Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Embroide1·ies

189

what she would, she \Yas uпаЫе to force а thread through its obstinate еуе. At last, after trying all possiЫe means to thread the needle, she took а magnifying glass to examine and see wЬat the impediment was, and, lo ! the еуе of the needle "'as filled with а great tear, - it was \Yeeping for the loss of its old mistress, апd no one was ever аЫе to thread it again ! Embroidery is нsually regarded as strictly а ,voman's craft, Ьпt in the Middle Ages the leading needlewoгkers wеге often men. The old list of names given Ьу Loнis Fa1·cy has almost an equal propoгtion of workers of botl1 sexes. But the finest " 1 ork was certainly accomplished Ьу the conscientious d"·ellers in cloisteгs, and the 1шns devoted their vast leisнre in those days to this ai·t. Fulle1· observes: "Nнnneгies \Ус1·е also good shee­ schools, whercin the gii'ls of the П('ighboнrhood we1·e taнgllt to read and work . . . that the sharpnesse of thei1· wits and sш!dc>nnesse of tЬeil' conceits (,vhich еvеп thcir enemies mнst allo,Y tшto them !) migl1t Ьу educa­ tion Ье iшpro,,ed into а jнdicioнs solidity." Iп sоше of tЬesc sclюols the сш1·iснlнm inclшled "Reading and se,Ying, threepence а "-'eek: а penny extra fог manners." An olcl thi1·teentЬ century work, called tl1e "Kleine Heldenbнch," contains а ve1·se "'hich may Ьс thus translated:

н \Vho taught me to embroider in а fraшe with silk? And to dra w ancl design the wild and tame

Beasts of the f01·est and fiebl? Also to picture on plain surface: