Tableau de Paris, par S. Mercier. Amsterdam, 1782.
"Fashion." J. Warton.
Brussels lace-makers divide the plat into three parts, the "mat," the close part answering to the French toilé (Chapter III.); gaze au fuseau, in which small interstices appear, French grillé, and the jours, or open work.
The veil presented by the city of Brussels to the Empress Josephine was sold in 1816 by Eugene Beauharnais to Lady Jane Hamilton. It is described to have been of such ample dimensions that, when placed on Lady Jane's head—who was upwards of six feet high—it trained on the ground. The texture of the réseau was exquisitely fine. In each corner was the imperial crown and cypher, encircled with wreaths of flowers. This chef d'œuvre passed into the possession of Lady Jane's daughter, the Duchesse de Coigny.
To afford an idea of the intrinsic value of Brussels lace, we give an estimate of the expense of a fine flounce (volant), of vrai réseau mélangé (point and plat), 12 metres long by 35 centimetres wide (13¼ yards by 14 inches)—
| Fr | . | |
| Cost of the plat | 1,885 | .75 |
| Needle-point | 5,000 | |
| Open-work, jours (fonnage) | 390 | |
| Appliqué (stricage) | 800 | |
| Ground (réseau) | 2,782 | |
| Footing (engrêlure) | 1 | .27 |
| Total | 10,859 | .02 |
| = £434 7 6 | ||