ページの画像
PDF
ePub

are Chambers for Medals and other Rarities. The Building may be fhap'd as that which ftands among the Pyramids, in the Form of a Woman's Head. This may be rais'd upon Pillars, whofe Ornaments shall bear a just Relation to the Defign. Thus there may be an Imitation of Fringe carv'd in the Bafe, a Sort of Appearance of Lace in the Frieze, and a Representation of curling Locks, with Bows of Ribband floping over them, may fill up the Work of the Cornish. The Infide may be divided into two Apartments appropriated to each Sex. The apartments may be fill'd with Shelves, on which Boxes are to ftand as regularly as Books in a Library. These are to have Folding-Doors, which being open'd you are to behold a Baby dreffed out in fome Fashion which has flourish'd, and standing upon a Pedestal, where the Time of its Reign is mark'd down. For its further Regulation, let it be order'd, that every one who invents a Fashion fhall bring in his Box, whofe Front he may at pleasure have either work'd or painted with some amorous or gay Device, that, like Books with gilded Leaves and Covers, it may the fooner draw the Eyes of the Beholders. And to the End that thefe may be preferv'd with all due Care, let there be a Keeper appointed, who fhall be aGentleman qualify'd with a competent Knowledge in Clothes; fo that by this means the Place will be a comfortable Support for some Beau who has spent his Eftate in dreffing.

THE Reasons offer'd by which we expected to gain the Approbation of the Publick, were as follows.

FIRST, That every one who is confiderable enough to be a mode, and has any Imperfection of Nature or Chance, which it is poffible to hide by the Advantage of Clothes, may, by coming to this Repofitary, be furnish'd her felf, and furnish all who are under the fame Misfortune with the mosft agreeable Manner of concealing it; and that on the other fide, every one who has any Beauty in Face or Shape, may also be furnished with the most agreeable Manner of fhewing it.

SECONDLY, That whereas fome of your young Gentlemen who travel, give us great Reafon to fufpect that they only go abroad to make or improve a Fancy for Dress, a Project of this nature may be a means to keep them at home, which is in effect the keeping of fo much Money

in the Kingdom. And perhaps the Balance of Fashion in Europe, which now leans upon the fide of France, may be fo alter'd for the future, that it may become as common with Frenchmen to come to England for their finifhing Stroke of Breeding, as it has been for Englishmen to go to France for it.

THIRDLY, Whereas feveral great Scholars who might have been otherwife ufeful to the World, have spent their time in studying to defcribe the Dreffes of the Ancients from dark Hints, which they are fain to interpret and fupport with much Learning; it will from henceforth happen, that they shall be freed from the Trouble, and the World from ufelefs Volumes. This Project will be a Registry, to which Pofterity may have recourfe for the clearing fuch obfcure Paffages as tend that way in Authors; and therefore we shall not for the future fubmit ourselves to the Learning of Etymology, which might perfuade the Age to come, that the Farthingal was worn for Cheapness, or the Furbelow for Warmth.

FOURTHLY, Whereas they who are old themfelves, have often a way of railing at the Extravagance of Youth, and the whole Age in which their Children live; it is hoped, that this ill Humour will be much fupprefs'd, when we can have recourfe to the Fashions of their Times, produce them in our vindication, and be able to fhew that it might have been as expenfive, in Queen Elizabeth's time only to wash and quill a Ruff, as it is now to buy Cravats or Neck-Handkerchiefs.

WE defire alfo to have it taken notice of, That because we should shew a particular respect to Foreigners, which may induce them to perfect their Breeding here in aKnowledge which is very proper for pretty Gentlemen, we have conceived the Motto for the House in the Learned Language. There is to be a Picture over the Door, with a Looking-Glafs and a Dreffing-Chair in the Middle of it. Then on one fide are to be seen, above one another, Patch-Boxes, Pin-Cushions, and little Bottles; on the other, Powder-Bags, Puffs, Combs and Brushes; beyond thefe, Swords with fine Knots, whose Points are hidden, and Fans almoft closed, with the Handles downward, are to stand out interchangeably from the Sides, till they meet at the top, and form a Semi-circle over the rest of

B 2

the

the Figures Beneath all, the writing is to run in this

pretty founding Manner:

Adefte, O quotquot, funt, Veneres, Gratia, Cupidines, En vobis adfunt in promptu

Faces, Vincula, Spicula,

Hinc eligite, fumite, regite.

I am, SIR,

Your moft humble Servant,

A. B.

THE propofal of my Correfpondent I cannot but look upon as an ingenious Method of placing perfons (whofe Parts make them ambitious to exert themfelves in frivolous things) in a Rank by themselves. In order to this, I would propose, That there be a Board of Directors of the fashionable Society; and because it is a Matter of too much Weight for a private Man to determine alone, I fhould be highly obliged to my Correspondents if they would give in Lifts of Perfons qualify'd for this Truft. If the chief Coffee-Houfes, the Converfations of which Places are carried on by Perfons, each of whom has his little number of Followers and Admirers, would name from among themselves two or three to be inferted, they should be put up with great Faithfulness. Old Beaus are to be prefented in the firft place; but as that Sect, with relation to Dress, is almost extinct, it will, I fear, be abfolutely neceffary to take in all Time-Servers, properly fo deem'd; that is, fuch as, without any Conviction of Confcience or View of Intereft, change with the World, and that meerly from a Terror of being out of Fashion. Such alfo, who from Facility of Temper, and too much Obfequioufnefs, are vicious against their Will, and follow Leaders whom they do not approve, for want of Courage to go their own way, are capable Perfons for this Superintendency. Those who are loth to grow old, or would do any thing contrary to the Course and Order of things, out of fondnefs to be in fashion, are proper Candidates. To conclude, thofe who are in fashion without apparent Merit must be fuppofed to have latent Qualities, which would appear in a Poft of Direction; and therefore are to be regarded in forming

thefe

thefe Lifts. Any who shall be pleased, according to these, or what further Qualifications may occur to himfelf, to fend a Lift, is defired to do it within fourteen Days after this Date.

N. B. The Place of the Phyfician to this Society, according to the last mentioned Qualification, is already engag'd.

T

එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම එම රට ඒම ඒට

No. 479. Tuesday, September 9.

Dare fura maritis.

Hor.

ANY are the Epiftles I every Day receive from

M Husbands, who complain of Vanity, Pride, but

above all Ill-nature, in their Wives. I cannot tell how it is, but I think I fee in all their Letters that the Caufe of their Uneafiness is in themselves; and indeed I have hardly ever observed the married Condition unhappy, but from want of Judgment or Temper in the Man. The truth is, we generally make Love in a Style, and with Sentiments very unfit for ordinary Life: They are half Theatrical, half Romantick. By this Means we raise our Imaginations to what is not to be expected in human Life; and because we did not beforehand think of the Creature we were enamoured of, as fubject to Dishumour, Age, Sickness, Impatience or Sullennefs, but altogether confidered her as the Object of Joy, human Nature it self is often imputed to her as her particular Imperfection or Defect.

I take it to be a Rule proper to be observed in all Occurrences of Life, but more especially in the domeftick or matrimonial Part of it, to preserve always a Difpofition to be pleased. This cannot be fupported but by confidering things in their right light, and as Nature has form'd them, and not as our own Fancies or Appetites would have them. He then who took a young Lady to his Bed, with no other Confideration than the Expectation of

B 3

Scenes

Scenes of Dalliance, and thought of her (as I faid before) only as he was to adminifter to the Gratification of Defire; as that Defire flags, will, without her fault, think her Charms and her Merit abated: From hence muft follow Indifference, Diflike, Peevishness, and Rage. But the Man who brings his Reafon to fupport his Paffion, and beholds what he loves as liable to all the Calamities of human Life both in Body and Mind, and even at the beft what must bring upon him new Cares and new Relations; fuch a Lover, I fay, will form himself accordingly, and adapt his Mind to the Nature of his Circumftances. This latter Perfon will be prepared to be a Father, a Friend, an Advocate, a Steward for People yet unborn, and has proper Affections ready for every Incident in the Marriage State. Such a Man can hear the Cries of Children with Pity inftead of Anger; and when they run over his Head, he is not difturbed at their Noise, but is glad of their Mirth and Health. Tom Trufty has told me, that he thinks it doubles his Attention to the most intricate Affair he is about, to hear his Children, for whom all his Cares are applied, make a noife in the next Room: On the other fide Will. Sparkifh cannot put on his Perriwig, or adjuft his Cravat at the Glafs, for the Noife of thofe damned Nurfes and fqualling Brats; and then ends with a gallant Reflection upon the Comforts of Matrimony, runs out of the Hearing, and drives to the ChocolateHoufe.

ACCORDING as the Husband is difpos'd in himself, every Circumftance of his Life is to give him Torment or Pleasure. When the Affection is well-placed, and fupported by the Confiderations of Duty, Honour, and Friendship, which are in the highest Degree ingaged in this Alliance, there can nothing rife in the common Course of Life, or from the Blows or Favours of Fortune, in which a Man will not find Matters of fome Delight unknown to a fingle Condition.

He who fincerely loves his Wife and Family, and ftudies to improve that Affection in himself, conceives Pleasure from the moft indifferent things; while the married Man, who has not bid adieu to the Fashions and falfeGallantries of the Town, is perplexed with every thing around him. In both these Cafes Men cannot, indeed, make a fillier Fi

gure,

« 前へ次へ »