New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-02

met of Paris beneath bis chin is spoken Of
as 1.-THE needle pointed" Venus ia made Dy
Homer to beg of her brother bis horses
with the golden frontlets;" the work that
Helen weaves is sprinkied with the scenes
of the long contest between "warlike Troy
and brass armed Greece" Hector wears
"day-bright arms, white plume, white
scarf" and when Juno would charm Jove
she made a toilet that no lady Of the present
| time knows how to excel.
She made fast
The shining gates, and then upon her lovely foaS
Ambrose, that first made it clear, and after laid
An odol GUS rich and sacred oil that was 50 won
drons sweet
That ev, u when it was bat touched it sweetened
beavt n and earth.
Her body being cleansed vi h this her trasses she
And com5ed, her comb dipped in tie oil; then
wrapped them up in curn;
And thus her deathless head adorned, heavenly
On her Write shoulder, wrought by her that rules
Who wove it fun Of antique works of most divine
And this with goody clasps of gold she fastened to
Then with h. girdle whose rich sphere hundred
She gil her small valet In her ears, tended II
pierced, she wore
Pearls, great and Orient.
Ard if these instances are not of real AMI
historic persons, they are confessed to De
of real and historic usage, and are, there
fore. perfectly fitting illustrations of the
period Of their writing, and have become
what is known as traditional history; nor
would it be necessary to resort to them, Tor
in the ackno 1ledged facts OF history there
are countless illustrations of vanity and
pomp among this people by whom the most
that color and form could do was known
and loved, together with everything that
gave endowment to the senses. The Romans,
however. in their love of splendor, lost
much of the perfection that the Greeks had
reached. and il their effort for more dls-
play let that simplicity of beauty, which |
was the charm OF Greek work and lie, be |
lost under az much ornament as would have |
buried Tarpeia if the soldiers had given her I
the bracelets she asked of them instead OF the !
bucklers. The mere habits OF the Romans |
in relation to the toilet tell the story of |
their excess in pomp; the laughter aroused |
by those with il.-dressed hair, the bath OF |
asses milk BY which some fair patrician
continued fair, are like mere Anger-posts to
the remainder Of the personal customs OF
the people, and We can imagine what the
display must have been in ess and IN
household affaire, when even the public
baths were hoored with costly mosaics, the
arched ceilings frescOed in everlasting col
ors, the walls inlaid, and everywhere were
statues, vases and bas reliefs, profusely
and Of kind beyond our power
to eqnal. II was in the public baths that
the Farnese Bull and the LAGOON were
found; and he was a poor plebeian whose
private bath was not elaborate with CHS.
eled marbles and silver pipes, aud with the
water cooled by contact with floors of
precious marbles, sometimes even OF silver
and gold.
In reality there has never been time
;ince the arts began to flourish and civiliza-
ion to extend itself, but pomp and display
nave been features Of it. In the time of
Henry IL of England, we are told of the
gold and silver vessels that glittered in the
'tate departments of the primate, and it
he toes of the shoes back with with threads
If twisted gold and chains of silver was
abolished. The walls of WOlsey's palace
we're covered with cloth of gold and silver
md rich tapestry; and corresponding splen-
lOr was cherished in female attire, for the
lress of 0 lady is described as of scarlet
olor, ingram, and splendidly adorned
With ribbons of red gold interspersed
With precious stones of great value. Her
myers were all embellished with rings
# gold set with diamonds, rubies and sap
hires, and aiso with Oriental stones and |
mulets to prevent Infection. And, al
hough in the reign of Elizabeth the splen.
Or became less barbaric and more luxuri-
ne, yet even then gloves were adorned :
nth most fanciful embroidery of jewels,
nd the Queen herself had u cloak of per- 1
amed Spanish leather of the almost lnesti-
laole quality that now commands the
rice OF shilling sterling by the square
lch; while in the reign Of Charles the
ecOnd false hair WAS as much matter of
very day as it is at present, and there be-
* then tine same fancy for blonde blonde I
owder came into vogue, and its use was I
uly kept within bounds by an excessive {
Ak.
In fact, there has been 10 period, it would
'em. when display at Dress at table. ON
10 street and in the dwelling, has not been
ute as much as that which is made sub t
et of reproach to-day and on a careful I
view we are inclined to say that in oil the 9
STORY OF civilization there has never been | g
time when apparel was SO chaste and
IMPLY beautiful as it is at present, AMI
sver 90 elegant and unostentatious.-Rar- ,
RS D0-ar. '
l