Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

THE

Lady's Magazine;

For MARCH, 1790:

THE INDEX.

N° XIII.

Oh! if to dance all night, and dress all day

Charm'd the small-pox, or chas'd old

age away,

To patch, nay ogle, might become a faint,

Nor would it fure be such a fin to PAINT. POPE.

A dependent

furnished me with the following paper, I think I ought to lose no time in handing it to my readers, as it peculiarly concerns that fex, to whofe ufe the labours of this Magazine are dedicated.

The dress of women has been a favourite, and it 'would appear an almost inexhaustible topic of criticifm, cenfure, and ridicule. The best of our writers have occafionally on this fubject forgot the refpe&t they otherwife would have paid to the sex, and have indulged in all the wantonnefs of unqualified abufe, That the fubject fhould be confidered, few will question, and a paper lately thrown into my way induces me to make a few remarks on it.

Although the importation of articles of merchandise from France was pretty common before the com

mercial treaty took place, yet as this laft ferved to lower the duties, it rendered importation more eafy, and promoted home confumption in a greater degree. Among the various articles imported from that gay country, it gives me fome concern to find that we deal fo largely in perfumes, effences, pomatums, &c. and other artificial, and, I may fay, unnatural mixtures, for the purpose of rendering our ladies more agree

common ufe among ladies of quality, and those who follow ladies of quality, is the paper I allude to above, which was lately given me by a very eminent importer and

dealer.

1 have now before me a lift of twenty-three different kinds of pomatums ufed in genteel fociety-all with fine founding French names. For it is to be obferved that all articles of fashion from France are privileged to retain the original names, unaltered by the vulgar barbarity of the English tongue. Now this fcrves two purposes: it ferves to give a pretty found, a fort of fashionable epithet to the thing; and it prevents the ridiculous blunders and odd tranflations of half-learned people. The fame rule is not obferved, indeed, in other articles we import

from

Among the articles which follow of the mifcellaneous kind, we have fultanes parfumées, which being beyond my comprehention, I must leave it untranflated. The lift of paftes and powders which follow is very numerous; the latter of all colours; but what fhail we fay to an article jufly placed by itself, and in large characters, EAU CELESTE POUR TEINDRE LES VEINES

Celestial water to colour or dye the veins! Will this be believed by those who live at a distance from the me tropolis! Will it be believed by ra tional creatures?

from France. Eau de vie becomes | enjoy who make waters in France. brandy in England-vin rouge,claret, Were we to do fuch things in Engfoie, filk-and tabatieres are fnuff-land, it would be thought indeli boxes. But pomatums are things of care, and yet virgin's milk and dutoo much confequence to be thus re- chefs's water in this country might be duced to the vulgar comprehenfion. worth as much per gill as the other. For instance, taken from the lift before me, how much genteeler is it to afk for pommade au pot-pourri, than to call for rouen-po pomatum, which is the literal, whatever the metaphorical meaning may be! Then pommade des fultanes et au muguet would not be one whit better understood if "Sultanefs's pomatum made of lily of the valey" befides that people would be apt to fufpect that there was fome deception in the article, and that it was not the identical fort of pomatum ufed by fultaneffes, The laft of this lift, which I thall notice, is pommade a myladi. This might. it is true, be tranflated easily, but how vulgar would it be to fend a fervant to a shop for a box of my lady's pomatum ! The fervant might think it was fome her lady had bought, and not taken home with her. Four pomatums of this valuable lift are for promoting the growth of hair, or to ufe the words of the fhop-bill, pour faire croitre les cheucus and fix more are for changing the colour, all fo delicately expreffed in the original language as to keep unlearned bufbands and fervants as much in the dark as poffible; like fome apothecaries who give their prefcriptions ftrange names, left their young 'prentices fhould learn the diforder of the patient and blab, Amongst this last we have pommade de graille de veau purifiée!-who would think it neceffary to import calves' greafe from Paris to improve English beauty?

This latt concludes with paints of different kinds for the face and neck, Surely the perifhalle nature of beauty is not now to be lamented, when the ingenuity of man has provided fo amply for the repairs, for the wreck of age and time. Wrinkles may

come-but they may be filled upthe deepest furrows may be raised to the level of the adjoining plain, and the paleft complexion, more complaifant than nature, be accommorated with what colour the owner pleafes. The face of youth is thus placed on the aged fhoulders, the livid veins of declining years are tinted by the eau celefte into the ap pearance of charming health, and the bloom of fixteen kindly conceals the forbidding aufterity of a fixty. year-old countenance. And if to this we add that teeth and gums, eyes and hair, fhoulders and hips, may be purchafed and fitted to the We come next to the quinteffences body fo as (to use the expreffion of and Smelling waters, upwards of fifty one of the coblers of nature) to ap. in number. The only remarkable pear even beyond nature, what iş ones here are lait virginal d'Italie-there wanting to comfort us when and eau a la duckeffe, which fhow age comes on, and to enable us to the advantages thefe kind of people go out of the world even more beau

Charater of Ma ́cus Antonius.

tiful than we came into it? This fyftem defies the power of the king of terrors and palenefs himfelf-for in the laft ftage of a confumption a lady

CHARACTER

117

of MARCUS ANTONIUS.

LIBRARY.]

may exhibit the roses and lilies of [From the HISTORICAL POCKET youth and health, and be admired for her complexion-the day she is to be buried.

ARCUS Antonius being con

MA

ful at the time Julius Cæfar was murdered, was extremely en raged at his death, and refolved with Lepidus to revenge it on his affaffins. The conful immediately took command of a legion. He ordered the will of Cæfar to be publicly

Yet I would not have this paper to be confidered as unimportant. The prevalence of the abominable practice of painting is a serious fubject. It is not confined to the ugly or the old, who may think they have a right or necefity to use it. The most beautiful faces and the best com-read in order to influence the people plexions are too often hid under a mixture of the pernicious articles fold in the fhops by French names. This is undoing all that inoculation was fuppofed to effect. Inoculation is faid, and with juftice, to have added to the beauty as well as to the number of women in this country. And whatever difference of opinion may be entertained as to the propriety of inoculation (for that perhaps will always be a difputed point, and ought to be regulated by the inclination of the parent) there need be no hesitation in saying that these perfons are criminal in the highest degree who injure their heaith to indulge their vanity, or comply with fafhion. As to the neceffity which those who are called ugly may think themselves under to paint, I am afraid the plea will fcarcely be allowed by those who know the world, and who know that A GOOD WOMAN CAN NEVER BE UGLY, let her complexion be what it may, her skin smooth or pitted. If there is beauty in the mind, no perverity of features can conceal it; and if all beauty be centered in the countepance, it may lead to flattery, and it has led to destruction, but it is one of the least fources of happiness, and by itself is the leaft of all poffeffions,

in the cause of Octavius, whom
Cæfar left to be his heir. He made
a funeral oration over the body of
Cæfar in the senate, and caused the
people to threaten the most exem-
plary punishments on his murderers,
whofe houfes were mostly set on fire
by the enraged populace. Antony
foon after being more determined to
raife himself than to promote the
interefts of Octavius, refused him
his affillance. He procured the
command of the fix legions that lay
in Macedonia, where he detained
them under the pretence of repelling
the Getæ, who, on Cæfar's death.
he informed the fenate, had invaded
that province. He obtained Mace-
donia for his brother C. Antonius,
and Gaul for himself.
He was,
however, hated by his foldiers.
But he marched into Gaul, from
whence he caufed Decimus Brutus,
who governed it, to depart for Rome.
He cenfured Octavius as the patron
of Cæfar's murderers. Antony was
defeated in a battle near Mutina,
from whence he fled to Lepidus the
triumvir, who took poffeffion of the
world. Cicero declaiming again't
Antony's ambition, Antony pro-
fcribed him, sud next caufed him
to be murdered. He, with Octa-
vius, obtained a decifive victory
over Brutus and Catlius, who with

30

an army had retired to Syria. Antony went to Athens, and from thence paffed into Afia, were all the pinces of the Eaft who acknowJedged the Roman power paid him homage. Proceeding to Egypt, he fell in love with Cleopatra, and made himself the arbiter of all the contentions betwixt the fove cigns of the Eaft. He difcarded his wife Octavia, and married Cleopatra, and declared war against Octavius. A battle was fought between them at Actium for the empire of the world. Cæfar had 400 fhips, and Antony no more than 200. Cleopatra flying from the battle caufed Antony to defert his ftandard, and to kill himflf, rather than fall into the power of his rival Octavius.

The great qualities of Antonius made him appear a ceferving fovereign of half the world: but vices ranked him beneath a brute. He was valiant, cloquent, and liberal; cruel, infolent, and profligate. Cæfar employed and defpifed him. As the benefits bestowed on him by Cæfar had obliged him to avenge his death, he boldly undertook it, with hopes of making his zeal the first flep to a grandeur equal to his departed guardian; but was stopped in his ambitious career hy his a dopted fon and nephew 09avius; who forced him to partake the empire with him. He married the beautiful and virtuous Octavia, but ferlook her for the abandoned Cleopatra, with whom he spent his days in excefs; and for whon he flew himfelf, though convinced of her perfidy, proving to the last, how dreadful a madness is vicious love.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

husband as a facrifice to the vanity of Cleopatra. Poffeffing every beauty to charm mankind, and every virtue that could adorn her own sex, she interpofed between her husband and brother, and restored them to their former friendship. This was a union cemented between them for five years longer, which being ended, Antony left Octavia and returned to Syria. Her generofity, her mild behaviour, and her love and respect for her husband incenfed the people against Antony for his ill treatment of a woman of fuch extraordinary merit. Antony having brought Cleopatra to Athens, fent orders to Octavia at Rome, demanding that fhe and all her children fhould leave his houfe in that city. Octavia readily obeyed the cruel orders without murmuring. But fhe could not avoid lamenting, that the was the caufe of a war whofe confequences must be fatal to her. When the heard her husband's will, which Octavius had obtained, the bore the reflection of its infulting contents with the greatest temper and fortitude. He had ordered in this will that if he died in Rome his body fhould be carried in funcral pomp through the principal places of the city, and afterwards fent to Cleopatra, to whom, it is faid, that if his arms profpered, he meant to have given Rome. Thus would the feat of this glorious empire have been transferred to Egypt.

[ocr errors]

An happy intercourfe of three years had kindled in the tender heart of Octavia a molt ardent and pure flame for her husband Antony, to whom he had been given by her brother Octavius, as a facred pledge of peace and unity betwixt these two rivals for power; when, alas! the artifice of Cleopatra deprived her of the object of her affection. She filently fubmitted to her fate, and continued her fervices to every friend of her confort, even after he had refufed to fee her in a long journey

him.

Pope's Character of Women cenfured.

journey which the took in fearch of She pitied his infatuation when he fent her a divorce, lamented his death as if he had been a juft and tender husband, and treated the children of her rival as her own, giving, to the laft, a glorious in Itance of the power that true and virtuous love has over an heroic foal.

To the EDITOR of the LADY's ways be paid to virtue. MAGAZINE.

SIR,

[ocr errors]

you a

few lines with my opinion on a fubject, the motto of which is taken from Mr. Pope's Effay on Man.

"Some men to business, some to pleafure take;

But every woman is at heart a rake."

On confidering more maturely on this important question, I cannot but take the liberty to differ from the learned gentleman (Mr. Beaumont) who wrote in favour of it. Many opinions, I don't doubt, may be given on this fubject, it being a large field for argument. Mr. Pope allows in the first line, that

Some men to business, fome to pleasure take,

That is, he allows fome of his own fex to be rakes, but as to the fair fex no exception is to be made. What Mr. Pope's ideas of woman kind might be, I cannot here determine,

but it rather fhews that he had an hatred against the fex; it is certainly undermining the foundation of every virtue they can poffibly poffefs, and at the fame time laying them open to every abufe from our's. It is banishing virtue out of the world, and that ingenuous fhame, which provident nature affigned to be the com. panion and guardian of virtue. It

119

is putting a very thin barrier be tween the worst of their fex and the beft. For what do you call that woman, who, void of every fenfe of fhame and reputation, facrifices her good name on the altar of senjuality? A rake, and a rake at beart too, in every fenfe of the word. And muft then the well difpofed of the fair-fex, fall under the appellation of fuch an infamous character as this? Forbid it virtue! No! bad as the world now is, refpect will alIf this question arifes from a knowledge of the world, as many, I am forry to fay, are of that opinion, I must beg leave to tell them, that I am afraid they have either been introduced to the worst of the fex, or poffefs a mind confonant with Mr. Pope's. To fay a women is a rake at heart, is faying a great deal against her reputation. It is injuring her in a tender part; it is filching from her her good name, by lofing which he becomes poor indeed. I fhall con clude with faying, that Mr. Pope, by pronouncing every woman a rake is certainly accused of infufferable Severity.

I remain, Sir,

Your humble fervant,

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »