22 A FEW WORDS ON THE GENTLEMEN. 



myself the capacity or right to offer any judgment on the proper 

 cut of a coat, the nice tie of a cravat, the essentially particular 

 shape of a hat, — the momentous nature of a glove, — the substance 

 of which it is formed, and its accurate colour, varying as it does 

 from the delicate tint of the violet to the crimson glare of the 

 poppy, nor to expound the orthodox arrangement of the watch- 

 guard, the eye-glass, and the broach; — sinee, to accomplish this 

 end, desirable as it may be deemed, would require a purity oi 

 taste, and a delicacy of perception, which I cannot command; 

 and a power of uniting precision with apparent carelessness, and 

 of attaining beauty with a plausible unconsciousness of study, 

 which the humble writer of this paper can in no degree pretend to. 



But I hav^ tired the reader's patience (if he or she has reached 

 thus far), and have confused his comprehension; I come, 

 therefore, at once, to " the finish." 



I am well aware, that it is tlie practice of many ladies to foster 

 and encourage the excessive flattery and superfluous verbiage 

 with which some gentlemen are wont to load them, — to pander 

 to their wishes, and to praise their follies, — for my part — 



" Je DC hais rien tant que les contorsions 

 De tous COS grands faiscurs de protestations, 

 Ces atfables donnenrs d' einbiassades fiivoles, 

 Ces obligeant diseurs d' inutiles paroles ! " 



I am not to be allured and deceived by the dangle of a sword, 

 the glitter of an epaulette, or the capillary attraction of a fertile 

 head, I scorn those 



** who wear opon their chins 

 The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars, 

 But inward scarclied have livers white as milk." 



I detest and disown at once the fop, the exclusive, and the fool ! 



Here, that I may not be misunderstood, I beg leave to ob- 

 serve, that it has not been intended, in this paper, to ridicule 

 moderation and decency, but to condemn excess and abuse 



\\ itii respect to my own sex, I have lately met witli a passage 

 in Mrs. Butler's " America," of such sterling good sense and 

 sound judgment, and which is so much in accordance with my 

 own sentiments, that 1 am induced to give an extract : — 



"If our capacities are inferior to those of men, which I believe, as much 

 as I believe our bodies to be inferior to theirs in strength, swiftness, and en- 

 durance, — let us not be overwhelmed with all the additional shackles* that 

 foolish and vain bringing-up can add : let us at least be made as strong ia 

 body, and as wise in mind as we can, instead of being devoted to spiritual 

 mental, and physical weakness, far beyond that which we inherit from 

 ciHturc." 



