, 1874-03-29
Tho History OF Euuts.

The Paris correspondent OF tie Loudon Morn
s7g Standard thus summarizes some French
gossip Oh hats: Is It WAS Burke, believe, who
said that the history OF Par;sian revolutions was
the history OF lnobs. An ingenious archmologiBr
supplies the Debdks with an interesting payer,
from which it may be inferred that the history
OF revolutions is also the history Of hats. 40
cording to this learned person. tho Chimney
as generally abused as the most iucongenient
Of all lead-coverfugs, is an institution ven-
cradle for its antiquity. Ch1mpeY-pot hats were
commonly worn in Thipet long before the days
tinctoas, native OF Taibes in those days
could tall who and what tho wearer was from
the color Of his hat It WAS white for civilians,
black for officials, yellow for monks, and the
Grand Lama alone had-and the Debdts assures
us still retains-the privilege Of wearing
grets to find TINT the Hebrews have not in any
way contributed to 'hatology;' but the writer
surely goes little too far in infor1ing from the
fact that he has been unable to discover any
Hebrew name for hat, that the Jews entirely
discarded that usunl article ofdross. The Spar
affected any covering for .beir heads, but as q
distinguishing mark. Tho felt hat was the out
ward sign which distinguished the freeman from
the helot. The natives Of Egina wore hats Ct =
they might serve for shield, and SO heavy
that they formed dangerous offensive
weapon. When Draco went to Crete, be
vent to the theatre to read out his code OF
laws. Tho Crotnas determined that he should
be summarily extinguished, and forthwith they
threw their hats at him. Draco did not recover.
The hats had proved too much for him. WAS
not myself aware OF this curious episode; but
il it be founded on fact, it is, I believe,
the only instance On record Tue Romans-
eensibIe peopIo-oniy wore hats for use,-pot
for ornament, t,-broad-brimm straw hats. to
keep of the SUI and rain. In France hats
appear to have been worn toward the close OF
the Hundred Years' War; The first King that
Charles VII. When he went to Rome he wore
on his solemn entry climne5-pot lat with
piece OF gold-braldln5 round it, not unlike the
hats now occasionally worn BY footmen. Louis
AI.--a sensible mnu-discarded hats, and re-
sumed the convenient and picturesque cap Of
maintenance which bud been the fsvor1ta head
dress OF mcet OF his torefathers. 1t was not,
however, until the days o1 the league and the
religious wars that the hat rose into political
The o,,,l auguenots snaa wore t9a
,sorrists, ornsmented with single
feather; the Catholics wore short felt
hats, adorned by the double cross adortcd by the
House Of Lorraine. This fashion gave rise to
not iew squiba. Ono Of these QuatrAlns has
been preserved:
"Que veult dire je vous prize
Ce Eigue de Il double ctot1!
Cest 4u'en Ia ngne On crucifs
AeA0"
Freedom Of the press was no better understood
then than it is now. Tha author Of this quaint
epigram was discovered and hanged. Under
Louis XIII. and Louis XIV. the hat became
once more = social symbol. The hat In general
uso Was three-cornered affair, like that worn
BY London coschmen On le7ee and dFawiug-room
days. But doctors wore chimney-pots about TWO
feet high; priests wore, On the contrary, shovel
bats Of the same pattern as that Of Don
Basi1o in the 'Barbiere:: Under Louis Ky.
3,o& ri nr4
not use; people used to wear it not on
their heads, bnt under their arms. The revolu-
tion came, and made very short work OF hats
and the heads tbat wore them. When xlapoieon
fell, and Louis Ia Deslrs returned to the
throne OF his fathers the hat became political
emblem The partisans Of Napoleon wire hugo
machines with broad turncd-up brim, voigh-
ing over pound tie Lesitinista donnod Light
tai silk hats taperinG 10 point, with very
MARROW brim- Dueis-fa.al duels-too. we're
cient to bring about deadly rencontre
for the wearcr Of a na1row-prlm to AK tho
weaser Of the broad brim, Who is rour hatter?'
In 1875, VIXEN the consolidated debt Was partly
crowned hat becsme very fashionable, under the
designation Of Reduced Cousols.' The suc-
cessfu1 neurrection in Peru was commcmorated
BY Partisan Llbe1a}s By chapeaux la Bolivar
After the revolution OF 1880. the Republican
party took to pointed wideawakess, aud with it's
usual absurd love OF meddllng, the police made
them very popular by prohibiting them
rs .sod1tious emblems.' At present the
chinney-pot is generally popular, but it
is not looked upon with favor by Belie7le. The
is generally set down as m emblem
OF reaction, conservatism, and snti-republican-
ism. The soft felt trayeling-hat is the emblem
OF repubdcapiBm and radicalisn Of every shade,
from that Of Ii. Greyy and Victor Hugo to the
wildost communism. But the Government are
wiser in one respect than that Of Louis Philippe
They do not prosecute hats for sedition- II. de
Lorceril. enc OF the ultraa Of the Right has i'm
1nortalized himself by m attempt TO ta1 chino-
ney-pots but it has egregiously tailed and there.
Gore the incoayenient emblem Of reaction
aeens likely to hold its own"