SILK FABRICS. 581 



eleven years. The price generally is between icj. a yard and 

 ijs., but in 1629 Lord Spencer gives 2os. for white satin. In 

 1608 green satin is 175. In 1650, when it is at ios., it is also 

 green, and is bought for Lady Bering's petticoat. In 1630, 

 when it is 17^., it is described as figured. Figured satin is 

 i6s. 6d. in 1633. In 1649 scarlet satin is 16^., blue wrought 

 satin 13.5-. In 1651 scarlet satin is i6s. 8d. It seems to have 

 generally been a woman's stuff. 



I have found sarsnet in ten years. The price of this article 

 like the last entry is very steady. In the first two entries, 

 early in the period, it is 6s. id. and 6s. In the next two, 1610 

 and 1646, it is 8s. In the next, 1649, $s. <\d. In the next 

 three, 1650, 1652, 1667, it is los. In 1668 it is 8s. 6d. In 

 1697 white sarsnet is bought in London at 4$-. 6d. the yard. 



Taffeta is a commoner silk fabric. I have found it in 

 nineteen years. But the price is so various, that I cannot help 

 thinking that a worsted fabric was known under this name as 

 well as the ordinary silk one, for while the silk fabric is los. a 

 yard generally or more, I find green and white taffeta bought 

 at Norwich in 1587 at 2s. But omitting the consideration of 

 this entry, the price will be found to range between $s. and 

 zos. a yard. In 1584, it is los. ; in 1593, 14*. ; in 1608, when it 

 is bought for Prince Henry, it is i$s. But in 1610 coloured 

 taffeta in London is at 17^. In 1613 changeable taffeta is 

 Js. 4d. an ell at Cambridge, in 1615 it is bought for King's 

 College chapel at 5$-., but in 1617 Shuttleworth gives i$s. for 

 the same article. The highest prices are found in 1631. Lord 

 Spencer gives 14?. for black, and 2Oj. for rich taffeta. In 1646 

 Master pays 13*. 8d. ; in 1647, 12s. ; in 1648, loj. In 1650 

 white taffeta costs Dering izs. ; while in 1667, the last entry, 

 Master buys striped taffeta at 5s. In 1623 taffeta is bought 

 for ship stores at 9^., IQJ., los. 6d. and us. the ell ; I presume 

 for flags or pennons. Sometimes the article is called taffeta 

 sarsnet. 



bby, frequently used for lining, is found in thirteen years, 

 but does not occur till near the end of the first half of the 



