The needles excellency a new booke wherin are diuers admirable workes wrought with the needle ; newly inuented and cut in copper for the pleasure and profit of the industrious.

THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDLE . TO all dispersed sorts of ARTS and TRADES , I write the Needles praise ( that neuer fades ) So long as Children shall be got or borne , So long as Garments shall be made , or worne , So long as Hemp or Flax , or Sheepe shall beare Their linnen-woollen fleeces yeare by yeare ; So long as Silk-worms , with exhausted spoyle Of their owne Entrailes , for mans gaine shall toyle : Yea , till the world be quite dissolu'd and past ; So long at least , the Needles vse shall last , And though from Earth , his being did begin , Yet through the fire he did his honour win : And vnto those that doe his seruice lacke , Hee 's true as steele , and mettle to the backe . He hath I perse eye , small single sight , Yet like a Pigmey ; Polipheame in fight : As a stout Captaine , brauely he leades on , ( Not fearing colours ) till the worke be done . Through thicke and thinne he is most sharpely set , With speede through stitch , hee will the Conquest get . And as a Soldier ( Frenchefyde with heate ) Maim'd , from the warres is forc'd to make retreate : So when a Needles point is broke , and gone , No poynt Mounsier , hee 's maim'd , his worke is done . And more the Needles honour to aduance , It is a Taylors Iauelin , or his Launce . And for my Countries quiet , I should like , That Women-kinde should vse no other Pike . It will increase their peace , enlarge their store , To vse their tongues lesse , and their Needles more . The Needles sharpenesse , profit yeelds , and pleasure , But sharpenesse of the tongue , bites out of measure . A Needle ( though it be but small and slender ) Yet is it both a maker and a mender ; A graue Reformer of old Rents decayde , Stops holes and seames , and desperate cuts displayde . And thus without the Needle we may see , We should without our Bibbs and Biggings be ; No shirts or smockes , our nakednesse to hide , No Garments gay , to make vs magnifyde ; No Shadowes , Shapparoones , Caules , Bands , Ruffes , Cuffes , No Kerchiefes , Quoyfes , Chin-clowtes , or marry-Muffes , No Cros-cloathes , Aprons , Hand-kerchiefes , or Falls , No Table-cloathes for Parlours or for Halls . No Sheetes , no Towels , Napkins , Pillow-beares , Nor any Garment man or woman weares . Thus is a Needle prou'd an Instrument Of profit , pleasure , and of ornament : Which mighty Queenes haue grac'd in hand to take , And high-borne Ladies such esteeme did make , That as their Daughters Daughters vp did grow , The Needles Art , they to their children show . And as 't was then an exercise of praise , So what deserues more honour in these daies , Then this ? which daily doth it selfe expresse , A mortall enemy to idlenesse . The vse of Sewing is exceeding old , As in the sacred Text it is enrold : Our Parents first in Paradice began , Gen. 3.7 . Which hath descended since from man to man : The Mothers taught their Daughters , Sires their Sons , Thus in a line succesfiuely it runs For generall profit , and for recreation , From generation vnto generation . Embroydery antient . With worke like Cherubims Embroidered rare , The Couers of the Tabernacle were . Exod. 26.1 . And by th' Almighties great command , wee see , Chap. 28.2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6. That Aarons Garments broydered worke should be ; And further , God did bid his Vestments should Be made most gay , and glorious to behold . Thus plainely , and most truely is declar'd The Needles workes hath still bin in regard , For it doth ART , so like to NATVRE frame , As if IT were HER Sister , or the SAME . Flowers , Plants , and Fishes , Beasts , Birds , Flyes , & Bees , Hils , Dales , Plaines , Pastures , Skies , Seas , Riuers , Trees : There 's nothing neere at hand , or farthest sought , But with the Needle , may be shap'd and wrought . In clothes of Arras I haue often seene Men figurde , counterfeits so like haue beene , That if the parties selfe had bin in place , Yet ART would vye with NATVRE for the grace . Moreouer , Poesies rare , and Annagrams , Signifique searching sentences from Names , True Historie , or various pleasant fiction In sundry colours mixt , with Arts comixion , All in Dimension : Ouals , Squares , and Rounds , Arts life included within Natures bounds ; So that Art seemeth meerely naturall , In forming shapes so Geometricall . And though our Country euery where is fil'd With Ladies , and with Gentlewomen , skil'd In this rare Art , yet here they may discerne Somethings to teach them , if they list to learne . And as this Booke , some cunning workes doth teach , ( Too hard for meane capacities to reach ) So for weake learners , other workes here be , I say here are the grounds and directions for many more workes then are in this Booke . As plaine and easie as are A B C. Thus skilfull , or vnskilfull , each may take This Booke , and of it , each good vse may make . All sorts of workes , almost that can be nam'd , Here are directions how they may befram'd : And for this Kingdomes good are hither come , From the remotest parts of Christendome . Collected with much paines and industry , From scorching Spaine , and freezing Moscouye , From fertill France , and pleasant Italy , From Poland , Sweaden , Denmarke , Germany , And some of these rare Patternes haue bin fet Beyond the bounds of faithlesse Mahomet : From spacious China , and those Kingdomes East , And from great Mexico , the Indies West . Thus are these workes , farre fetcht , and deerely bought , And consequently , good for Ladies thought . Nor doe I derogate ( in any case ) Or doe esteeme of other teachings base , For Tent-worke , Raisd-worke , Laid-worke , Frost-worke , Net-worke , Most curious Purles , or rare Italian Cut-worke , Fine Ferne-stitch , Finny-stitch , New-stitch , and Chain-stitch , Braue Bred-stitch , Fisher-stitch , Irish-stitch , and Queene-stitch , The Spanish-stitch , Rosemary-stitch , and Mow-stitch , The smarting Whip-stitch , Back-stitch , and the Cros-stitch : All these are good , and these we must alow , And these are euery where in practise now ; And in this Booke , there are of these some store , With many others , neuer seene before . Here Practise and Inuention may be free , And as a Squirrell skips from tree to tree , So Maides may ( from their Mistresse , or their Mother ) Learne to leaue one worke , and to learne another . For here they may make choyce of which is which , And skip from worke to worke , from stitch to stitch , Vntill in time delightfull practise shall ( With profit ) make them perfect in them all . Thus hoping that these workes may haue this guide To serue for ornament , and not for pride : To cherish vertue , banish idlenesse , For these ends , may this booke haue good successe .

Here follow certaine Sonnets in the Honourable memory of Queenes and great Ladies , who haue bin famous for their rare Innentions , and practise with the Needle .

I King Dauid by an apt similitude Psal. 45. Doth shew , with Maiesty the Church her worth : And to a Kings faire Daughter , doth alude , Where to her Spouse , he brauely brings her forth , In Garments wrought of Needle-worke and Gold , Resplendent and most glorious to the eye : Whose out-side much more glory did infold , The presence of th' ternall Maiesty . Thus may you see Records of holy Writ Set downe ( what Death or Time can nere deface . ) By these comparisons , comparing fit , The noble worth of Needle-workes high grace . Then learne faire Damsels , learne your times to spend In this , which such high praisings doth commend .

2 Katharine first married to Arthur Prince of Wales , and afterward to Henry the 8. King of England . I Read that in the seauenth King Henries Raigne , Faire Katherine , Daughter to the Castile King , Came into England with a pompous traine Of Spanish Ladies , which she thence did bring . She to the eight King Henry married was , And afterwards diuorc'd , where vertuously ( Although a Queene ) yet shee her dayes did pas In working with the Needle curiously , As in the Tower , and places more beside , Her excellent memorials may be seene : Whereby the Needles praise is dignifide By her faire Ladyes , and her selfe , a Queene . Thus for her paynes , here her reward is iust , Her workes proclaime her praise , though she be dust .

3 Mary , Queene of England , and wife to Philip King of Spaine . HEr Daughter Mary here the Scepter swaide , And though she were a Queene of mighty power : Her memorie will neuer be decaide , Which by her workes are likewise in the Tower . In Windsor Castle , and in Hampton Court , In that most pompous roome cal'd Paradice : Who-euer pleaseth thither to resort , May see some workes of hers of wondrous price . Her Greatnesse held it no dis-reputation , To take the Needle in her Royall hand : Which was a good example to our Nation , To banish idlenesse from out her Land : And thus this Queene , in wisedome thought it fit , The Needles worke pleas'd her , and she grac'd it .

4 Elizabeth Queene of England , and Daughter to King Henry the eight . WHen this great Queene , whose memory shall not By any tearme of time be ouercast : For when the world , and all therein shall rot , Yet shall her glorious fame for euer last . When she a Maide , had many troubles past , From Iayleto Iayle , by Maries angry spleene : And Wood-stocke , and the Tower in prison fast , And after all , was Englands Peerelesse Queene . Yet howsoeuer sorrow came or went , She made the Needle her companion still : And in that exercise her time she spent , As many liuing yet , doth know her skill . Thus was she still a Captiue , or else Crown'd , A Needle-woman Royall , and renown'd .

5 The Right Honourable , Vertuous , and learned Lady , Mary , late Countesse of Pembrooke . A Patterne and a Patronesse she was Of vertuous industry , and studious learning : And she her earthly Pilgrimage did passe , In Acts , which were high honour , most concerning . Braue Wilton-house in Wiltshire well can show , Her admirable workes in Arras fram'd : Where men , and beasts , seeme like , trees seeme to grow , And Art ( surpass'd by Nature ) seemes asham'd . Thus this renowned Honourable Dame , Her happy time most happily did spend : Whose worth recorded in the mouth of fame , ( Vntill the world shall end ) shall neuer end . She wrought so well in Needle-worke , that she , Nor yet her workes , shall ere forgotten be .

6 The Right Honourable and religious Lady , Elizabeth Dormer , Wife to the late Right Honourable , the Lord Robert Dormer deceased . THis Noble Lady imitates time past , Directs time present , teacheth time to come : And longer then her life , her laud shall last , Workes shewes her worth , though all the world were dumbe . And though her Reuerend selfe , with many dayes Of honourable age is loaden deepe , Yet with her Needle ( to her worthy praise ) Shee 's working often , ere the Sunne doth peepe . And many times , when Phoebus in the West Declined is , and Luna shewes her head : This antient honour'd Lady rests from Rest , And workes when idle sloath goes soone to bed . Thus she the Needle makes her recreation , Whose well-spent paines are others imitation .

To all degrees of both sexes , that loue or liue by the laudable imployment of the Needle . IF any aske to whom these lines are writ , I answere , vnto them that doe inquire : For since the worlds creation none was yet , Whose wants did not the Needles helpe desire . And therefore , not to him , or her , or thee , Or them , or they , I doe not write at all : Nor to particulars of hee or shee , But generally , to all in generall . Then let not Pride looke scuruily a-scewe , Without the Needle , Pride would naked goe : Nor yet let Scorne cry pish , and tush , and mew , Scorne is forgetfull much in doing so . Nor yet let any one presume to prate , And call these lines poore trifles , by me pend : Let not opinion be preiudicate , But mend it , ere they dare to discommend . So fare-thou-well my wel-deseruing Booke , ( I meane , the workes deserts , and not my lines ) I much presume that all that on it looke , Will like and laude the workemans good designes . Fooles play the fooles , but 't is through want of wit , Whilst I to wisedomes censure doe submit .

FINIS . Iohn Taylor .