Granada a lace alb said to have been presented to the church by these sovereigns. The late Cardinal Wiseman stated to the author that he had himself officiated in this vest ment, which was valued at 10,000 crowns. Our English translation of Don Quixote has led some authors into adducing a passage as an evidence that the art of making hone lace was already known in Spain in Cervantes’ day. “Sanchica,” writes Theresa I’anca to her husband, the newly appointed Governor of Barataria, “ makes bone lace, and gets eight maravedis a day, which she drops into a tin box to help towards household stuff. But now that she is a governor’s daughter, you will give her a fortune, and she will not have to work for it.” In referring to the original Spanish, we find the words rendered “ bone lace ” are “ puntas de randas,” signifying works of lacis or reseuil. 5 We may safely say that the fine church lace of Spain was but little known to the commercial world of Europe until the dissolu tion of the Spanish monasteries 6 in 1830, when the most splendid 2 “Livre Nouveau de Palrons,” and 4 “Ancient Needle Point and Pillow “ Fleurs des Patrons,” give various Lace,” published under the sanction ol stitches to be executed “ on ill d’or, the Science and Art Department of the 't’argent, de soio, ct d’autres.” Both Committee of Council on Education, printed at Lyons. ’ The first has no date; edited by Mr. Alan Cole. th e second, 1549. “ Le Pompe,” Vene- 5 “ Ouvrage de lacis ou reseuil.”— zia , 1559, has “ diversi sorti di mostre Oudin, Tre'sor des Deux Lmnjues Fr. et Per poter far, d’ oro, di sete, di filo,” &c. Esp. 10G0. 3 Not many years since, a family at 0 Spain has 8932 convents, containing Ca <liz, of Jewish extraction, still enjoyed 94,000 nuns and monks.—J. lownsend, the monopoly of manufacturing gold Journey through Spain m the Years 1 /8(> a, 'd silver lace.—Letter from Spain, and 1787. 1803.