The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-06-16
OstentatiOn.

anCi emit as the prlmeVaI savage. Inc de-
sire to appear drawer, handsomer, richer,
stronger. better or worse, and so on, than
universal failing from remotest times and
ever attended with unhappy consequences.
However, we shall not here attempt to at
tack all tolms OF vanity, but would draw
attention to that particular one of vain
show or display which is the more general
mode of ostentation. The Latin ''Osten-
manner Anything, therefore, which is
done from vulgar pride to dazzle Others,
is of this character. And it would seem as
if all changes of fashion prompted by van
ity are SO many marks of this failing, for
these are at first adopted by the rich and
by them fo1saken as soon as they become
claiming in 1856 against the prevailing
fashions, and especially that of ladies car
rying mirrors so that they might con-
stantly view themselves, notices this
course of human frailty. "Alas" he
said, Sin what an age do we live, to see
such depravity which we see; that in
duces them even to bring into church those
scandalous mirrors hanging about their
waists Let all histories, divine, human,
and p1ofane, be consulted; never will it be
found that these objects of vanity were
ever thus brought into public by the most
meret1icious of the sex. 1t is true, at
present none but the ladies of the Court
venture to wear them; but long it will not
be before every citizen daughter, and
every female servant. viii have them
Nothing is more ludicrous than the orr
Gin OF these extravagances. In Edward
VI : time, a lady with a wen on her neck
covered it by a patch. From that time
pitches became the mode. A hundred
years later they We're cut into all kinds of
fantastic figures, owls, rings, suns, moons
and even a coach and ho1ses
A dauphin of France had a high
shoulder. This gave rise to full bottom
ed Wigs. Long coats we've invented to
hide the -ill-made'' legs of Charles the
seventh Of France, and pointed shoes a
yard long to conceal an excrescence ON the
foot Of Henry Plantaganet of Aniou
When the Archduchsss Isabella wore the
same dirty linen for three years because
she had vowed not to change il until Os-
tend was taken, its color at the end of that
time became fashionable as IL Isabeau,'
a dingy- whitish- yellow. Another lisa bella,
plexion and her frail conduct, introduced
the fashion of having the shoulders and
neck uncovered. The whims of fashion
are shown by print of Henry Wills
time, representing nude Englishman
holding piece of cloth on his right arm
and pair of shears in his left hand, and
bears this inscription;
Il am an Englishman. and naked l sand
here,
Musing III my mind what raiment L shall
We're;
For now l will Were this, and now l will
We're that,
And now | Will were what | cannot tell
what"
Down to the reign of William and Mary,
little children Of the upper classes wore
wigs, but ban bels had not then become
hair dressefs. These We're women. Verify
there is no new thing unQer the sun
Comht boxes ere great signs Of csten-
tation, and We're the rage IN France before
snuff boxes took their place. All carried
them On al occasions, ald when tie Duke
Of Guise was shot at 81 is his com1it- box
was found II his hand Chaucei'4 Per
souee Tale, in the chapter '.De Super
bia, tells, as We dare not, t. what
lengths liide and Improperly in dress
were canned in his day. particularly by
TIC men. In France ( was bad enough
A modest Italian could not travel there in
Tie l3th century, SAID an Italian author,
without being shocked by seeing men
whose clothes IA ther exposed their
nakedness than hid L." But in England
il Was afterwards worse, and our country.
men gl0Iied in their shame
/ Tie Queen Of Charles H. introduced the
immodest custom of completely barring
the bosom and shoulders. But this was
tie reign OF harlotry and RIGHTEOUSNESS
Good old Richard Baxter thought it nee
essary to write the preface for book
called "a Just and Seasonable Reprehen-
sion Of Naked Breasts and Shoulders. -
later work on the same topic. ''New
Instructions unto Youth for their Be-
haviour, etc. had frontispiece Of Vir-
tue and Vice Virtue was lady il black
velvet hood with white neckerchief over
her neck. Vice had no kerchief, her stays
were cut lose to expose her charms, and
grotesque patches dstigured her face.
1t was otherwise with the frail beauties
Of ancient times. Even Poppea, so Tacitus
tells US, covered a part of her face, not
from modesty, tits true, but from art that
she might more strongly excite the imagi-
nation
4 buck Of about ninety years ago is
thus described by satirical writer: "a
coat of light green with sleeves too small
for the arms, and buttons too big for the
Il.