The National Register.
London, England, 1809-11-05 00:00:00

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON TEMA LE DRESS.

The common classifications of the form are familiar to every
one, and the terms, full, round, long, thin, &e. as applied to
faces; and short, tall, slender, embonpoint, as applied to figure,
convey to the mind of the hearer the idea of a class, the indivi-
duals of which are infinitely varied., To general distinction
only can any observations of mice apply; all besides must be
left to the taste of the individual.
Unfortunately. as it happens in the case of complexion, where
the brunette is ever sighiy; for a fair skin, so with regard to
figure, the short wish to be tall, the large to be slender, and the
slender sigh in vain for frizbonpoint. .N ow I would wish to con-
since my fair readers, that these desires are as absurd as they are
hopeless; I would persuade them, that to endeavour to appear
what we are not, is as erroneous in dress as in morals, and that
it as Invariably fails in its object; no one is ever deceived by it.
.Set sing aside, then, the obvious error of elderly ladies dressing
as though they were in the bloom of youth and beauty, there are
other combinations which, though not so generally remarked,
. are equally incongruous and offensive to the eye of taste. The
imperial purple and flowing robe accord as ill with the " nose
cocked in air," as angular forms, ribbons, and other petty
matters of dress, with the grand lines and majestic symmetry of
the tragedy queen. Let harmony be our guide, and all will be
right. Unerring nature distributes to all some distinct beauty,
some interesting* peculiarity, some characteristic charm. Let
it be our business, then, to call forth and improve these latent
• graces; and let the lusty, instead of binding herself• with
tightening ligatures, to produce a slim appearance, or the slim,
attempting to swaddleand swell herself into embonpoint, adopt
a dress which, from its analogy to the form of the wearer,
shall improve what is beautiful, aad bide what Is defective.
Let the Grecian face and figure he clothed 'With the utmost sim-
plicity; let the large, the majestic. the Juno-like form, on the
contrary, be vested in full and flowing robes of satin or velvet,
with ample train and swelling folds; and let the small-featured,
sparkling, vivacious conutenance, with the small bewitching
figure, for its characteristic covering, forms more angular, and
contrasts inure abrupt.

ARBITER ELEGIANTIAMIX.

POLICE.

UN TON-if A Lt.—Captaiß a person describing him-
. self to be an Officer in the Guards, was brought, before Sir John
Binhorn, charged by Mr. Guyer, master of the Surrey Hotel,
lackfriars'-road, on suspicion of having stolOn a silver watch,
with gold chain and seals, and'a silver snuff-boxl the property
of Mr. Lay,.a gentleman, residing at Danbury, in Essex.
It appeared that Mr. Lay and Captain T— had been
lodging for some days past at the Surrey 'Hotel, Blackfriars'-.
road. On Thursday night, or early on Friday morning, the
house was di:turbed by some person walking along the gallery,
and attempting to open several of the doors. A gentleman who
slept with his dour open, by the glimmer, of a rush light, saw a
person enter his room; be immediately jumped out of bed, and
attempted to seize the intruder, who quickly retreated, and gain-
al s room at a distance Nibich was unoccupied. Here he at-