146 



A HISTORY OF 



beasts of the forest, they rise, and are dres- 

 sed with a shake : but the reverse is true ; 

 for no birth-night beauty takes more time or 

 pains in the adorning her person than they. 

 I remember, when the Cherokee kings were 

 over here, that I have waited for three hours 

 during the time they were dressing. They 

 never would venture to make their appear- 

 ance till they had gone through the tedious 

 ceremonies of the toilet : they had their boxes 

 of oil and ochre, their fat. and their perfumes, 

 like the most effeminate beau, and generally 

 took up four hours in dressing, before they 

 considered themselves as fit to he seen. We 

 must not, therefore, consider a delicacy in 

 point of dress, as a mark of refinement, since 

 savages are much more difficult in this par- 

 ticular, than the most fashionable or tawdry 

 European. The more barbarous the people, 

 the fonder of finery. In Europe, the lustre of 

 jewels, and the splendour of the most brilliant 

 colours, are generally given up to women, or 

 to the weakest part of the other sex, who are 

 willing to be contemptibly fine : but in Asia, 

 these trifling fineries are eagerly sought after 

 by every condition of men ; and, as the pro- 

 verb has it, we find the richest jewels in an 

 jEthiop's ear. The passion for glittering or- 

 naments, is still stronger among the absolute 

 barbarians, who often exchange their whole 

 stock of provisions, and whatever else they 

 happen to be possessed of, with our seamen, 

 for a glass-bead, or a looking-glass." 



Although fashions have arisen in different 

 countries from fancy and caprice, these, when 

 they become general, deserve examination. 

 Mankind have always considered it as a mat- 

 ter of moment, and they will ever continue 

 desirous of drawing the attention of each 

 other, by such ornaments as mark the riches, 

 the power, or the courage of the wearer. 

 The value of those shining stones which have 

 at all times been considered as precious or- 

 naments,is entirely founded upon their scarce- 

 ness or their brilliancy. It is the same like- 

 wise with respect to those shining metals, the 

 weight of which is so little regarded, when 

 spread over our clothes. These ornaments 

 are rather designed to draw the attention of 

 others, than to add to any enjoyments of our 

 own ; and few there are that these ornaments 

 will not serve to dazzle, and who can coolly 



distinguish between the metal and the man. 



All things rare and brilliant will, therefore, 

 ever continue to be fashionable, while men 

 derive greater advantage from opulence than 

 virtue ; while the means of appearing con- 

 siderable are more easily acquired, than the 

 title to be considered. The first impression 

 we generally make, arises from our dress ; 

 and this varies, in conformity to our inclina- 

 tions, and the manner in which we desire to 

 be considered. The modest man, or he who 

 would wish to be thought so, desires to show 

 the simplicity of his mind by the plainness 

 of his dress ; the vain man, on the contrary, 

 takes a pleasure in displaying his superiority, 

 " and is willing to incur the spectator's dis- 

 like, so he does but excite his attention." 



Another point of view which men have in 

 dressing, is to increase the size of their figure ; 

 and to take up more room in the world than 

 Nature seems to have allotted them. We de- 

 sire to swell out our clothes by the stiffness 

 of art, and raise our heels, while we add to 

 the largeness of our heads. How bulky so- 

 ever our dress may be, our vanities are still 

 more bulky. The largeness of the doctor's 

 wig arises from the same pride with the small- 

 ness of the beau's queue. Both want to have 

 the size of their understanding measured by 

 the size of their heads. 



There are some modes that seem to have 

 a more reasonable origin, which is to hide or 

 to lessen the defects of Nature. To take men 

 altogether, there are many more deformed 

 and plain, than beautiful and shapely. The 

 former, as being the most numerous, give law 

 to fashion ; and their laws are generally such 

 as are made in their own favour. The wo- 

 men begin to colour their cheeks with red, 

 when the natural roses are faded; and the 

 younger are obliged to submit, though not 

 compelled by the same necessity. In all parts 

 of the world, this custom prevails more or less; 

 and powdering and frizzing the hair, though 

 not so general, seems to have arisen from a 

 similar control. 



But leaving the draperies of the human pic- 

 ture, let us return to the figure, unadorned by 

 art. Man's head, whether considered exter- 

 nally or internally, is differently formed from 

 that of all other animals, the monkey-kind 

 only excepted, in which there is a striking 



