glittering chains, and decently conceal those bosoms which should not be exposed to the public gaze!" But lessons of prudence are beneath the attention of our titled dames, whose flowing robes, of a texture unfit to resist the slightest shower, are at once typical of their understanding, and a proof of their refined taste. Their fair tresses are either sacrificed on the altars of fashion, or concealed like masked batteries beneath their head-dress. The Circassian sleeve, the unzoned waist, the pendent work-bag instead of pockets, and that preposterous custom of concealing the purse in the bosom, present such a combination of absurdity and indecency to the feeling mind, that we are ready to controvert the fact, and exclaim, are these things so! A fair moralist, who is as emulous to promote the happiness of her sex as the vain-glorious slaves of fashion are to excel in frivolity, thus animadverts on the dress of our ladies :-"The unchaste costume, the Impure style of dress, and that indelicate statue-like exhibition of the female figure, which, by its artfully disposed folds, its seemingly wet and adhesive drapery, so defines the form as to prevent covering itself from becoming a veil." This licentious mode, as the acute Montesquieu observed on the dances of the Spartan Virgins, has taught us," to strip chastity itself of modesty." This elegant satirist is certainly too severe; for much benefit may be derived from the dress of our fashionable females. Let us only reflect on the rapid improvement which will be made in the fine arts, while such perfect models present themselves to the observation of the artist. *Miss Hannah More. The liberal, nay, profuse display of their beauties, with which our modish dames and virgins gratify the eye in the public walks and theatres, will doubtless improve the imagination of the poet, the painter, and the sculptor. The elegant symmetry of form for which our country-women are celebrated, is exhibited by the light transparency of their flowing raiment, and present the most exquisite beauties shining like a constellation to irradiate the path of genius! With what accuracy may the artist despict those graces which court the eye! How infinitely superior are those animated originals of feminine perfection, which communicate the most distinct and delightful ideas of form, hue, and motion, when compared with the unanimated beauties of even the Venus de Medici! Rejoice, ye men of genius! beauty will aid and patronize your efforts; our modern Phrynes and Laises, our gay matrons, nay, even the delicate graces of the shame-faced virgin, are presented to your keen inspection by the liberality of fashion. Nor is this vanity of dress and deportment confined to our women of rank. The wives and daughters of the gentry and merchants, nay, of shopkeepers and mechanics, are as perfectly similar as circumstances will permit. Among the different inventions for the convenience of the ladies, the wig is perhaps the greatest improvement ever adopted. We have only to regret, that, like other temporary advantages, it will probably soon be sacrificed to some other whim of fashion. This beautiful ornament was doubtless suggested by some some fair philosopher, whose lucubrations were devoted to the happiness of her sex; and though some fastidious mortal may object to it as indelicate, it has many advantages over the natural hair. It prevents the inroads of vermin, which annoyed the belles when high heads and hair-powder were the ton. Besides, it is a great saving of that time which is so precious to the ladies in this age of philosophic research. A lady can now take off her head in a moment, place it upon her toilette, and replace it next morning in a few seconds. In warm weather the wig is very convenient to ladies who are naturally hot-headed, and are apt to perspire freely, as they may take off their head-dress in the public street, and refrigerate their bare polls, by rubbing them gently with a handkerchief. The superiority of the wig over the natural hair at masquerades must be obvious; as, in changing dresses, wigs of different colours may be used in personating different characters. In sitting for their portraits, too, the ladies find that wigs facilitate the progress of the artist. Lady Levity, so well known for ingenious devices, actually left her wig with an eminent portrait painter the other morning, and put on another that she had brought in her pocket, and which served to decorate her head for the remainder of the day! In compliance with the mode, those ladies who are favoured by nature with beautiful locks, submit them to the scissars of the hair-dresser, and not only pay him for his trouble, but generously present him with the spoil, which he manufactures into a wig for some bald-pated dame of quality. On a general survey of the dress of our ladies, and, indeed, of females of every class, they seem univer sally to agree with a witty female writer, who asserts that "if it were the fashion to go naked, the face would hardly be observed;" and if they continue to undress in proportion as they have done for some time past, we may expect to behold them shining in the unveiled effulgence of natural beauty! That the ladies, however, have not totally relinquished all ideas of modesty, is evident from their liberal use of the parasol and the veil. The parasol may be denominated the modern fig-leaf, which conceals the beauties of the fair, who have ingeniously contrived to make it a very formidable weapon. When that elegant class of society, the fops, contemplate the varieties of female charms with as much pleasure as ever florists did a favourite carnation, the modest maiden is screened from their prying eyes by the intervening parasol. On the other hand, the coquet can render this little implement not only attractive, but dangerous. By various flirtations she can first allure her beau, on his approach she may conceal her face, or, if she is determined to make an entire conquest, she may suddenly remove her parasol, and break out upon him in the irresistible splendour of beauty, like the sun from behind a cloud. Indeed, the fair sex seem convinced of the power of this engine. Nor are the seductive attractions of the veil unknown; for, strange as it may appear, the very emblems of modesty itself are metamorphosed into the most powerful auxiliaries of gallantry by our modern fine ladies! When winter compels our pedestrian beauties to resume the muff and tippet, they very judiciously contrive to render these comfortable appendages useless, by the thinness of their dress. A Portuguese or Spaniard, on his first arrival in town, might conjecture that our fine women were penitents, whom the priest had punished for some peccadillo, by obliging them to wear muffs, to keep the hand and lower part of the arm warm, while the upper part of that elegant limb was exposed to the frigorific influence of the season. Our ladies, indeed, seem to be adepts in the art of decoration; and, like the painter, have studied the power of contrast, by an artful distribution of light and shade. This is evident, from their skilful display of formidable curls on the polished forehead; and the august dignity which their soft charms derive from the furs of different ferocious animals. All the enchantment of feminine charms is evanescent as the resplendent rainbow that swells its magnific arch in the majesty of light! the most delicate complection, the most animated bloom that smiles in the richness of youthful luxuriance on the polished cheek, and the fair light that emanates from the eyes of beauty, must languish and expire! But, though the lilies and roses of love must fade, the mental charms of modesty, sincerity, and virtuous love, are immortal. We shall now recommend to the attention of the ladies a sentiment of our sweetest poet : Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll : CHARMS STRIKE THE SIGHT, BUT MERIT WINS THE |