Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-10-29
NrHE FORCEn sToRY

lie fOhCf.D SlOh1. !.
y7necdote Of Lord Keity.-I.ord Kelly was.
SELF but the cause ofwit in other men, Mr..
Andrew Balfour, the Scottish advocate, a man OF
considerable humour, accompanied by great for
mality of manners, happened to be one OF a con-
vivial party, when his lordship was at the head
of the table. After dinner he was asked to sing,
but absolutely refused to comply with the press
ing solicitation of the COMPANY At length Lord
Kelly told him that he should not escape he
must either sing song, tell story, or drink a
pint bumper. Mr. Balfour being a very abstemi-
Gus man, chose rather to tell a story than incur
the forfeit. " One day, (said he, in pompous
manner) thief in the course OF his rounds,
saw the door of church OPEN He walked in,
thinking thst even there he might lay hold of
something. Having secured the pulpit cloth, he
was retreating, wien 10 he found the doors shut.
After some consideration, he adopted the only
means OF escape Left, namely, 70 let himself down
by the bell-rope. The bell of course rang, the
people were alarmed, and the thief was taken,
Just as he reached the ground. When they were
dragging him away he looked up, and emphati-
cally addressed the bell, as no.D address yoisr.
lordship, :" Had it not been (said he} fer your
long tongue and empty head, had made my es-
cape.
Ancient Enghsh Fdshions.--" In the time of
queen Mary, (says Bulvet) square toes were
grown in fashion, insomuch as men Wore tn cir
shoes of SO predigious breadth at the toes,
that, if i remember Alright, there was proclsma-
ton came out that no man should wear his shoes
above six inches square at the toes After these
the picked pointed shoes came also up again ;
and in the latter end of the last century and the
beginning of the present, the square toes were a.
gain brought in fashion. Bat sure, of all GUS
toms, the present (when men have their shoes
made to Their feet without pinching) is the best
and most decent in appearance.
Early in the beginning of the reign ofgHeen
Elizabeth, the wearing of great breeches was
carried to very absurd and ridiculous lengths to-
gether with the pesscod doubletts, as they were
called. These sloops or breeches, or trunk hose,
they used to stuff out with rags or such-like stuff
till they brought them TO an enormous size
Bulver in his pedigree of the English gallant,
speaks of a man whom the Judges accused OF
wearing breeches contrary to the law (for a law
was made against them) he, for his excuse,
drawed out of his sloops the contents; at first a
pair OF sheets, two table cloths, ten napkins, four
shirts, brush, glass, and a comb, with night
caps, and other things of use, saying, Youe
worships may understand, that because havr
no safer store-house, these pockets do serve me
for room to lay up my goods in, and though it
may be straight prison, yet 1T is big enough for
them, for have many things of value yet within
1T. And so was his discharge accepted, and
well laughed at.
- met win remarkable note concerning
these great breeches. in MS. preserved in the
Harleian Library, which I cannot pass over in
silence; it is this:
Memorandum, that over the seats of the
Parliament-house, in the 43d year of queen Eli.
zabeth, (when some repairs were there done)
were to be seen certain holes, about two inches
square, in the walls Tin which formerly were
placed posts to uphold scaflold round the in.
side of the house, for those to sit on who Tin the
beginning of the reign) used the wearing, of
great breeches, stuffed with hair like wool-sacks:
which fashion, in her 9Th year. being lef off, the
scatolds were taken down, and never since put
upn fS
Yet these are but modest accounts, TO what
we find IN The old play of Ling4ia, written in the
year 1907, the 4th of James the First. where
Tactus Cor TUiching) says, "'Tis FIVE hours ago
j ser dozen maids to attire boy like nice gen.
tlewonan but there IS such dong witt their
look Eyeglasses, pinnng, unpinning, setting, I'M
setting form ngs and conformings; painting blue
We ms and bloomy cheeks, such stir With sticks.
and clmbs, casenets,- dressings, purls, falls,
squares, busks, bodice, scarfs, necklaces, carca-
nets, rabstoes, borders, tires, fans, palissadoes
pGfs, tufts cuffs muffs, pusles, fusles puftlet.
frIsets, bande,s, fiets, croalets, pendulets, an
nulets, smulets, bracelets and so many lets that
yetshe's scarce drest to the grdle; and now
thee is such calling for fardingaes, kirthes busk
points, shoe ties, &c. that seven pedlars shops.
nav all Siour5ridge lane, VIII scIrre furnth her
Aship is sooner rig d by far, than gentlewoman
made ready.