Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-06-25
WHAT ADDISON SAID ABOUT HOOPS.

day have all had their sdig' at the same ener-
nous topic, but we have seen nothing yet that
in dryness and quaintness of humor will equal
that of Addison. 1t is rather odd, it may be
added, that fashion, which was ridiculed out
of existence so long ago, should spread itself
in the middle of the nineteenth century, and
that the same war which Addison and the 9TH
er satirists of his age waged against it should
all have to be fought over again. Though the
following may be of particular avail as
argument, it is nevertheless very funny read
ing, and as such is worth putin into the pa
per.
Addison in describing the trial of young
lady whom he has arraigned in his court of
! high humor:
ssThe court being prepared for proceedings
on the cause of the petticoat, 1 gave order to
bring in a criminal, who was taken up as she
went out of the puppet-show, about three
nights ago, and was now standing in the street,
with great concourse of people after her.
| Word was brought me, that she had endeavor-
| ed twice or thrice to come in, but could not
do SO by reason other peticoat, which was too
large for the entrance of my house, though l
had ordered both the folding-doors to be
thrown open for its reception. Upon this l
desired the jury of matrons, who stood at my
| right hand, to inform themselves of her con-
dition, and know whether there was any pri-
vate reason why she might not make her ap-
| pearance screrate from her peticoat. This
was managed with great discretion, and had
| such an effect, that on the return of the yer-
dict from the bench of matrons, issued out
| an order forthwith, shat the criminal should
| be stripped of her membranes until she be-
came little enough to enter my house, had
before given directions for an engine of sever
al legs, that could contract or open itself like
| the top of an umbrella, in order to place the
peticoat upon it, by which means might leis-
urely take a survey of it, as it should appear
in its proper dimensions. This was all done
accQrdingiy, and forthwith, upon the CLOSING
OF the engine, the peIIcuaG e~sht into
court. l then directed the machine to be set
upon the table, and dilated in such a manner
as to show the garment in its utmost crcum-
ference; but my great hall was too narrow foI
the experiment; for, before it was half un-
folded, it described SO immoderate a circle,
that the lower part of it brushed upon my face
as sat in my chair ofjudicature. I then in
tcoat, and to my great surprise, was directed
TO very beautiful young damsel, with so
pretty a face and form, that bid her come
out of the crowd, and seated her upon a little |
crook at my left hand.
ssMy pretty maid,'' said I, edo you own |
yourself to have been the inhabitant of the |
garment before us? p
'sThe girl, found, had good sense and |
told me with a smile, that notwithstanding it
was her own petticoat, she would be very glad |
to see an example made of it, and that she
wore it for no other reason but that she had
mind to look as big and burly as other persons
OF her quality; that she had kept out of it as
long as she could, and until she began to look
little in the eyes of her acquaintance that. if
she had laid it aside, people would think that
she was not made like other women
81 always gave great allowance to the fair
sex upon account of the fashion, and therefore
was not displeased with the defense of my
pretty criminal. then ordered the vestment
which stood before us to be drawn up by
pully to the top of my great hall, and after
ward to be spread open BY the engine it was
placed upon, in such a manner that it formed
|
heads, and covered the whole court of judica-
ture with kind of siken rotunda, in its form
not unlike the cupoIa of st. Paul's. 1 enter
ed upon the whole cause with great satisfac-
tion, as l sat under the shadow of it,
ssAddison then goes on to tell how the coun-
sci for the petticoat were called in, and an
'wered the popular objections thereto called
With great strength and solidity of arguments |
Ind an extensive amount of .florid harangues,' !
n the perpetration Of which we detect no
gns of falling-of in the present race of
awyers. One great argument was, that the
business of woollen manufacturers derived
'ast benefits from the illuminated fashion, q
The counsel also read a petition of the rope u
makers in which they say sthat the demand for L
ords aud the price of them were much risen e
ince this fashion came up.' A third solid p
eason was founded on an appeal from the Is
freenland traders, which went on to show W
hat the use of hoops occasioned an enormous G
lcrease in the consumption of whalebone, and II
nat large additional revenues accrued to that
ranch of the British trade. Addison finally
ecIdes the case by pronouncing the petticoat =
forfeiture, but disclaims all hostility to r
proper ornaments of the fair SEX He says:
"On the contrary, as the hand of nature | ~
IS poured On them such a profuson of -
harms and graces, and sent them into the
orid more amiable and finished than the rest 81
her works, so would have them bestow d.