Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-02-16
REFLECTIONS on BEA UTY.

The many and varied pictures of
Queen Elizabeth much confuse the
readers of history and both friends and
enemies of that great ruler of her time.
1t is generally conceded that she was,
after her "hey-day" of youth, plain,
il not an ugly woman, and that in her
old age she was positively hideous.
Ristori's personation Of the bold heart
cd queen includes the most wonderful
exhibition Of mobility of features ever
seen in the changes which so perfectly
portray the advance of senility and
render almost pathetically ugly face
so beautiful as that with which nature
endowed the Italian muse.
When Queen Elizabeth was far ad-
vanced in life she ordered all pictures
of herself painted by artists who had
not flattered her faded features 10 be
collected and burned, and in 1893 she
issued a proclamation forbidding all
persons, "save special cunning artists,
TO draw her likeness, Atlast the queen
quarreled with her impolitely faithful
looking glasses, and Ristori's thought
ought not to allow the presence Of a
mirror IN the final scene of her ELIZA
beth, as it is an historical fact that
none were allowed in her presence
during her last yeas. No attendant
would have dared to permit her to see
one.
Socrates called beauty brief tyran-
ny, Plato called it a privilege OF nature,
Theophrastus silent cheat, and
Aristotle affirmed il was better than all
the letters of Recommendation in the
world. Since the time of Esther,
beauty has had its potent sway and
charm and value. Dean Swift pro-
posed TO tax female charms, leaving
each woman to place a valuation on
her own attractions. Lord Bacon said
that the best part Of beauty is never
painted or expressed in picture with
us the standard of beauty differs toto
celo from the ideal OF other countries
and races. The Chinese admire black
teeth and painted eyelids.
On tho shores of the Mediterranean
great corpulcncy is preferred. "Hair
like wheat" the "honey colored hair"
OF honor is the most affected of late
among us. Brown in shadow, gold
in sun" is a beautiful shade, but Eliza
beth's bright red hair "capellid,n or,
rs she called 1t, was inspiration to
'ycophant pens in her time and even
ovely Mary Of Scots sacrificed her
beautiful dark locks to the "rcd fronts"
Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth, and tho
much maligned, beautiful and noble
Lucretia Borgia had hair light and
golden. Leigh Hunt, who said many
wise things concerning female beauty,
lress, etc, and who regarded the lips
is expressing character as fully as the
yes, declared that beauty was too
'ftcn sacrificed TO fashion. "The spirit
II fashion is not beautiful but willfnl.
lot graceful but fantastic, not superior
nut vulgar" Jeremy Taylor called
woman "thc precious porcelain of
human clay Aytoun says "a pretty
woman is woman's work in the world.
making life summer by look which
ellis Of a large heart and all the gentle.
less of humanity A smile, which
peaks of heavens compassionateness,
:, after all, the apptheosis of pretty
woman. Seneca said, Virtue Is moro
greeable coming from a beautiful
'ody,' Beauty is sometimes called
he fatal gift, because of the miscries
which pursue its chances in life. 81
ave known few women in my life"
and Mary Montague, "whosc extra.
rdinary charms and accomplishments
id not mako them unhappy"