is obvious and easy. With very few exceptions all embroidered books,
ancient and modern, are worked on _canvas_, _velvet_, or _satin_, and
while canvas was used continuously from the fourteenth century until the
middle of the seventeenth century, velvet was most largely used during
the Tudor period, and satin during that of the early Stuarts.

Broadly speaking, the essential differences in the kind of work found
upon these three materials follow the peculiarities of the materials
themselves. Canvas, in itself of no decorative value, is always
completely covered with needlework. Velvet, beautiful even when alone,
but difficult to work upon, usually has a large proportion of appliqué,
laid, or couched work, in coloured silk or satin, upon it, showing
always large spaces unworked upon, and such actual work as occurs
directly on the velvet is always in thick guimp or gold cord. Satin,
equally beautiful in its way, is also freely left unornamented in
places; the needlework directly upon it is often very fine and delicate
in coloured floss silks, generally closely protected by thick raised
frames or edges of metallic threads or fine gold or silver cords.

[Illustration: FIG. 1. Silken thread closely wound round with strip of
flat metal.]

[Illustration: FIG. 2. Silken thread loosely wound round with strip of
flat metal.]

[Illustration: FIG. 3. Strips of flat metal cut into shapes and kept
down by small stitches at regular intervals. Called 'Lizzarding.']

By 'metallic' threads, when they are not simply fine wires, I mean
strands of silk closely (Fig. 1) or loosely (Fig. 2) wound round with