Page:Textile fabrics; a descriptive catalogue of the collection of church-vestments, dresses, silk stuffs, needle-work and tapestries, forming that section of the Museum (IA textilefabricsde00soutrich).pdf/427



Queen of Scots had her face muffled just before she laid her head upon the block: "Then the maid, Kennedy, took a handkerchief, edged with gold, in which the Eucharist had formerly been enclosed, and fastened it over her eyes." "Pict. Hist. of England, ed. Knight," t. ii. p. 671. Knight is wrong in saying that the Holy Eucharist had ever been immediately enclosed in this cloth, which is only the veil that used to be cast over the pyx or small vessel in which the consecrated hosts were kept, as we observed in the introduction, § 5.

8343.

Piece of Linen Damask; pattern, of the pomegranate type, with a border of an armorial shield repeated, and the initials C. L. An edging of lace is attached to one end. Flemish, middle of the 16th century. 17-1/4 inches by 13 inches.

The shield is party per pale; in the first, two bars counter-embattled; in the second, a chevron charged with three escallop shells.

Most likely this small piece of Flemish napery served as the finger-*cloth or little napkin with which, when saying mass, the priest dried the tips of his fingers after washing them, the while he said that prayer, "Munda me, Domine," &c. in the Salisbury Missal; "Church of our Fathers," t. iv. p. 150. By the rubrics of the Roman Missal, the priest was, and yet is, directed to say, at the ritual washing of his hands, that portion of the 25th Psalm, which begins, verse 6, "Lavabo manus meas," &c. "Hierurgia," p. 21; hence these small liturgical towels got, and still keep, the name of Lavabo cloths or Lavaboes, especially in all those countries where the Roman Missal is in use.

8344.

Piece of Silk Damask; ground, blue and yellow; pattern, a large conventional flower, with heraldic shields, helmets, and crests. Italian, late 16th century. 1 foot 8-1/2 inches by 13 inches.

The shields show a pale; the helmets are given sidewise with the beaver closed; and the crests, a demi-wyvern segeant, but with no wreath under it, doubtless to show the armorial bearings of the esquire