O F M A N H O O D. 455 



inodeft man, or he vv-ho wifhes to aiTume that 

 charadcr, drelTes with a fimpllcity correfpond- 

 ing to the nature of that virtue. The vain-glo- 

 rious, on the contrary, negled nothing that can 

 fupport their pride or flatter their vanity; and 

 they diftingulfh themfelves by fplendour or fine- 

 nefs in their external appearance. 



Another very general objedt of drefs is to in- 

 creafe the fize of our figure, and to occupy more 

 room in the world than Nature has allotted to us. 

 We wifh to enlarge our dimenlions by^ high- 

 heeled fhoes and blown up garments; but, how- 

 ever bulky our drels, it is exceeded by that va- 

 nity which it endeavours to cover. Why is the 

 doctor's head loaded with an enormous quantity 

 of borrowed hair, while that of the beau is fo 

 thinly covered? The former wiflies to have 

 the extent of his learning meafured by the ap- 

 parent dimenfions of his head ; and the latter 

 defires to diminiih his head, that he may ex- 

 hibit the gaiety and fprightlinefs of his genius. 



Other falhions appear to have a more rational 

 objett, namely, to conceal the defed\<3 of Na- 

 ture, or to render them lefs difagreeable. Taking 

 mankind in general, there is a greater number 

 of deformed bodies, and difagrecab/e faces, than 

 of handfome figures, and beautiful countenan- 

 ces. Fafhions are always regulated by the 

 pradice of the majority; and, as the greateft 

 part of mankind have dcfedls to conceal, it is 

 their inter eft to invent and fupport thofc modes 



which 



