In Like Manner, The Hair Of Our Fine Ladies
Is Frizzled Into The Appearance Of Negroes Wool, And Stiffened
With An Abominable Paste Of Hog's Grease, Tallow, And White
Powder.
The present fashion, therefore, of painting the face, and
adorning the head, adopted by the beau monde in France, is taken
from those two polite nations the Chickesaws of America and the
Hottentots of Africa.
On the whole, when I see one of those fine
creatures sailing along, in her taudry robes of silk and gauze,
frilled, and flounced, and furbelowed, with her false locks, her
false jewels, her paint, her patches, and perfumes; I cannot help
looking upon her as the vilest piece of sophistication that art
ever produced.
This hideous masque of painting, though destructive of all
beauty, is, however, favourable to natural homeliness and
deformity. It accustoms the eyes of the other sex, and in time
reconciles them to frightfull objects; it disables them from
perceiving any distinction of features between woman and woman;
and, by reducing all faces to a level, gives every female an
equal chance for an admirer; being in this particular analogous
to the practice of the antient Lacedemonians, who were obliged to
chuse their helpmates in the dark. In what manner the insides of
their heads are furnished, I would not presume to judge from the
conversation of a very few to whom I have had access: but from
the nature of their education, which I have heard described, and
the natural vivacity of their tempers, I should expect neither
sense, sentiment, nor discretion. From the nursery they are
allowed, and even encouraged, to say every thing that comes
uppermost; by which means they acquire a volubility of tongue,
and a set of phrases, which constitutes what is called polite
conversation. At the same time they obtain an absolute conquest
over all sense of shame, or rather, they avoid acquiring this
troublesome sensation; for it is certainly no innate idea. Those
who have not governesses at home, are sent, for a few years, to a
convent, where they lay in a fund of superstition that serves
them for life: but I never heard they had the least opportunity
of cultivating the mind, of exercising the powers of reason, or
of imbibing a taste for letters, or any rational or useful
accomplishment. After being taught to prattle, to dance and play
at cards, they are deemed sufficiently qualified to appear in the
grand monde, and to perform all the duties of that high rank and
station in life. In mentioning cards, I ought to observe, that
they learn to play not barely for amusement, but also with a view
to advantage; and, indeed, you seldom meet with a native of
France, whether male or female, who is not a compleat gamester,
well versed in all the subtleties and finesses of the art. This
is likewise the case all over Italy. A lady of a great house in
Piedmont, having four sons, makes no scruple to declare, that the
first shall represent the family, the second enter into the army,
the third into the church, and that she will breed the fourth a
gamester.
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