T

HOSE who wish to appear wifer than their neighbours, and with this intention affect fingularity in those opinions which concern matters of fmall importance, are frequently reduced into difagreeable fituations by their fuperlative wisdom, while the charge of folly, retorted on them with the advantage of numbers on the fide of their opponets, makes them appear ridiculous even to their inferiors, and cafts a fhade over the good qualities they poffels, though of a more important nature.

The practice of decrying the prevailing fashions of drefs, is the most frequent cause of leading people inta fuch fituations; as they have no foundation in reason, it is eafy to find fault with them, but being defended by numbers, their aggreflors are ufually repulfed with difgrace. The chief error of fuch perfons is, that while they pretend to fee no reason for certain modes, and confequently fet them down as abfurd, they do not reflect that there is no reason why they fhould not be adopted as well as any other circumstances, either of drefs, fpeech, or living, which, though at prefent agreeable, might in the fame manner be argued out of the world.

Mankind we find daily differ in affairs the most weighty and effential,

and, of courfe, it is not a matter of wonder that they disagree in those of little or no importance.

Fancy has ever been found an inconftant, and, at times, an odd kind of a governefs; and, in all inftances where we are to be directed by her management, our conduct will to many appear very inconfiftent: nor is it worth the while of a man of fenfe to give himself any trouble about fuch opinions,

Fancy governs the fashions-the fashions are oftimes prepofterous and abfurd: at their introduction they frequently undergo all the feverity of laughter: cuftom, however, foon makes them common; their oddity wears off, and they are gradually fubmitted to by the wifeft of men. Such then as have been loudeft in their clamours against them, commonly come in with the poorest grace.

David Tittle, an odd humoured intimate of mine, has afforded me more inftances of this kind than any man I know fide.

Tittle, though generally a perfon of no fmall figure in the beau monde, has long fince declared open hoftilities against all the fashions as they rife; and, although it is generally his let to be conquered in all his combats, he has hitherto made out to fight it

away

away manfully for a while, againft

every new comer.

When narrow-brimmed, highcrowned hats were first introduced, unluckily for Tittle the first man he saw make his appearance with one on his head, was an intimate acquaintance; I fay it was unlucky, because, had he been a stranger, Tittle would immediately have confidered him as one of the greatest fops he ever had feen; and would, by that mean, have had it in his power to have fported his favourite obfervation, that for all new fashions we are obliged to the biggest fools in the community.

As it was, Davy appeared perfectly convinced that the little fhare of wit God had formerly been pleafed to bellow on his friend, was just upon the point of taking leave of him for ever-And, like the generality of the world, not contented with thinking as ill as he pleafed of the man on this trifling occafion, Davy was induftris ous in mentioning his ridiculous be haviour (as he was pleafed to term it) to every acquaintance that came in his way, and indeed made opportunities entirely out of feafon, to exclaim against the fashion, and to publith the folly of his friend with the high-crowned hat.

High-crowned hats however gained ground-others of Tittle's acquaintance began to wear them Davy grew louder in his declamations; and to fhew his utter deteftation of the fashion, actually procured a broad-brimmed, low-crowned hat, which he wore on all occafions. The fashion at length prevailed, and Tittle continued wearing his umbrella, until he found himself in all parties the broad-brim and jett of the company, and in the very place in which he had formerly viewed his friend with the high crowned hat.

There was no withstanding the torrent-ridicule commonly bears down all oppofition-Dary accordingly get

his beaver moulded to the fashion, underwent a fecond laughter from his acquaintances, joined the throng, and entertained for broad-brimmed hats a moft cordial batred.

It was the fame with froe-ftringsDavy laughed every perion who wore them almoft out of countenancethey were odious-they were effeminate, and as truly indicated a fool or a fop, as any article of dress poffibly could.

It was in vain urged that they were eafy and pleasant to the wearer, and that Davy's four-fquare buckles, that measured four inches every way, and almoft covered his foot, were infinitely more the marks of a fop and a fool. He infifted however that there w23 no ribbonifh gewgaws, no womanifh appearance about his buckles, but that they bore with them the diftinguished marks of fomething that was strong and truly masculine.

Shoe-ftrings however became more and more the ton, and at last Davy himself, to the utter aftonishment of all his acquaintances, actually made his appearance with his feet loaded with enormous bunches of black rib bon.-As a farther illuftration of his character, it may be here remarked, that he was ever famous for running into extremes.

Tight fmall clothes, and indeed every new modulation of dress underwent the fame ftrictures. He declaimed against them-laughed loud

was noify and troublesome in his harangues-made himself the obje& of ridicule-submitted to the fashions, and again fuffered from the witticifms of his friends.

I have always found, that as foon as he had allowed himself to be modelled with the times, and the fevere jellings of his acquaintances had psífed by, he ever after difcovered as little averfion to the modes, as those who had always made them their choice. The frequent changes in his fenti

ments,

ments, however, have never had the good effect to make him act more wifely on other occafions. He is till the fame perfon, a good-humoured kind-hearted fellow at bottom, but very loquacious, and apparently very ill-tempered. The truth is, he is exceffively fond of his own opinion much prepoffeffed in favour of his own good fenfe, and no way backward at any time in revealing his fentiments; of the abfurdity of which, however erroneous they may be, it is not generally in the power of argument to convince him.

their modes of drefs now than at any time for fome centuries paft; if, indeed, we should compare them, as he wifhed, to the good old fashions of our ancestors, he thought that our customs had far the preference, as being lefs foolish, and leis expenfive.Davy immediately fwore roundly that they had not.-His friend, however, in-, fifted on it, and faid that the old fafhion of having a veft to reach down to the knees, full of gold buttons and embroidery; a coat with fleeves as wide as thofe of a fhirt, and in every refpect shaped as much like a bishop's robe as any thing elfe; fcarlet breeches, with gold kee-garters; sharppointed fhoes, faftened by filver chains: to the knees; and a hat shaped like a porringer, which left the face expofed to the rain and the fun, could never be compared in any degree to the prefent fafhions, as being more retional or confiftent, by any man of common understanding or of only common obfervation. By heaven! Sir, cries Davy, people then looked more like men than they do now, and if their clothes were coftly and large, they had room to ftir and turn themfelves round in them, which now I fwear they have not: and, Sir, were my grand-father to hear you talk of thole fashions as you do at prefent, it is ten to one, old as he is, but he would refent it in a manner you would not find very agreeable. His friend coldly answered that fuch ufage would carry no convictionHe wished Tittle ever to remember that the ftriking characteristic of a man did not confift in his being attached to any particular mode of wearning his clothes, but in the proper government of his paffions-in his being gentle, patient, good-tempered, and kind-hearted; and, finding him a little hard run and heated, he quietly left him to regain his compofure.

A friend of Tittle's undertook to jeft him, a few days fince, on the inconfittency of his conduct, in first enveighing against, and afterwards fubmitting to the fashions. Davy infifted that his yielding to them was no acknowledgment that he approved of them, for the wifeft of men had, ever fince the world began, been forced at times to give in to the most abfurd and ridiculous cuftoms. His friend urged, that among civilized. people every mode of dress confidered in itfelf was ridiculous, and he knew no preference in favour of one fashion to another. Nature defires nothing more than to be sheltered from the cold and the ftorm; and, to do this, it requires no other mode than that which appears most convenient; and, confidered on that principle, the lavages had as rational a manner of dreffing as any fet of refined people whatever. Davy acknowledged the truth of the remark, but still infifted that the world was growing more fantastical every day, and that people feemed continually endeavouring to make themfelves appear more like apes and baboons: he wondered why the good old fashions of fome years back were neglected and forgotten. His friend obferved, that for his part he conceived that men were in no refpect more abfurd in

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