rich Silks Nay, and there are fome Places where a broader or narrower Lace on our Cloaths, will gain or lofe a Man Admittance. But after all, however general this Custom is, 'tis at best but a spreading Contagion, and epidemical Foolery of the Age; and we ought in Prudence no more labour to humour it, than we would a Surfeit; for let it prevail never fo much amongst the weaker Clafs, the more polite and reasonable Spirits will always diftinguish betwixt Merit and mere Fashion.

To define the Matter rightly, a fashionable Man, is like a certain blue Flower, which grows fpontaneously in plowed Grounds it choaks the Corn, fpoils the Crop, and takes up the Room of fomething better; it has no Beauty nor Value, but what is owing to Whim; born and dead in the fame Instant: To Day 'tis in Vogue, and the Ladies deck themfelves with it; to Morrow. tis neglected, and left to the Vulgar. But a Man of Merit, on the contrary, is a Flower which we do not defcribe by its Colour, but which we call by its Name, which we cultivate for its Scent or Beauty: One of the Graces of Nature, one of the Things which beautify the Creation; admired by all Men in all Ages; which our Fathers valued, and we after them have as great a Value for.

In

In fhort, thofe that are defirous to fet up for Fops and Coxcombs, fhould be fin gular in their Habit: Thofe that would avoid this Imputation, fhould be modeft in their Dress; and Men of Merit defire nothing more. For a bandfome Woman, the more natural fhe is, fo the more beautiful; as the lofes nothing by being carelefs, without any other Ornament than what the draws front her Beauty and Youth; as an innocent Grace that. fhines in her Face, animates every little Action fo much, that there would be lefs Danger to see her adorned with all the Advantages of Drefs and Fashion: In like Manner an honest Man is refpected independent from all that outward Shew, by which he would endeavour to make his Perfon more grave, or venerable, and his Virtue more fpecious. A ftarched Behaviour, affected Modefty, a Singularity in Habit, add nothing to Pro bity, nor heighten Merit; but rather hurt, and often make it look lefs pure, and more fufpected.

So fhort and tranfitory as Life is, fo many Duties as we have to run through to fit us for Futurity, fhould be Confiderations to make us think of more than laying out our Time on Dress and Fashion: For what will become of thefe Fashions when Time icfelf fhall difappear; Virtue alone, though

leaft

leaft in Fashion, will be able to furvive Time.

It falls out with many People in this Cafe of Dress, as it does in other Gallantries: They fancy themfelves difpenfed with on account of their Age and Fortune from being difcreet or regular: They borrow from Court the worst Part of the Court; and appropriate to themfelves Vanity, Luxury, Intemperance, and Libertinifm, as if all thofe Vices belonged to them: Thus affecting a Character far diftant from what they ought to maintain, they become, according to their Wishes, true Copies of moft wicked Originals. They ftep in like manner out of all Decorum in Point of Habit; and tis an Obfervation that Ordinary People, when they happen to abound in Money and Vanity, have their Houses and Perfons as richly furnished, as those who are much their Superiors in Quality.

But how great is the Madnefs, of fome private Men, who, being poffefs'd of large Eftates, which their Fathers got for them by Trade and Industry, form their Wardrobe and Equipage from the Manner of the Nobility and by exceffive Expence, and ridiculous Statelinefs, provoke the Laughter of the whole Town; which they a while fancy is dazzled with their Luftre, till they ruin themselves in the End with labouring

to

to make themfelves ridiculous! The Foolifhnefs of fome Pretenders in the City, in their wretched Imitation of Court Accomplifhments, is more offenfive than the ill Breeding of ordinary Men, and the Rufticity of Villagers..

Indeed, the moft improper Things we commit in the Conduct of our Lives, we are led into by the Force of Fashion; and a prevailing Custom too often makes us act against the Rules of Nature, Law, and common Senfe. The general Affectation among Men, of appearing greater than they are, makes the whole World run into the Habit of the Court nor does the Humour prevail only on thofe whofe Fortunes can fupport, any Change in their Equipage, nor on thofe only whofe Incomes demand the Wantonness of new Appearances, but on thofe alfo whofe Circumftances, in reality, would fcarcely reach to clothe them with Decency, A Simplicity of outward Appearance, is the ornamental Habit of thofe who defire to be taken notice of for more than their Dress. Indeed, the Man who is fingle and free in the World, if he has fome Share of Senfe, may live and make a Figure above his Fortune or Quality: But this is not fo eafily done, if he is confined; for Marriage feems to range every Body in their proper Rank and Degree.

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But

But when I am admitting a fingle Man to make this Figure in Life, I cannot allow him to throw away too much Money or Inclination upon Curiofity in Habit: For at this Rate of Management, a Man lofes his Wealth and Reputation at the fame Time, makes himself expensively ridiculous, and overfhoots Extravagance it felf. It is equally faulty in a Man to launch out into overlarge Expences in any other Subjects of Vanity, for one of a middle Station and moderate Fortune to value himself on a Splendid Table, to affect Pomp and Finery in the the Furniture of his Houfe or Lodgings, to be only pleased with Recreations fit for his Superiors, or aim at the Pride of keeping too many Attendants.

A very rich Man, fays Monfieur Bruyere, may eat his Dainties, paint his Cieling and Alcoves, regale himself at his Palace in the Country and keep another in Town, marry his Daughter to a Duke, and buy a Title for his Son: This is juft, and within his Compass; but it belongs perhaps to other Men to live content. What is Splendor, Sumptuousness, and Magnificence in People of Quality, is Extravagance, Folly, and Impertinence in private Men. A Cleopatra may drink down a Pearl worth a Province, and not find the Mifs of it; though Reafon, Morality, and Religion, fhall condemn the Luxury :

But