had until then been prosecuted with various degrees of success, greatly declined, but under the government of Napoleon it was again revived, and has since been successfully carried on, although not to the same extent as formerly. About the year 1802 ninety persons were employed at the Gobelins, chiefly in the preparation of tapestry, for the palace of St. Cloud; and it was estimated that 150,000 francs were expended yearly on these productions. The pieces executed are generally historical subjects, and it occasionally requires the labour of from two to six years to finish a single piece of tapestry. The cost of some of these pieces is enormous, but the price of the different articles is regulated less by their size than by the beauty and difficulty of the work.* The productions of this manufactory, which is entirely supported by the government, are chiefly destined for the royal palaces, or for presents made by the king; but some few pieces, not designed as such, are allowed to be sold. Connected with the establishment of the Gobelins, is one for the dyeing of wool, under the direction of able chemists, where an infinite number of shades, mostly unknown in trade, except for the purposes of needlework, are dyed for the tapestry. Wool is now exclusively used, as the colours are more permanent. There is also a drawing-school, in which the principles of the art are taught, and an annual course of lectures is delivered upon chemistry as applicable to dyeing. * Evelyn gives the following description of some Gobelin tapestry, then new in England, which he saw in the apartments of the Duchess of Portsmouth : "Here I saw the new fabriq of French tapissry, for designe, tendernesse of worke, and incomparable imitation of the best paintings, beyond anything I had ever beheld. Some pieces had Versailles, St. German's, and other palaces of the French king, with huntings, figures, and landskips, exotiq fowls, and all to the life rarely don."-Memoirs, p. 563. The Gobelin tapestry was formerly made in lengths or pieces, the width of which varied from four to eight feet; and when one of larger dimensions was required, several of these were sewn or finedrawn together with such care that no seams were discernible. At the present day, however, they are manufactured of much greater widths, so that they seldom require to be joined even in the largest pieces. Two methods were formerly practised in the manufacture of tapestry, known as those of the "basse lisse," and the "haute lisse;" in the first, or low warp, which is now relinquished, the loom was placed horizontally, similar to common weaving, the painting intended to be wrought being beneath the warp; and the process was very remarkable, from the fact of the tapestry being worked on the wrong side, so that the artist could not see the face of the design he was weaving, until the whole piece was finished and taken out of the frame. In the "haute lisse," or high warp, which is still used, the frame is fixed perpendicularly before the artist; he also works, as it were blindfold, seeing nothing of the effect he produces, and being obliged to go to the other side of the loom whenever he wishes to examine the piece he is executing. following brief description of the mode at present practised at the Gobelins, may perhaps convey some idea of the manufacture to those who have not visited this most interesting establishment. The The frame or loom is formed of two upright pieces, at the top and bottom of which, two large rollers are fixed horizontally to these rollers are fastened the longitudinal threads, or warp, composed of twisted wool, wound on the upper roller, the work, as it is executed, being gradually wound round the lower. On the inner side of the upright pieces, several contrivances (here unnecessary to describe) are placed at different points, for separating these threads more or less from one another, in order to admit the cross threads or warp, which are to form the picture. 66 -to whose fair colour'd threads Hang figur'd weights, whose various numbers guide The artist's hand he, unseen flowers, and trees, And vales, and azure hills, unerring works." As a sort of guide for the artist to introduce the cross threads in their proper places, he traces an outline of his subject on the threads of his warp in front, which are sufficiently open to enable him to see the painting behind it. For working the tapestry three instruments are required,-a broach, a reed or comb, and an iron needle. The first is formed of hard wood, about seven or eight inches in length, and twothirds of an inch thick, ending in a point with a small handle, round which the wool is wound, and serving the same purpose as the weaver's shuttle. The reed is also of wood, eight or nine inches long, and an inch thick at the back, whence it gradually decreases to the extremity of the teeth, which are more or less divided, according to the greater or less degree of fineness of the intended work. The needle is in shape similar to a common needle, but much larger and longer; it is used to press close the wool, when there is any line or colour that does not set well. The artist places himself behind the frame, with his back towards the cartoon or picture he is about to copy; he first turns and looks at his design, then taking a broach of the proper colour he places it among the threads of the warp, which he brings across each other with his fingers, by means of the coats or threads fastened to the staff; this he repeats every time it is necessary to change his colour. Having placed the wool, he beats it with his reed; and when he has thus wrought several rows, he passes to the other side to see their effect, and to properly adjust them with his needle, should there be occasion. As tapestry, however, of this description, is not the work of ladies, it would be tedious for us to enter more upon the subject; for although in this-" the age of renaissance"-it is the fashion to work panels for rooms, and hangings for beds, yet we do not entirely agree with the "Spectator," when he says, "how memorable would that matron be, who should have it inscribed on her monument, "that she wrought out the whole Bible in tapestry, and died in a good old age, after having covered three hundred yards of wall in the mansion house.'"* * The Cartoons of Raffaelle, which have been justly called "the glory of England, and the envy of all other polite nations,' were painted for the express purpose of being wrought in tapestry. There were originally twenty-five of these sacred historical designs, but seven only now remain. They were executed under the auspices of pope Julius II. and Leo X. at the time that Raffaelle was engaged in the chambers of the Vatican. The whole of them were sent to Flanders to be worked in tapestry, to adorn the pontifical apartments. The tapestries were not sent to Rome until after the death of this great master, and the cartoons, which were greatly damaged by being cut into strips by the weavers, lay neglected in the storerooms of the manufactory; where, during the revolution which soon after happened in the low countries, most of them were destroyed. The seven which now adorn the gallery at Hampton Court were purchased by Rubens for Charles I. These cartoons fortunately escaped being sold in the royal collection by the disproportionate appraisement of them at £300, while the nine representing the triumph of Julius Cæsar, by Andrea Mantegna, were valued at £1000. For an account of the more celebrated ancient tapestries on the continent, we refer our readers to M. Achille Jubinal's splendid work, Les Anciennes Tapisseries Historiées. In England, the tapestry preserved in St. Mary's Hall, at Coventry, although much mutilated, is well worthy of careful examination. The finest ancient tapestries in existence are doubtless those at Hampton Court, which are supposed to have been presented to Cardinal Wolsey by the emperor Charles V; an interesting description of these will be found in Mr. Jesse's entertaining little work, A Summer's Day at Hampton Court. CHAPTER III. Materials in General. "From fertile France, and pleasant Italy, From Poland, Sweden, Denmarke, Germany, And some of these rare Patternes haue beene fet Beyond the bounds of faithlesse Mahomet: JOHN TAYLOR. HE products of the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral kingdom, are called into requisition for the service of the needlewoman :-the east and the west are alike laid under contribution for the various articles which she employs. Silk, wool, cotton, flax, and hemp, and even the precious metals, -gold and silver, are formed and twisted into various threads to serve her different purposes. Nor have the shells of the ocean escaped her notice, as witness the splendid works in nacre, of which the stamped quill work, or écaille (as it has been improperly termed,) is an imitation. The feathers of birds, the scales of fishes, the wing cases of insects, and insects themselves; the barks of trees, the skins of serpents, furs, mosses, straw, grass, seaweeds, |