Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-02-13

From the London ClCbe.l
Some three centuries ago one Phillip
S.ubbes. man Of excessively mnrose and
gloomy temper, spoke of the ladies' Of his
day as being SO far ''bewitched' that they
were not ashamed to make holes in their
ears in order TO hang in them rings or
Jewels Of gold and precious stones.
These rings he considers of evil signltica-
ton. ard hesitates not to call their wear
ers. with the pleasing candor and in
ccnuousness of hisage, ''dissolute minlons
and wanton Semprunians. All who have
read Sallust's account Of the conspiracy
Of Catalina. and his admirable account of
ti.e lady who could dance better than
befitted an honest woman" will compre-
hend the full force of Stubbes's ''wantOn
Sempronians." Stubbes is by no means
alone in his cond, mnation Of earrings,
though f9w, perhaps, havo inveiShed
against their use with greater Indignation
or more pungent acrimony. They have
been abused both by ancient and modern
writer's. Pliny seems to have objected to
them chiefly ON the score OF their cy;rayA-
giant cost. The ear, he SAYS, is the only
immovable part of mans body, and on
none is more money spent 10y woman.
MEN WHO WORE EARRINGS.
Earrings, however, have their apology.
This delicate ornament of the human
countenance is not hy any means without
defence. The custom of both sexes IN
the Eastern and Western world dsupports it.
Its use is not confined to what is SO deli
cately and politely called tho ''scftcr
sex" Men wear it, and have worn 1t.
The portrait Of Shakespeare in the Chan
dos edition shows at least one earring
ornnmenting that poet There is - ira
dition that Charles /, wore fine pearl ear
rings, and, the day before his execution,
took one out and gave il to Juxon i'll
charge for his daughter, the princess
royal. The fate Of its companion is not
known One cannot help thinking he
might have presented her with the pair.
At the present time earrings nra worn
habitually by male gypsies and sailors.
From the earliest ages earrings have
been worn by male Asiatics. The Bible
is not without Its instances Of tho prac
tice, and Juvenal commentaries the
ornaments in the ears which denoted the
male born by the river Euphrates.
ANTIoUITy OF THE CUSTOM.
Women, with few exceptions, have
worn earrings in every country and at
every period. In their ears they have
been celebrated by the poets, sculptors
and painters of many times and places.
Homer introduces them into the toilet Of
the venerable Hero. each composed of
three bright mulberry -colored brlllInnts.
PraXiteles made holes for them III tine ears
of the celebrated Venus, and Sir David
Wilkie has presented us with n charming
pair about to be fixed for the first time i'll
tho ears Of little country maiden; and
vet, notwithstanding the general practlce
and artistic consccration. people are To be
found who still speak of this udornment
as harbarous monstrosity, unsecmly
and ridiculous IN the ear Of II South Sen
cannibal, but incilably absurd and utter
" incxcusablc ill that OF an English lady.
There is, of course, no disputing about
tastes The wearcrs Of earrings can only
console themselves by rejecting that
some Of their fcllOwcrcatures arc un-
fortunate enough to be born without any
aesthetic sense, without any conception Mt
all of science Of the beautiful, and with Al
strange want of proper appreciation Of
this cmbellshment Of the human face
divine. this neat addition 10 the Creator :
sovereign and conclusive work Of feminine
loyclincss.
THE woME>' ) EXcCsE
/ Some critics Of this form of personal
asio,nmcnt have. in the irritation prov"k-
f cd by The prevailing fashion, stepped he
/ ycnd the bounds uf legitimate cchsilre.
| Not content with abusing the ornament,
/ they have attributed an unworthy and IN
sulting motive to its wrarer. Women,
! they say, deck themselves with these gew-
/ gaws solely from n feeling of vanity.
! Now nothing can he more certain thnn
that this is not the fact, if, indeed, the
I evidence Of the women themselves, who
may be credited with the best knowledge
of their own motives. may be relied on.
Nineteen women out of every score to
whom the question is put, why doyou
submit TO to the pam of having your ears
bored 2" will answer at once, Because
ii is 80 good for the eyes. There may bc
nothing amiss with girls eyes-prohn-
bly, there is not-hut she will have her
cars bored nevertheless. What Is tins
but an instance of that sober preclutlon
for which the sex is 1t dcseryedly famous,
the desire 10 prevent hy prompt and pre-
sent action the occurrence Of ills or incOiI-
veniencc which may arise in tho future.
A pretty thing, indeed it would he for
II woman to run the rsk of thc sh;rp"st
and brightest weapons IN her arsenal he
coming blunt or tarnishcd hv covardly
avoidance Of II slight temporary pain.
She Is ST. far student of ancient physi"l-
ogv as to understand the old doctrine ui
humnrs She is well nwaro that the hole
in her ear and the weight Of her earring
will draw down to that part any corrupt
humors which may arise IN her eyes
The earring nets, in fact, ms Il sort o.
coumtcr-irrltant, and the heavier IT is The
more wholesome nre supposed to hc lis
effects.
BAEBAEI1 ApoETMENr
When large rnrlln2s are worn 1t Ia tol
this reason, and the wcarcr IL rather 10 bI
praised for II c"rtnln amount of self
sacrifice, the result of prudence, than t.
be- blamed for idle vanity or nilcctatiun
If. indeed, she ia mistaken in her theory
she can nt most only be charged with tha
ignorance which is the common rnhcrl
tance of humanity. Whether her Indian