[Illustration:  9—­Sermons by Samuel Ward.  London, 1626-7.]

Sermons by Samuel Ward. London, 1626-7.

Mr. Yates Thompson has kindly allowed me to describe and illustrate an embroidered book belonging to him, bound in canvas, and measuring 5-3/4 by 4-1/4 inches.  It is a collection of sermons preached by ’Samuel Ward, Bachelour of Divinity,’ and printed in London, 1626-7, the binding being probably of about the latter date.  On the upper cover is a lady in a blue dress, seated, and holding a hawk on her left wrist, and a branch with apples in her right.  Round her are scattered flower sprays, honeysuckle, foxglove, a stalk with two large pears, a cluster of grapes, a twig with a butterfly upon it, and a wild-rose spray.  The lady, the petals of the flowers, and the leaves are all worked in tapestry-stitch; the bird and the lady’s hair in long straight stitches; the stalks, fruits, and grasses are worked in variously coloured silk threads, thickly and strongly bound round with very fine silver wire.  The lady has a coif, cuff, and belt of short pieces of silver and gold guimp arranged like a plait.

The under side shows a seated lady in a green dress, playing a lute left-handed.  This most unusual position is probably not really intentional, but the drawing has accidentally been reversed.  She is surrounded, like her companion with the hawk, by flower sprays, a thistle, cornflower, strawberries, a rose, lily, bluebell, and small bunch of grapes, making a kind of arbour, with a wreath of red cloud at the top.  The lady, the petals of the flowers, and the leaves are worked in fine tapestry-stitch; the stalks and fruits in coloured silks, mixed with silver wire.  The lady has a coif and a cuff of silver guimp arranged in the same way as that on the other side.

The back is divided into four panels by silver guimp, each containing a flower worked in tapestry-stitch, a blue flower, a wild rose, a pansy, and a thistle.  The ground of the whole is loosely overcast with silver thread, the constructive lines of the book being marked by rows of silver guimp arranged in small arches.  The edges are bound by a strong silver braid.  The head and tail bands are worked in silver thread—­an unusual method—­and the edges are gilt and gauffred.

There are two ties on each board of striped silk, much frayed and worn, but the embroidered work itself is in excellent condition, and very strong.

New Testament, etc. London, 1625-35.

[Illustration:  10—­New Testament, etc.  London, 1625-35.]

A small copy of the New Testament, printed in London in 1625, bound together with the Psalms, 1635, is covered with canvas, all worked in tapestry-stitch, and measures 4-1/4 by 3 inches.