DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1311#0031
OF THE WORLD'S INDUSTRY. 21
Nature herself, indeed, furnishes us with an excuse for doing so, in the gay and rich
attire which she has so lavishly bestowed upon the various objects of her care, "the
lilies toil not,, neither do they spin;" the birds of the air and the beasts of the field
receive from the same bounteous hand their rich and appropriate clothing. "Why
therefore should not man imitate the example before him, and in his dress endeavour
to unite the qualities of grace and beauty with those of mere utility and convenience"?
It is only when the love of dress amounts to a passion, as we are afraid it sometimes
does in the bosoms of the fairer portion of our race, the gentle partners of our firesides,
that we would deprecate its influence. Pope presents ns with a glowing description of
one of these votaries of fashion, in his celebrated Rape of the Lock, which we shall quote
for the edification, but by no means for the imitation of our fair readers—
"And now unveiled the toilet stands displayed,
Each silver vase in mystic order laid.
First robed in white, the nymph intent, adores,
"With head uncovered, the cosmetic powers.
A heavenly image in the glass appears,—
To that she bends, to that her eyes she rears,
Th' inferior priestess, at her altar's side,
Trembling, begins the sacred rites of pride :
Unnumbered treasures ope at once, and here
The various offerings of the world appear ;
From each she nicely culls with curious toil,
And decks the goddess with the glittering spoil.
This casket India's glowing gems unlocks,
And all Arabia breathes from yonder box."
But we must terminate our exordium, and introduce our readers to the subject-matter
of the present chapter, which, as stated at the commencement, is relative to fur, and
chiefly as an article of dress.
As an article of clothing, the fur of animals was naturally and necessarily the very
earliest in use among mankind; and we find that our first parents, when driven out of
Paradise, had garments made of the skins of beasts. We next read of their use in
the adorning of the holy temple; the goat skins dyed red, and the badger skins being
particularly pointed out. The Persians, Greeks, and Romans were familiar with the use of
furs as articles of clothing and trophies of victory, and imputed in many instances similar
customs and usages to their numerous fabled deities and heroes. Equally ancient was
the use of the dressed skins of animals amongst the Assyrians, as is proved by the repre-
sentations on the recently-discovered interesting and valuable sculptures lately rescued
from oblivion, and bringing again to light the records of a great nation and mighty people,
whose history otherwise might have been lost to us for ever. When we refer to more
modern times, we find that the regal miniver encircles the royal diadem and composes
the mantle by which the sovereign on state occasions is distinguished, and that the
various degrees in rank of our nobility are also known by the heraldic arrangements of
the ermine worn by them on their robes of state. In like manner the sable is used,
according to the rank, to adorn the official dresses of our civic magistrates. The ermine,
again, emblem in the olden time of purity, is worn hy the judges, and was, possibly for
that reason, chosen as the adornment of their magisterial vestments. The rude Lap-
lander, the uncultivated Esquimaux, and the wild Indian, in their several remote and
inhospitable regions, have several marks of distinction peculiar to themselves.
Perhaps the most attractive, and certainly the most artistically arranged collection
of furs in the Great Exhibition was that shown by the Messrs. Nicholay and Son, of
Oxford-street. Messrs. Nicholay exhibited specimens of almost every variety of fur
adapted to male and female habiliment. The beautiful lustre of the seal-skin, dyed and
Nature herself, indeed, furnishes us with an excuse for doing so, in the gay and rich
attire which she has so lavishly bestowed upon the various objects of her care, "the
lilies toil not,, neither do they spin;" the birds of the air and the beasts of the field
receive from the same bounteous hand their rich and appropriate clothing. "Why
therefore should not man imitate the example before him, and in his dress endeavour
to unite the qualities of grace and beauty with those of mere utility and convenience"?
It is only when the love of dress amounts to a passion, as we are afraid it sometimes
does in the bosoms of the fairer portion of our race, the gentle partners of our firesides,
that we would deprecate its influence. Pope presents ns with a glowing description of
one of these votaries of fashion, in his celebrated Rape of the Lock, which we shall quote
for the edification, but by no means for the imitation of our fair readers—
"And now unveiled the toilet stands displayed,
Each silver vase in mystic order laid.
First robed in white, the nymph intent, adores,
"With head uncovered, the cosmetic powers.
A heavenly image in the glass appears,—
To that she bends, to that her eyes she rears,
Th' inferior priestess, at her altar's side,
Trembling, begins the sacred rites of pride :
Unnumbered treasures ope at once, and here
The various offerings of the world appear ;
From each she nicely culls with curious toil,
And decks the goddess with the glittering spoil.
This casket India's glowing gems unlocks,
And all Arabia breathes from yonder box."
But we must terminate our exordium, and introduce our readers to the subject-matter
of the present chapter, which, as stated at the commencement, is relative to fur, and
chiefly as an article of dress.
As an article of clothing, the fur of animals was naturally and necessarily the very
earliest in use among mankind; and we find that our first parents, when driven out of
Paradise, had garments made of the skins of beasts. We next read of their use in
the adorning of the holy temple; the goat skins dyed red, and the badger skins being
particularly pointed out. The Persians, Greeks, and Romans were familiar with the use of
furs as articles of clothing and trophies of victory, and imputed in many instances similar
customs and usages to their numerous fabled deities and heroes. Equally ancient was
the use of the dressed skins of animals amongst the Assyrians, as is proved by the repre-
sentations on the recently-discovered interesting and valuable sculptures lately rescued
from oblivion, and bringing again to light the records of a great nation and mighty people,
whose history otherwise might have been lost to us for ever. When we refer to more
modern times, we find that the regal miniver encircles the royal diadem and composes
the mantle by which the sovereign on state occasions is distinguished, and that the
various degrees in rank of our nobility are also known by the heraldic arrangements of
the ermine worn by them on their robes of state. In like manner the sable is used,
according to the rank, to adorn the official dresses of our civic magistrates. The ermine,
again, emblem in the olden time of purity, is worn hy the judges, and was, possibly for
that reason, chosen as the adornment of their magisterial vestments. The rude Lap-
lander, the uncultivated Esquimaux, and the wild Indian, in their several remote and
inhospitable regions, have several marks of distinction peculiar to themselves.
Perhaps the most attractive, and certainly the most artistically arranged collection
of furs in the Great Exhibition was that shown by the Messrs. Nicholay and Son, of
Oxford-street. Messrs. Nicholay exhibited specimens of almost every variety of fur
adapted to male and female habiliment. The beautiful lustre of the seal-skin, dyed and