The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-02-25
BEAUTY.
Its fa+iS~s Meanings in Different Co.na-
tries.

Its TdrieSs Meanings in Different CoHn-
tries.
The many and varied pictures of Queen
Elizabeth much confuse the rea3ers of
history and both friends and enemies Of
that great ruler of her time. 1t is gen
orally conceded that she was, after her
" "heyday" of youth, plain, il not ,an
ugly woman, and that in her old age she
was positively hideous. Ristori's person
alton Of the bold hearted queen includes
the most wonderful exhibition of mObil-
ity Of features eFcr seen in the changes
which so perfectly portray the advance
of seniilty snd render almost patheticaiiy
ugly face so besutiful rs that which
nature endowed the Italian muse. When
Qt!een Elizabeth was far advanced In
life she ord6Sea all pictures OF herself
painted by artists who hsd not fattered
her faded features to be collected and
burned, and in 1898 she issued procia-
nation forbidding all persons, save
special cunning artists" to draw her
likeness. At last the queen quarrelled
with her irnpoiisely faithful looking
glasses, and Ristori's thoHght ought not
to aiii5--+ the presence of mirror in the
final scene of hef d" Elizabeth" ;" as it is an
historical fact that none Rete allowed in
her pfe5enee during her last years. No
attendant would hsve dared to permit
her to see one. Socrates caised beauty n
brief tyranny, Plato called it a privilege
of nature, Theophrastus silent cheat,
and Aristotle affirmed it was better than
al the letters of recommendation in the
world. SiBCe the time of Esther beauty
has had its potent sway and charm and
value. Dean Swift proposed TO tax fe-
male Gh4tros, leaving each woman TO
place a valuation of heF own attractions.
Lord Bacon said that the beS. part of
beatty rs never painted or expressed ID
picture; with Is the standard of beauty
differs toto colo from the iaesl of other
countries and races.
The Chinese admire black teeth and
painted eyelids. On the shores of the
Mediterranean great corpulency is pre-
ferred. Hair like wheat" the "honey-
colored hair" of Homer, is the most afFec
ted Of late among us. d" Brown in shad
ow, gold in suh," Is a beautiful shade,
but Elizabeth's bright red hair, " cspill-
ID for" as she called it, was inspiratiOnto to
sycophant t+%rs m her time, and even
lovely Mary of Scots sAcrihced her beau
tiful dark locks to the "red frohts." Gle
opatra, Lady Macbeth, and the much ma
ligned, beautiful and noble Lucretia
BUrgia had hair light and golden. Leigh
Hunt, who sid many wise things con-
cerning female beauty, dress, etc, and
who regarded the lips as Expressing char
acter as fully as the eyes, declafed 5nst
beauty was too often sacrificed to fashion
" The spirit of fashion is not beautiful,
bat willful; moi. graceful, but fantastic;
not superior, but vulgar" Jeremy Tay-
Tor cslled women the precious porcelain
of htiiah clay" AytOun says g a Pret-
ty woman is Wcman's work III the world,
making life summer by look which tells
of large heart and all the gcnilct'ess OF
humanity" A smile. which speaks OF
heavens compassionateness, is, after all,
the apotheosis OF a pretty woman. SEN
eca said, " Virtue is more agreeable COM
ing from a beautiful body" Beauty is
sometimes called the fatal gift because of
the miseries which pursue its chances in
life 81 have known few women in my
iifc," .aid Mary Montagu, whose ex-
.raordinary charms and accomplishments
did not make them unhappy"