Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1822-11-30
ROMAN LADY'S TOILET.

Although the a0cient authors are genns''
alIy very minute in their account OF no
man manners, yet they have neither ius-
Dished us with an account OF Inc inferior
arrangements of the ladies' dressing rooms,
nor such description OF the seperate part
of their customary apparel, as 10 ena-
Bile us 10 follow them through all the revo-
lutjons of fashion. The same desire to
please which actuates the modern belle,
no doubt influenced the Roman beauty
for time and place make no other differ.
ence 10 a passion which has ever been the
same, then in the manner OF It's display.
The Roman ladies' dressing-tabie ap-
pears to have been provided with all its u
sual appendages, except that useful little
modern instrument, the pin. But its in
separable ornament, the mirror did not
possess the advantage OF being formed OF
glass, but Of polished metal.
No other head dress was worn than the
hair Variously arranged and ornamented,
except, indeed, that at one time, cap, IN
the form of milre, was in fashion, but it
soon fell into disuse. The most usual way
was to plat the hair, and roll it as ban
deau round the head, on the crown OF
which it was fastened IN knot and IT
became fashionable TO raise these lresses
so high, that they were heaped upon each
other until they were reared in4o kind
OF edefiCe OF many stages, where
With curls on cuIls, like different stories rise
Her towering locks, a structure to the skies. y.
The fashion of wearing false hair was
net unknown to the Roman ladies', who
went SO far as to Improve the mo6e into q
wig, which was at one time dressed IN i'm
itation OF military casque. The Curls
were confined with small chains, or rings
,oi gold, and bodkins studded with pre-
cious stones. Fiilets of purple or wbIe
,ribband, ornamented with pearls, were al
so worn on the head, and splendid jewels
ia the ears. There were s,me decorations
for the head which were considered pecu
liarly indicative OF female deGGruH ;; such
was plain broad ribband, with which
some natrons tressed their hair; others
appertained exclusively to particular ia
miles; but it is probable that these dis
functions were soon lost, or conioGnded in
the maze OF fashion.
The Roman ladies were extremely care
ful OF their teeth and their eyes. Art had
not, indeed, then arrived at the perfection
of supplying the absolute deficiency OF an
eye but means were not wanting to in
crease their lusre, and to make those
which were small, or sunk. appear larger
and mere prominent than they really were.
This was effected by burning the powder
of abtimony, the vaponr of which being
allowed to ascend to the eyes, had the ef-
fectot descending the eyelids or the pow
der. and sometimes, indeed, common SCOT,
was gently spread with q bodkin UNDER
meath tue Ind, ana the tut which il lmpart-
ed was SUPPOSE to give an expression Of
liquid sottness to the eye. Penciing the
eyebrows was constant practice nor
was there any ignorance Of the effect pro-
duced by skiliully disposed patch, or OF
any other OF the numerous arcana by
which the charms OF the person are height
ened and displayed.
Ii has been doubted whether the Ro-
man ladies did actually employ the ar
tillery of patches But not only are
they repeatedly mentioned in Martial's
Epigrams. but the younger Pliny tells US,
that even grave lawyer had recourse to
their aid, and that, according as he was to
plead for plaintiff or defendant, be Used to
wear white or black patch, over the
right or the lett eye.
charleston Courier.