The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1866-01-12

exceptions, were well dressed men. |
will merely mention Aristotle, who was
notorious fop. Alexander Pope, in one
of his letters, tells us what neat gentle
man he was, and the reason he always
dressed in black. He thought it made
want of height less ccnspicu, US. Gen.
Washington was the perfection of we'll
dressed man.
All celebrated authors have recognized
the effect oil dress and have always used
it, in painting their heroes and beroines.
Mark how one of Maryland's ed. Pink
ney,) sweetest poets describes "The In
dams Bride -
'Look on her leafy dladsm,
Enriched with many floral gem;
Those simple ornaments about
Her candid brow, disclose
The lettering Springs last violet,
And Summers earliest rose;
But not flower lies breathing there,
Sweet as herself, or half so fair"
Now, you will notice that the image
thus presented to the view, is that of
woman who knows and uses the appropri-
ate tournament" of her station to enhance
her loneliness. In "lvanhoe," "Rebec-
Gu" is always presented to us, in all the
Oriental sp!endor of dress, except in that
scene where she is tried as sorceross.-
We are told the Templars had robed her
in white coarse gown, which tooh array
from the magnifceace Of her beauty,
though it could not destroy it. Who that
has read the closing scene in this greatest
of noyels-"Rebeccas" visit to "Lady
RoWena," when tho latter has'become the
bride of "Ivsnhoe," who does not notice,
hat much Of its beauty is owing to the
Impression SCOTT gives, of the character
istic beauty Of their dress. "Rebecca's"
noble form, we are told was partially con-
cea!ed by the veil she wore-yet could
not hide its superb proportions. When
the two raise their veils and 'Lady Row
ena" bushes with the consciousness of
her own charms, who must not see, that
if Scott had not conveyed to US an idea
of her queenlikc style Of dress, We should
not have bad true idea Of the character
of "Rpwena ?"
All great painters have recognized the
influence of dress even on canuass.-
"Tiptoret or "Rubens.' or "Claude,"
or Reynolds" or "Raffaelle," would new.
er have become famous, if they had not
paid attention to the appropriateness of
the costume of their human portraits
They would have painted "Queen's"
dress different from a beggar's; a shep.
herd from nobleman an apostles dress
would have Offered, in their pictures,
from an aldcrmau's.' And this attention
to the dress of the subject of their por-
traiture, would be founded on their
knowledge Of the influence of dress.
Let no man, therefore, think it the
sign Of weak mind, to notice dress, and
to be personally particular about it. 1t
betrays the greatest vanity in Il man, to
think it does not add to his influence,
whether he is dressed we'll or badly
True, eve cannot add perfume to the
violet" nor can we conceive a shade of
purple more suitable to its delicate beau
ty. If we considered the loneliness in
which God has clothed the flower, (Which
to-day is, and tomorrow trodden under
foot" we cannot but reason from it, that
the human form should have the benefit
of any decoration that will make it more
lovely. Nothing in The pathetic character,
which Shakespeare has drawn of Catherine
of Arragon, has so moved me, as that d.
rection of the unhappy Queen to her ser
want
''When am dead, good wcnch,
Let tine be us'd with honor strew me over
With maiden flowers, that all the world may
know
was chaste wife to my grave.
lay me forth; although unqueen'd yet like
4 queen and daughter Of King, inter me-"
1t is as true now as when it was first
written, that
"The jewel that we find, we stoop and take it.,
Because soe see Il but what we do not see,
We tread upon, and never think of it,
II.