176 ON TIGHT SHOES, 



the right arm elevated above the head in a 

 curve to the heavens, and the inside of the 

 half-closed hand towards the face ; whilst the 

 other out-stretched foot barely touches the earth 

 with its extremity, forming as it were a grace- 

 ful counterpoise below, to the elegant attitude 

 above ; and the remaining arm hanging loosely 

 down, and at a little distance from the perpen- 

 dicular line which is formed by the erect posi- 

 tion of the body. With such a perfect form, 

 replete with reason, health, and vigour, man 

 acts strangely to his own disadvantage when- 

 ever he allows the foolish fashion of the day to 

 injure his symmetry, or permits the gratifica- 

 tion of his appetite to interfere with the ar- 

 rangements for the preservation of his health. 



It is but too true that the astonishing dis- 

 coveries in the mode of preparing his food 

 have disposed him to disease in many frightful 

 shapes ; whilst the unfitness of his attire to the 

 true form of his body has been productive of 

 so much mischief to his general symmetry, that 

 there are doubts if he would not have been 

 better off had he adhered to his original haunts, 

 so^admirably touched upon by Dryden : — 



w When wild in woods the noble savage ran." 



