LAC 
flie quantity which is fhifted endways is altered every time, 
by means of the machinery, fo as to move a certain num¬ 
ber of needles ; which number is altered every time, to 
produce the pattern. All the parts of this machine, ex¬ 
cept the guides, are moved by means of treadles, inftead 
of ufing the hands, as in the common Itocking-frame. 
The net produced by thefe frames is woven in bands of 
the width of the intended lace, having a wider melh than 
the others, through which the divifion is to be made to 
fep'arate the lace into narrow Itripes. Before cutting up 
in this manner, ,the lace is fpread in a frame, and a com¬ 
mon needle with a thick thread is worked in the meflies, 
to imitate the gimp, according to the pattern for which 
the lace is intended. The lace-trade of Nottingham.has 
been carried to a very great extent, but is at prefent in a 
Bate of flagnation, being chiefly dependent on foreign 
trade, as it has never been in fuch great repute with the 
JBritifli ladies. 
Lace is alfo made of gold and filver thread, much in 
the fame manner as the bone or blond lace above defcribed. 
The importation of gold and fiver lace is prohibited. 
Great quantities of the finelt blond-laces have been im- 
•ported from Flanders. By 3 Geo. III. c. 21. and 5 Geo. 
III. c. 48. if any perfon lhall import any ribbands, laces, 
or girdles, not made in Great Britain, whether the fame 
fliall be wrought of filk alone, or mixed with other mate¬ 
rials, the fame lhall be forfeited, and may be feized by any 
officer of the cultoms, in whatever importers’, venders’, 
or retailers’, hands they may be found; and the importer, 
and every perfon affilting therein, and the venders and re¬ 
tailers in vvliofe cuftody they lhall be found, or who lhall 
fell or expofe the fame to fale, or conceal with intent to 
prevent the forfeiture, lhall forfeit refpectively 200I. with 
colls; half to the king, and half to the officer who lhall 
inform and profecute. 
Method of Cleaning Gold Lace and Embroidery when tarnijhed. 
—For this purpofe alkaline liquors are by no means to be 
ufed; for, while they clean the gold, they corrode the filk, 
and change or difcharge its colour. Soap alfo alters the 
lhade, and even the fpecies, of certain colours. But fpi- 
rit of wine may be ufed without any danger of its injur¬ 
ing either the colour or quality of the lubjeft ; and in 
many cafes proves as effectual, for reltoring the luflre of 
the gold, as the corrofive detergents. A rich brocade, 
flowered with a variety of colours, after being difagreea- 
bly tarnilhed, had the luftre of the gold perfectly reltored 
by waffiing it with a foft brulh dipt in warm fpirit of wine ; 
and fome of the colours of the filk, which were likewife 
foiled, became at the fame time remarkably bright and 
lively. Spirit of wine feems to be the only material adapt¬ 
ed to this intention, and probably the boalted fecret of 
certainartifts is no other than this fpirit difguiled. Among 
liquids, Dr. Lewis fays, he does not know of any other 
that is of fufficient activity to difcharge the foul matter, 
•without being hurtful to the filk; as to powders, however 
line, and however cautioully ufed, they fcratch and wear 
the gold, which here is only fuperficial and of extreme te¬ 
nuity. But, though fpirit of wine is the molt innocent 
material that can be employed for this purpofe, it is not 
in all cafes proper. The golden covering may be in fome 
parts worn off; or the bale metal, with which it had been 
iniquitoufly alloyed, may be corroded by the air, fo as to 
leave the particles of the gold difunited ; while the filver 
und-erneath, tarnilhed to a yellow hue, maj' continue a 
tolerable colour to the whole ; in which cales it is appa¬ 
rent, that the removal of the tarnilh would be prejudicial 
to the colour, and make the lace or embroidery lefs like 
gold than it was before. 
Method of feparating the Gold and Silver from Lace without 
burning it. —Cut the lace in pieces, and (having feparated 
the thread from it by which it was fewed to the garment) 
tie it up in a linen cloth, and boil it in foap-ley, diluted 
with water, till you perceive it is diminifhed in bulk ; 
which will take up but a little time, unlefs the quantity 
of lace be very confiderabie. Then take out the cloth, 
send waffi it feveral times in cold water; fqueezing it pret- 
Vol. XII. No. 808. 
LAC °<j 
ty hard with your foot, or beating it with a mallet, to clear 
it of the loap-ley ; then untie the cloth, and you will 
have the metallic part of the lace pure, and no-where al¬ 
tered in colour or diminifhed in weight. 
This method is abundantly more convenient and lefs 
troublefome than the common way of burning; and, as a 
fmall quantity of the ley will be fufficient, the expence 
will be trifling, efpecially as the fame ley may be ufed fe¬ 
veral times, if cleared of the filky calcination. It may 
be done in either an iron or copper veffel. The ley may 
be had at the foap-boilers, or it may be made of pearl-alh 
and quicklime boiled together in a fufficient quantify of 
water. The reafon of this ftidden change in the lace will 
be evident to thofe who are acquainted with chemiftry; for 
filk, on which all our laces are wove,, is an animal fub- 
ltance, and all animal lubftances are foluble in alkalies', 
efpecially when rendered more cauftic by the addition 
of quicklime; but the linen you tie it in, being a vegeta¬ 
ble, will remain unaltered. 
LACEDAi'MON, in fabulous hiftory, a fon of Jupiter 
and Taygeta the daughter of Atlas, who married Sparta 
the daughter of Europa, by whom he had Amyclas and 
Eurydice the wife of Acrilius. He was the fir ft who in¬ 
troduced the worfhip of the Graces in Laconia, and who 
firlt built them a temple. From Lacedaemon and his wife, 
the capital of Laconia was called Lacedamon and Sparta. 
LACEDzE'MON, a noble city of Peloponnefus, called 
alfo Sparta ; the names differing in this, that the latter is 
the proper and ancient name of the city, the former of 
the country, which afterwards came to be applied to the 
city. Homer alfo makes this diftindtion; and calls the 
country holy , becaufe encompaffed with mountains. It 
has alfo been feverally known by the name of Lelegia, from 
the Leleges the firlt inhabitants of the country, or from 
Lelex the firlt of their kings; and Oebalia, from Oebalas 
the fixth king from Eurotas. It was alfo called Hccatom- 
polis, from 100 cities which the whole province once con¬ 
tained. The prefent city is called Miftra, fituated in lat. 
36. 55. N. Ion. 23. o. E. See Sparta; and, for the hif¬ 
tory of Lacedaemon, or Laconia, lee the article Greece, 
vol. viii. 
LACEDASMO'NIAN, adj. Born at Lacedaemon; be¬ 
longing to Lacedaemon. 
LACEDASMO'NI AN, f. A native of Lacedaemon. 
LACED-fEMO'NIUS, a fon of Cimon by Clitoria. He 
received this name for his father’s regard for the Lacedae¬ 
monians. Plutarch. 
LACEDOG'NA. See Cedogna, vol. iv. 
LA'CEMAN,yi One who deals in lace.—I met with a 
nonjuror, engaged with a laceman, whether the late French 
king was molt like Augultus Casfar, or Nero. A'ddifon's 
SpcElator. 
LA'CERABLE, adj. [from lacerate.'] Such as may be 
torn.—Since the lungs are obliged to a perpetual com¬ 
merce with the air, they mult neteflarily lie open to great 
damages, becaufe of their thin and lacerable compol'ure. 
Harvey. 
To LA'CERATE, v.n. [lacero, Lat.] To tear; to rend; 
to feparate by violence.—And my fons lacerate and rip 
up, viper-like, the womb that brought them forth. Iiowel. 
—The heat breaks through the water, fo as to lacerate and 
lift up great bubbles too heavy for the air to buoy up, and 
caufeth boiling. Derkam. 
LACERA'TION, f. The act of tearing or rending ; 
the breach made by tearing.—The effedts are, extenfion 
of the great veffels, comprellion of the leffer, and lacera¬ 
tions upon fmall caufes. Arbuthnot. 
LA'CERATIVE, adj. Tearing-; having the power to 
tear.—Some depend upon the intemperament of the part 
ulcerated, others upon the continual afflux of lacerative hu¬ 
mours. Harvey on Confumptions. 
LACER'NA, f. A coarfe thick garment worn by the 
Romans over their gowns, like a cloak, to keep off the rain 
and cold. It was firlt ufed in the camp, but afterwards 
admitted into the city. The emperors wore the lacerna 
of a purple dye. The lacerna was at firlt very fliort, but 
I was 
