arrange: viz. that his Majesty the Emperor should retain all the dominions of his Majesty the King; and that the remainder, after this deduction, should be restored to his latter Majesty, en plein droit.

This Gallican allusion" in a moment brings me to my end."

"L-d, said my mother, what is all this story about?"" A Cock and a Bull," said I: though far indeed from being 66 one of the best I ever heard."*

PERIODICAL works, after the lapse of years, become interesting, in a way on which probably the earliest writers of them did not calculate. In re

cording the transient whims and fashions of the day, these, it is likely, were not aware, that they were preserving what would otherwise be lost; and were providing food for Antiquarians yet unborn, and indeed for the curious of all descriptions.

The Spectator's picture of English manners will serve for an example of the truth of what I have been asserting.

"Red heels" and "silver garters" have long become obsolete; and "fringed gloves" never make their appearance now, except at the consecration of a bishop, or the conclusion of a maiden assizes. Our "young people" do not (except on levee days,) "shoot out into long swords;" and still less do they sprout into "full-bottomed perriwigs," unless where early merit has raised them to the bench. No man now "offers his snuff-box to his mistress," nor is it characteristic of " a woman's man," to know "what is "good for a cold; or have a bottle of spirits in his pocket, in case of any sudden indisposition." Though indeed the "Barefaces," and those who have "a dangerous and spiteful tongue," continue to be caressed by the modern fair; and, I may add, to be well received by the other sex.

"The skirts of our fashionable coats" are not "extended," or "sustained with wire ;" nor do they "form as large a circumference, as the hoop petticoat" of Queen Anne's reign. Nay, this latter

"enormous concave" has totally collapsed; and though the idolatry may and must continue, the temple of "the black Monkey" has been demolished; or, perhaps, I should rather say, has been pulled to the ground. As to the retaining "a quilted petti"coat underneath," I may, without exposing myself to raillery, assert that I know this practice to be entirely exploded.

Our Helens are no longer queens of shreds and patches. The spots have, on the contrary, vanished from their skins; and the Sun of beauty is become immaculate, and all bright; unless when it suffers the partial and temporary eclipse of rouge. "The Picts" I do not mention; considering their race is nearly extinct. With us they are usually called Demis; (I presume from their having been of Magdalene college ;) and for these it may be well that "the Dogs of Vulcan" have been "hanged.” Our female heads too are "reduced to that beautiful globular form, which is natural to them;" and as for "a commode," no lady wants one, except for her drawing-room pier; and then applies for it, not to Mr. Henlon, but to Mr. Eggleso. I cannot de

*Ladies and Gentlemen, this very ugly word (which being interpreted in the century before last, meant a head-dress,) is not mine, but Mr. Addison's.—As for Messrs. Henlon and Eggleso, the former is a fashionable hair-dresser; and the latter, an equally fashionable cabinet-maker.

E

ny that "perriwigs" are worn by the sex, both when they ride, and when they walk. "Female beards," too I have met, both on horseback and on foot: but they are few in number; and do not make their appearance until lustres after puberty. As for "pugs," they are fallen into such entire disuse, that if our city should be hostilely invested, I much doubt whether one of these reverend Intonsa could find one, to substitute for a lover, and carry off upon her shoulders.

One of the Spectator's correspondents recommends her lover, on the ground of his being able "to talk Latin as well as English;" and forasmuch as his stockings "are rolled" with irresistible airiness and grace. How a female of the nineteenth century would scream (I mean with laughter; for hysterics, thank Heaven! are also out of date :) if her Aspirant should appear before her in such a trim.

The sober volumes which have been smoked, like many of those which have been written, are gone, whither no one knows: while on the other hand, we have no young fashionables, who, "at eight in the

morning," go into a coffee-house to lounge, dressed "with a gay cap, and gaudy slippers; and in a party-coloured night-gown, fastened by a straw

66

berry sash." How such a party would be quizzed at the present day! Neither have we any old gentlemen, (either in the gout, or not,)" mounted on high"heeled shoes; with a glazed wax-leather instep."

Reader, do not mistake me. I am far from intending to insinuate that the present century does not produce as many coxcombs, old and young, as any ancient or modern, which has gone before it; but the coxcombry has transmigrated into other shapes.

Will Honeycomb, in order to support his character of a man of the world, thees and thous the Spectator, in all his correspondence. But this tutoyant idiom. (extraordinary change!) is now exalted or debased, from being the language of a fine gentleman, to be the phraseology of a Quaker.

This topic, of expression, recalls me again to the fair sex who, in our time, are so far from being proud of "murdering hard words," that on the contrary they perform these with the most brilliant execution as the Professors of Chemistry, Botany, Galvanism, &c. &c. can testify. In short, except sleep and lovers, I know nothing that our fair ones murder; and of these, it is only the latter that they bring to an untimely end.

It may, however, be denied to be surprizing, that the manners of 1711, are dead and gone in 1807. But my present essay has, in fact, been suggested by what proves MODE to be very short lived, and passagere. I allude to a paper of The Lounger, * from which, I think, it may be collected, that ex

*No. 12.