[96] T. ii. p. 131.
That, in the thirteenth century our own ladies, like the Roman Proba, themselves used to make the gold thread needed for their own embroidery is certain; and the process which they followed is set forth as one of the items among the other costs for that magnificent frontal wrought A.D. 1271, for the high altar at Westminster Abbey. As that bill itself, to be seen on the Chancellor’s Roll for the year 56 of Henry III., affords so many curious and available particulars about the whole subject in hand, we will give it here at full length for the sake of coming back hereafter to its several parts: “In xij. ulnis de canabo ad frontale magni altaris ecclesiæ (Westmonasterii) et cera ad eundem pannum ceranda, vs. vid. Et in vj marcis auri ad idem frontale, liij marcas. Et in operacione dicti auri, et sessura (scissura?) et filatura ejusdem, iiijl. xiijs. Et in ij libris serici albi et in duobus serici crocei ad idem opus, xxxvs. Et in perlis albis ponderis v marcarum, et dimidiæ ad idem opus lxxli. Et pro grossis perlis ad borduram ejusdem panni, ponderis ij marcarum, xiijli. dimidiam marcam. Et in una libra serici grossi, xs. Et in stipendio quatuor mulierum operancium in predicto panno per iij annos et iij partes unius anni, xxxvili. Et in Dccciijxx vi estmalles ponderis liiis. ad borduram predictam. Et pro lxxvj asmallis grossis ponderis lxvs. ad idem frontale iiijxxli. xvjs. Et pro Dl gernectis positis in predictis borduris, lxvis. Et in castoniis auri ad dictas gernectas imponendas ponderis xijs. vjd., cxijs. vjd. Et in pictura argenti posita subtus predicta asmalla, ij marcas. Et in vj ulnis cardonis de viridi, iijs.”[97] As the pound-weight now is widely different from the pound sterling, so then the mark-weight of gold cost nine marks of money. The “operacio auri” of the above document consisted in flattening out, by a broad-faced hammer like one such as our gold-beaters still use, the precious metal into a sheet thin as our thinnest paper. The “scissura” was the cutting of it afterwards into long narrow strips, the winding of which about the filaments of the yellow silk mentioned, is indicated by the word “filatura,” and thus was made the gold thread of that costly frontal fraught with seed-pearls and other some, of a much larger size, and garnets, or rather carbuncles, and enamels, and which took four women three years and three-quarters to work. At the back it was lined with green frieze or baize—“cardo de viridi.”
Such was the superior quality of some gold thread that it was known to the mediæval world under the name of the place wherein it had been made. Thus we find a mention at one time of Cyprus gold thread—“vestimentum embrowdatum cum aquilis de auro de Cipre;”[98] later, of Venice gold thread—“for frenge of gold of Venys at vjs. the ounce;”[99] “one cope of unwaterd camlet laid with strokes of Venis gold.”[100] What may have been their difference cannot now be pointed out: perhaps the Cyprian thread was so much esteemed because its somewhat broad shred of flat gold was wound about the hempen twist beneath it so nicely as to have the smooth unbroken look of gold wire; while the article from Venice showed everywhere the twisting of common thread.
[97] Rot. Cancel. 56 Henrici III. Compot. Will. de Glouc.
[98] Mon. Anglic. ii. 7.
[99] Wardrobe Accounts of King Edward IV. p. 117, ed. N. H. Nicolas.
[100] Mon. Anglic. ii. 167.
As now, so of old,
Silks had various names
given them, meaning either their kind of texture and dressing, their colour and its several tints, the sort of design or pattern woven on them, the country from which they were brought, or the use for which, on particular occasions, they happened to be especially set apart.