This important city becomes one of the most interesting subjects for study with regard to the arts, since M. Jules Houdoy has elucidated its history. With his well-known intelligent patience, he has ransacked the archives, examined the accounts, and searched the citizens' registers, -so that his labours have all the certainty of an official inquiry, and his assertions may be accepted without questioning. The high warp industry dates back at Lille to the fourteenth century. This in no way implies that from that period Lille had entered upon high historical conceptions. On the contrary, for a long space of time we hear of "banquiers" for covering seats, of cushions, hangings with armorial bearings, of red tapestries, some with white fleurs-de-lis, the arms of the city, in short, of ordinary manufacturers.

It is in the sixteenth century, and under the dominion of the house of Austria, that art is developed. Mary, sister of Charles V., and governess of the Low Countries, passed a decree in 1538 concerning manufactures, designed to repress certain frauds, and especially that which consisted in "farder ou ayder les tapisseries de quelques couleurs et substances de poinc-ture que ce soit." This artifice is only permitted to be used for "the visages et autres membres nus." The assortment of colours was not yet sufficiently complete to admit of modelling the flesh with woven wools, and this tolerance, which was a continuation of the customs adopted in the fourteenth century, was granted.

The tapestry trade was at that time so great a source of fame and profit to Flanders, that Charles V. wished to regulate it in a definitive manner, and in 1544 he published the "Ordonnance statut et edict sur le fait et con-duyte du stil et mestier des tapissicrs." After having noticed the frauds which were committed, the emperor, desiring to put an end to the no less revolting abuse which consists in giving to a work the name of any most famous manufactory, although it may be of insignificant merit, declares that works are only to be executed in towns subject to special regulations for the police of the manufactures, as at "Lorain, Bruxelles, Anvers, Bruges, Aude-naerde, Allost, Enguien, Byns, Ast, Lille, Tournay, et aultres francs-lieux;" he desires, moreover, that the manufacturers should be bound "de prendre et eslire une marque et enseigne et de la presenter aux jures pour estre mise et registree au livre quy se tiendra audit mestier a celle fin avec leur nom et surnom, laquelle marque et enseigne chacun maistre tiendra sa vie durant sans aulcunement alterer ou changer." It is also enacted that the master workman making or causing to be made a hanging composed of several pieces joined together in the same border, shall be bound to have worked on one of the ends or at the bottom of the said tapestry his mark or "enseigne," and with it such enseignes as the town shall ordain: "afin que par telles enseignes et marq soit cogneu que ce soit ouvrage de la dite ville et d'un tel maistre ouvrier".

The obligatory mark for Lille was the escutcheon of gules with a fleur de lis argent. Exception was made only in the case of tapestries of very small value.

The importance which the Emperor attached to the guarantee of the mark led him to decree the following extreme penalty: "Que nul, quel qu'il soit, ne se presumera de contrefaire, falsifier de faire ou enfasser la marque d'un autre sur la paine et fourfaicture de la main dextre et de jamais povoir user dudict mestier".

Thus placed under strict rules, the industry was able to progress with regularity, and it made rapid advances at Lille; but before examining the productions it may have left behind, it will not be uninteresting to subjoin a list of the names of artisans which M. Houday has succeeded in collecting; we give it in chronological order: -

1318. Jehan Orghet.

1368. Willaume, high-warp worker (haut Ussier).

1409. Jehan Filloel, do.

14. Jehan Sauvage.

1424. Simon Le Vinchent.

1442. Jacquemard Largeche.

1457. Camus Dujardin, high-warp worker.

1460. Pierre Delos.

1470. Jehan de Haze.

1471. Jehan Calet. 1474. Grard Lejosne.

1510. Jehan Van der Brugghe, - Pierquin Derinne, - Franchois Hoen, - Pierre Van Opponem. working tapestry weavers.

1510. Jehan Pissonnier.

1512. Jean Faussart.

1520. Gabriel Van den Tombe.

1524. Gabriel Sauvaige.

1529. Jehan de Hamer, - Van Ophonem, - Pieter Pennemacker, - Zacharias.

1535. Jean Van Maelborch.

1538. Hector Bellemond, - JacquesCarpentier, - Jehan Carpentier, - Corn. Clerebaut, - Pierre Clincquemeure, - Gilles Duhamel, - Allard and Grard Escailler, - Paquet d'Estaires, - Bonaventure Hamel, - Alard Herselin, - Jacques Herselin, - Pierre Herselin, - Jehan Leclereq, - Jacques Lesage, - Jehan Malatire, - Jacques Meurille - Cornille Rouverit, - Jehan Sirou, - Pierre Tesart, - Pierre Thibaut, - Pierre de Weple.

1546. Guillaume Pannemaker.

1571. Gilles de Bouturle, - Loys Dupre, - Guillaume Mens, - Jehan Rigau.

1586. Jehan Breuckelinck, - Guillaume Breuckelinck, - Gertrude Waghenans, widow Breuckelinck.

1588 Francois Speering.

1625. Vinchent Van Quilkerberghe, privileged for 9 years.

1634 Van Caeneghem.

1641. Jehan de Quickelberghe.

1653. Jean de Strycker.

1658. Gaspard Van der Bruggen, - Henri Reydams.

1677. Jooris Blommaert and Franchois Vanderstichelen, low-warp manufacturers, called to Beauvais in 1684.

1679. Jean Cabillau.

1684. Francois and Andr6 Pennemacker, pupils of Brussels and of the Gobelins, privileged; execute "verdures".

1688. Jean de Melter, came from Brussels, important manufactory.

1701 Guillaume Wernier, son-in-law of Jean de Melter, and his successor, important works up to his death, in 1738.

1714. Deslobbes, ephemeral establishment.

1719. Jacques Deletombe, son-in-law of Pennemacker.

1723. Jean Hendrick and Guillaume Beer

1740- Francois Bouche.

1780. Etienne Deyrolle.

We have already remarked that the most ancient Lille works are principally ornamental and furnishing tapestries; still, figures must also have been executed there, and Pennemacker inaugurated, in the seventeenth century, the particular style called "verdures," in which the landscape ground assumes a primary importance, and the figures only play the part of accessories. Jean de Melter and his son-in-law Guillaume Wernier, endeavour to rival Brussels in tapestries with figures, and devote themselves especially to the "Tinnieres," that is, the village scenes painted by Teniers or in his style. The Universal Exhibition showed us a great composition of Wernier: the Marriage Feast of Cana, signed, and dated 1735 ; we also know the scenes from Don Quixote, and other important tapestries at the Hopital Saint-Sauveur.

Francois Bouche on his part, aimed at nothing less than rivalling the Gobelins, and in some pieces he has succeeded.

However, the obligatory mark of the white fleur de lis on a red ground, and the names collected in the above list, will enable connoisseurs to recognise any Lille tapestries they may meet with.