CHARLES I.

N this reign, the hat continued

IN

to be worn with much fuch a fort of crown as that defcribed in the reign of Elizabeth; but the brim was extended to a reasonable breadth. Hats inclining to a cone, a figure very ill adapted to the human head, occur in the portraits of this time.

The hair was worn low on the forehead, and generally unparted: fome wore it very long, others of a moderate length. The king, and confequently many others, wore a love-lock on the left fide, which was confiderably longer than the reft of the hair. The unfeemlinefs of this fashion occafioned Mr. Prynne to write a book in quarto, against love-locks.

The beard dwindled very gradually under the two Charles's till it was reduced to a flender pair of whiskers, It became quite extinct in the reign of James II. as if its fatality had been connected with that of the houfe of Stuart.

The ruff, which of all fantastic modes maintained its poffeffion the longeft, was worn, for fome time, after the acceffion of Charles; but it had almost universally given place to the falling band, when Vandyck was in England.

Slafhed doublets, doublets with flit fleeves, and cloaks, were much in fashion.

Trunk breeches, one of the most monftrous fingularities of dress ever feen in this, or any other age, were worn in the reigns of James and Charles I.

The points, which formerly ufed to be feen hanging about the waist,

are feen dangling at the knees, in fome of the portraits of this pe

riod.

Little flimfy Spanish leather boots and fpurs were much worn by gentlemen of fafhion. It was ufual for the beaus in England and France, to call for their boots, and fome think their fpurs too, when they were going to a ball, as they very rarely wore the one without the other.

Mr. Peck, the antiquarian, informs us, that he had, in his poffeffion, a whole length portrait of Charles; the drefs of which he thus defcribes : "He wore a fall"ing band, a fhort green doublet, "the arm-parts toward the fhoul"der, wide, and flashed; zig-zag

turned up ruffles; very long green breeches, (like a Dutch"man) tied far below knee with

long yellow ribands; red stock"ings, great fhoe-rofes, and a "fhort red cloak, lined with blue, "with a ftar on the fhoulder."

Ladies wore their hair low on the forehead, and parted in small ringlets. Many wore it curled like a peruke, and fome braided and rounded in a knot, on the top of the crown. They frequently wore ftrings of pearls in their hair. Ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, and other jewels, were alfo much worn.

Laced handkerchiefs, refembling the large falling band worn by the men, were in fashion among the ladies: this article of drefs has been lately revived, and called a Vandyck.

Many ladies, at this period, are painted with their arms and their bofoms bare; and there is no doubt but they fometimes went with those parts expofed.

Cowley,

IT

INTERREGNUM.

T appears by the broad feal of Charles II. in Sandford, dated 1653, that he wore long hair and whiskers. It alfo appears from the prints of him, in Sir William Lower's account of his entertainment at the Hague, the fame year, that he fometimes wore a large cravat, and, at other times, a long falling band with taffels. His ruffles were large, his doublet fhort, his boots were alfo fhort, with large tops, his hair long, with a lock on

the right fide much longer than the reft.

Mr. Benlowes, in his "Theo"phila," published in 1652, has given us a print of a man of mode. In his hat, the brim of which is extended horizontally, is a large feather: it inclines much to the right fide, as if it were falling off his head. His hair is very long, his ruffles are double, his doublet reaches no lower than the waistband of his breeches: his fword is enormous, and fufpended to a belt, which comes over his right fhoulder; his breeches are large, with puffs like fmall blown bladders, quite round the knees; his boots. are very fhort, with fringed tops, which are near as ample in their dimenfions as the brim of his hat. It appears from the fame author, that black patches were fometimes worn by the beaux at the time of the Interregnum. Short hair, fhort bands, fhort cloaks, and long vifages, frequently occur in the portraits of this period.

Mr. Benlowes has also given us prints of two ladies, by the hand of Hollar; one in a fummer, the other in a winter drefs. The former is without a cap, has her hair combed like a wig, except that which grows on the crown of the head, which is nicely braided, and rounded in a knot. Her neck-handkerchief is furrounded with a deep fcalloped lace, and her cuffs are laced much in the fame manner. The fleeves of her gown have many flashes, through which her linen is very confpicuous: her fan is of the modern make. The latter is reprefented in a close black hood, and a black mask, which juft conceals her nose. She wears a fable tippet, and holds a large

muff

CHARLES II.

TH HE Monmouth, or military

cock of the hat, was much worn in this reign, and continued a confiderable time in fashion.

The periwig, which had been long ufed in France, was introduced into England foon after the Restoration.

There is a tradition, that the large black wig which Dr. R. R. bequeathed, among other things of much less confideration, to the Bodleian library, was worn by Charles II.

Some men of tender confciences were greatly fcandalized at this article of drefs, as equally indecent with long hair; and more culpable, because unnatural. Many preachers inveighed against it in their fermons, and cut their hair fhorter, to exprefs their abhorrence of the reigning mode.

It was observed, that a periwig procured many perfons a refpect, and even veneration, which they were ftrangers to before, and to which they had not the least claim from their perfonal merit. The judges, and phyficians, who thoroughly understood this magic of the wig, gave it all the advantage of length, as well as fize.

The extravagant fondnefs of fome men for this unnatural ornament is fcarce credible: I have heard of a country gentleman, who employed a painter to place periwigs upon the heads of feveral of Vandyck's portraits.

Mr. Wood informs us, that Nath. Vincent, D. D. chaplain in

fore him at Newmarket, in a long periwig, and Holland fleeves, according to the then fashion for gentlemen; and that his majefty was fo offended at it, that he commanded the duke of Monmouth, chancellor to the univerfity of Cambridge, to fee the ftatutes concerning decency of apparel put in execution; which was done accordingly."

The lace neckcloth became in fashion in this, and continued to be worn in the two following reigns.

Open fleeves, pantaloons, and fhoulder knots, were alfo worn at this period, which was the æra of fhoe-buckles: but ordinary people, and fuch as affected plainnefs in their garb, continued, for a long time after, to wear ftrings in their fhoes.

The clerical habit, which before it is grown rufty is a very decent drefs, feems not to have been worn in its prefent form, before the reign of Charles II.

The ladies hair was curled and frizled with the nicest art, and they frequently fet it off with heartbreakers. Sometimes a ftring of pearls, or an ornament of ribband, was

worn on the head; and in the latter part of this reign, hoods of various kinds were in fashion.

Patching and painting the face,than which nothing was more common in France, was alfo too common among the ladies in England. But what was much worse, they affected a mean betwixt drefs and nakednefs; which occafioned the publication of a book, intitled, A juft and feafonable repre"henfion of naked breafts and "fhoulders, with a preface by Ki.

"chard

that fhips defigned for navigating the feas ought to be of a different conftruction from those intended for rivers, they would make it their ftudy to give fuch a form and folidity to fhips defigned for the fea, as. would enable them to refift the impetuofity of its waves. They would next endeavour to find out a method of guiding and directing them with eafe and fafety. Sculls and oars were the only inftruments that occurred to them for fome time. It must have been long before they thought of adding the helm. The ancients imagined, that it was the fins of fishes which firft fuggefted the idea of oars, and that the hint of the helm was taken from obferving how birds direct their flight by their tails. The fhape of fhips, excepting the fails, feems to me to be copied from that of fifhes. What the fins and tail are to fishes, that the oars and helm are to fhips. But these are only conjectures more or lefs probable, and not worth examining to the bottom.

The action of the wind, whofe effects are so fenfible and fo frequent, might foon suggest the use of fails. But the manner of adjusting and managing them was more difficult, and would not be fo foon difcovered. This, I am perfuaded, was the very laft part of the conftruction of fhips which was found out. I am confirmed in this opinion, by the practice of the favages and other rude nations, who make ufe only of oars, but have no fails. It would be the fame in the first ages. The firft navigators only coafted, and cautiously avoided lofing fight of land. In fuch circumftances, fails would have been more dangerous than useful. It required the experience of feveral ages to teach

navigators the art of employing the wind in the direction of fhips.

If we believe, however, the ancient traditions of the Egyptians, this art of ufing the wind by means of mafts and fails, was exceeding ancient. They give the honour of this difcovery to Ifis. But over and above the little credit which is due to the greateft part of the history of that princefs, we shall fee by and by, that this discovery cannot be afcribed to the Egyptians.

Men muft foon have endeavoured to find out fome method of stopping fhips at fea, and keeping them firm at their moorings. They would at firft make ufe of various expe dients for this purpose, fuch as large ftones, hampers or facks full of fand or other heavy bodies. These they fixed to ropes, and threw into the fea. Thefe methods would be fufficient in the first ages, when the veffels they used were only small and light barks. But as navigation improved, and larger fhips were built, fome other machine became neceffary. We know not at what time, or by whom the anchor, that machine at once fo fimple and fo admirable, was invented. We find nothing certain on this fubject in ancient authors. Only they agree in placing this difcovery in ages greatly pofterior to thofe we are now examining. They afcribe this invention to feveral different perfons. I imagine the anchor, like feveral other machines, might be found out in many different countries, much about the fame time. It is certain, that the firft anchors were not made of iron, but of ftone, or even of wood. loaded with lead. by feveral writers, others by Diodorus.

These last were We are told this and amongst This author relates,