Don Quixote was written by Miguel de Cervantes, in Spanish, of course. It was published in two volumes, in 1605 and 1615. It contains early references to what seems, from the context, to be a common activity. These quotes comes from a translation by John Ormsby.
from Chapter 6
"By the God that gives me life," said Don Quixote, "if thou wert not my full niece, being daughter of my own sister, I would inflict a chastisement upon thee for the blasphemy thou hast uttered that all the world should ring with. What! can it be that a young hussy that hardly knows how to handle a dozen lace-bobbins dares to wag her tongue and criticise the histories of knights-errant?"
Note the reference to only using "a dozen lace-bobbins", a small number by modern standards.
from Chapter 70
"To tell you the truth," said Altisidora, "I cannot have died outright, for I did not go into hell; had I gone in, it is very certain I should never have come out again, do what I might. The truth is, I came to the gate, where some dozen or so of devils were playing tennis, all in breeches and doublets, with falling collars trimmed with Flemish bonelace, and ruffles of the same that served them for wristbands, with four fingers' breadth of the arms exposed to make their hands look longer; ..."
...
The duchess asked him [Don Quixote] if Altisidora was in his good graces. He replied, "Senora, let me tell your ladyship that this damsel's ailment comes entirely of idleness, and the cure for it is honest and constant employment. She herself has told me that lace is worn in hell; and as she must know how to make it, let it never be out of her hands; for when she is occupied in shifting the bobbins to and fro, the image or images of what she loves will not shift to and fro in her thoughts; this is the truth, this is my opinion, and this is my advice."
I'm not sure about Don Quixote's advice. Personally I think of all sorts of things while making lace!
This lacemaker is by Gabriel Metsu, who was Dutch (Flemish). I don't have a date for the painting but he lived from 1629 to 1667. You can see how few bobbins are being used, even if most are round the other side of the pillow!
© Jo Edkins 2017 - return to lace index