To-day we have generally adopted a more convenient and fimple mode of wearing the hair, which faves time and expenfe, does not foil one's clothes with grease or powder, and facilitates the perfpiration of the head. This is the fashion à la Romaine, or à la Titus. Formerly no perfon, young or old, man or woman, could appear in public without fpectacles. They did not wear them for the purpose of aiding their fight: for, when asked to read any thing, they requested permiffion to take off their fpectacles. To-day the young people who ufe glaffes wifli at leaft to escape the fatigues of war, by pretending to be fhort-fighted. Formerly long beards were the fashion, and the clergy were fo much attached to this ornament, that they were the laft to leave it off. This fafhion became obfolete; Francis Olivier was obliged to get himfelf fhaved before he was admitted to a feat in Parliament. To-day long beards are feen only on those who cannot afford to be shaved, and on the Ambaffador of the Ottoman Porte, who would not be fhaved for any money. Formerly thofe who took fnuff at church were excommunicated. To-day we take fnuff at mafs, without dreading exo communication. Formerly fugar-plums were fo much in vogue, that no one appeared in public without a box of them. The Duke of Guife had his fugar-plum box in his hand when he was killed at Blois. To-day fugar-plums are confined to the children; and, if they are at all used by their elders, it is only at christenings, and on particular holidays. Formerly, because Louis XIII. had an extreme liking to gingerbread, every beau had his pocket filled with it, and prefented flices of it to the ladies with the most ceremonious gallantry. To-day To-day gingerbread is to be feen only at the churchdoors, in the ftreets, and at country fairs. Formerly it was the fashion to wear long cravats which hung down to the waift. This was followed by the frugal fashion of a fingle fold of muflin, closely tied behind. To-day the neck moves freely in a large cravat, which completely fills up the space between the chin and the collar-bone. Formerly books, writings, and even letters on the most common occafions, were stuffed with an infinity of quotations. Varillas fays, that Montluc, when writing to Charles IX. not having room in his first letter for all. the extracts he had prepared, wrote a fecond letter, filled with eight pages of quotations.. To-day our young authors do not perplex us with Latin or Greek; and if this cuftom fhould continue a little longer, it may, perhaps, be more ftrictly proper to call Greek and Latin the forgotten than the dead languages July 3 I MR. EDITOR, SPORTING. [From the Oracle.] AM an old bachelor, and, having nothing to do, ge. nerally fpend my time in ftrolling from coffee-houfe: to coffee-houfe, gleaning curious anecdotes, and liftening to various converfations. My peregrinations have been confined to the city till yefterday, when, entering a fashionable tavern to the weftward, I feated myself in a box adjacent to a party of about half a dozen young. men, who were debating with great earneftnefs. One of them exclaimed, "Depend upon it, Jack, the breed of Potatoes is worth any money, I'd give a cool thoufand myself."-This rather furprifed me; but, conceiving the youth to be an Hibernian, I waited till another another fwore, that "he would not give fixpence for, Sir Charles Bunbury's Froth, though he thought he kept fome of the prettieft fillies in England." I was preparing to vindicate the worthy Baronet from this charge of immorality, when a third cried out, "Who 'H go and fee Moll Roe take her fweats?" I had fcarce time to wonder what this meant, before another rejoined, "You know nothing about it; I was prefent when he was covered, and I'll wager fifty pounds Calia is breeding." Shocked at this indecent affeveration, Þ put on my hat to depart, when one of the company afked me "if I thought the Maid of the Oaks was miftrefs of my weight?"-This put me out of countenance; but imagining it to be a fashionable hoax, I refeated myself, to hear the end of this fingular difcourfe. A youth, whom I had not before obferved, gravely remarking, that he thought "Jenny Spinner" could carry thirteen flone better than "Mifs Pratt," was ftopped by a companion asking him which he preferred," Penelope or Lais?"Whilft I was wondering what poffible comparifon could be drawn between the illuftrious wife of Ulyffes and a courtezan, a gentleman entered the room, and informed the company, that with great difficulty, "Mifs Fury" had beat "Dick Andrews." This was the only intelligence that pleafed me, as it proved the Amazonian fpirit of our English ladies; but whilft I was exulting in the defeat of "Dick Andrews," and blaming his want of gallantry in fighting with a woman, a fmart youth, in new boots, vehemently fwore, that though "John Bull was well bred, he had no bottom!" This fo incenfed my British blood, that I lifted up. my ftick with an intention of chaftifing the young spark for his impudent. affertion, when the mystery was explained by perceiving a paper lying upon the table, upon which was inferibed in large letters, "The Racing Calendar." Yours, &c. Friday, July 24. ANTHONY ODDFISH. ST. ST. SWITHIN. [From the Morning Chronicle.] MR. EDITOR, FOR OR the information of your learned readers, I beg leave to inform them, that St. Swithin, whom fome of the papers have represented as a lady, was a gentleman, and fome time Bishop of Winchester, in the ninth century. He is faid to have been a man of great piety and learning, but records are filent as to that particular propenfity of his, which is fo frequently complained of by our farmers. Matthew of Westminster gives a long lift of miracles performed by him, but fays nothing of his annual liquidation. He mentions, indeed, that he once converted a basket of broken eggs into whole ones, which was certainly very wonderful, and much more ufeful than turning fair weather inte foul. A life of this great patron of bad feafons is yet a defideratum in literature. Might I take the liberty to fuggeft to George Chalmers, Efq. A. SS. that it would be a work worthy of his talents? This bifhop ftands very much in need of an Apology, and perhaps a Supplement to that Apology, or an Appendix to that Supplement. A quantity of leaden pipes fufficient to carry off his water, would be a national work exceeding all that we have heard of the great aqueducts of antiquity. Mr. C. would likewife confer an obligation on the public, if he would inform them why his Lordfhip's complaint was fo accommodating as to comply with the new ftyle-? July 18. I am, Sir, yours, ANTIQUARIOLUS. MR. EDITOR, SALE BY AUCTION. Į [From the Oracle] WHEN I inform you that I was a chief partner in the poetical firm of Della Crufca, Anna Matilda, and that brilliant phalanx of poets who illuminated the world fome time ago, you will probably recollect having read many of my most astonishing and fuper-excellent performances. Evil days, however, have at length come upon us; we have been partly laughed out of notice, and fome of us have, by dint of perfeverance, fairly written our school down. You will probably recollect, Sir, that the bafis of our poetry was. epithet-none of our fubftantives were allowed to ftand by themfelves, but were gravely accompanied by a weighty adjective, as you may fometimes fee a tiny Mifs followed in her shopping excurfions by a tall footman. Of these epithets I have yet left a large collection, which I am difpofed to fell by auction, either together, or, what perhaps would be preferable, in fmall lots, for the accommodation of families and individuals. I can affure you, that although they have often been, ufed, they are as good as new; and, I will venture to fay, will appear to as much advantage twenty years hence as they do now. Although our School may be at prefent under a cloud, it is probable it may revive at fome future period, and our language be again involved in all the charming obfcurity of fentimental expletives and epithets. In the mean time I fend you my catalogue, arranged in two columns for the benefit of your columns, and you may print them in the ufual letter, although, when we print them in our poems, we generally ufe fmall and great capitals, italics, and !!! plenty of notes of admiration!!! Senfate minds VOL. V. CATALOGUE, &c. Undulating lights Embowering |