mode, was formed like two cones or spires, and stood so high on each side of the head that a woman who was of low stature without her head-dress became a giantess on assuming it. The name of Fontange, by which this coiffure was known during the latter years of the reign of Louis XIV., had a singular origin. Madame de Fontanges, at a hunting party at Vincennes, had her head-dress disarranged by a gust of wind, and in order to keep it in its place she took one of her garters and tied it up with that. Louis thought she looked so pretty in this fashion that he begged her to continue to wear her head-dress so arranged. Next day the ladies of the court made their appearance with a riband, or top-knot, which assumed the name of Fontange.

Horace Walpole remarks that, about the year 1714, Louis XIV., being struck by the elegant and tasteful appearance of two English ladies in low headdresses, requested the ladies of his court to follow that mode; but, from the following quotation, it would appear that the lofty coiffures had disappeared previously to this period: They received fresh advice that the French king had forbid the wearing of gold lace, and that all below a countess lay under a prohibition; that he had clipt commodes, and taken the sex a story lower; that the Duchess of Burgundy immediately undrest, and appeared in a fontange of the new standard, and his majesty had a design against all topknots."

For a description of the petticoats in fashion during this reign, we must again apply to Madame de Sevigné: "Avez-vous oüi parler des transparens? Ce sont des habits entiers des plus beaux brocards d'or

et d'azur qu'on puisse voir, et par-dessus des robes noires transparentes, ou de bel dentelle d'Angleterre, ou de chenilles veloutées sur un tissu, comme ces dentelles d'hyver, que vous avez vues: cela compose un transparent, qui est un habit noir, et un habit tout d'or ou d'argent ou de couleur, comme on veut; et voilà la mode."

"Monsieur de Langlée a donné à Madame de Montespan une robe d'or sur or, rebrodé d'or, rebordé d'or, et par-dessus un or frisé rebroché d'un or mêlé avec un certain or, qui fait la plus divine étoffe qui ait jamais été imaginée: ce sont les fées qui ont fait en sécret cet ouvrage; âme vivante n'en avoit connoissance. On la voulut donner aussi mystérieusement qu'elle étoit fabriquée : le tailleur de Madame de Montespan lui apporta l'habit qu'elle avoit ordonné; il en fit le corps sur des mesures ridicules: voilà des cris et des gronderies, comme vous pouvez penser ; le tailleur dit en tremblant, Madame, comme le temps presse, voyez si cet autre habit que voilà ne pourroit point vous accommoder, faute d'autre. On découvre l'habit; ha, la belle chose! ha, quelle étoffe! vient-elle du ciel? il n'y en a point de pareille sur la terre on essaye le corps; il est à peindre. Le Roi arrive; le tailleur dit, Madame, il est fait pour vous: on comprend que c'est une galanterie; mais, qui peut l'avoir faite ? C'est Langlée, dit le roi; C'est Langlée assurément, dit Madame de Montespan; personne que lui ne peut avoir imaginé une telle magnificence: c'est Langlée, c'est Langlée. Tout le monde répète, C'est Langlée; les échos en demeurent d'accord, et disent, C'est Langlée, et moi, ma fille, je vous dis pour être à la mode, C'est Langlée."

In another letter we find: "Madame de Coësquen a fait faire une juppe de velours noir, avec de grosses broderies d'or et d'argent, et un manteau de tissu couleur de feu, or, et argent: cet habit coute infiniment; et quand elle a été bien resplendissante, on là trouvée comme une comédienne."

Patches were worn in France at this period, but only by ladies, and not, as some assert was the case in England, by both sexes. It seems to have been only the young and handsome who ventured to follow this strange fashion in France. These mouches, as they were called, had each a separate appellation. When placed at the corner of the eye, the mouche was called passionnée; in the centre of the forehead it became a majestueuse; on the corner of the mouth it received the denomination of baiseuse; in the middle of the cheek it was a galante; on the fold formed by the mouth when it laughs, an enjouée; on the nose, an effronter; and on the lips, a coquette.

During the reign of Louis XIV. ladies wore stockings of one colour, with clocks of another. About the year 1712 a doll was sent over from France as a model for the fashions; it had been dressed with the greatest care by the most celebrated tire-women in Paris, and we find the following account of it: "The puppet was dressed in a cherry-coloured gown and petticoat, with a short working apron over it, which discovered her shape to the most advantage. Her hair was cut and divided very prettily, with several ribands stuck up and down in it. The milliner assured me that her complexion was such as was worn by all the ladies of the best fashion in Paris. Her head was extremely high: I was also offended at a small patch

she wore on her breast, *

*

Her necklace was

of an immoderate length, being tied before, in such a

manner that the two ends hung down to her girdle."
The dress of the gentlemen
underwent many and striking
changes. The head, particularly,
instead of being covered with short
hair, or, at most, curls reaching to
the shoulders, now gloried in an
enormous curled, frizzed, and po-
matumed peruke, with short ring-
lets upon the forehead, longer ones
upon the shoulders, and others,

longer still, hanging down the back nearly to the
waist.

The invention of these immense bushes of hair has been attributed to the devotion of the courtiers of the youthful monarch for every thing his majesty wore, said, or did. Louis, while still a young boy, had a head of most beautiful and luxuriant hair, which fell in long waving ringlets upon his shoulders; but, as none of his attendants could boast such tresses, the aid of the perruquier was called in, and soon the whole court of la Grande Monarque appeared in perukes, which mode speedily travelled to other countries.

In Madame de Sevigné's letters, we find great complaints of the length of the sleeves sometimes worn by gentlemen. In one letter she says: "Les manches du chevalier font un bel effet à table; quoiqu'elles entraînent tout, je doute qu'elles m'entraînent aussi; quelque faiblesse que j'aie pour les modes, j'ai une grande aversion pour cette saleté." And again :

"J'ai vû des manches comme celles du chevalier. Ha, qu'elles sont belles dans le potage, et sur les salades!"

In Evelyn's "Diary," we find the following account of Louis XIV., when he went to open his first. parliament in the year 1651. It gives an excellent idea of the profusion and magnificence displayed in the dress and equipages of that day:

"7th Sept.-I went to visit Mr. Hobbs, the famous philosopher of Malmsbury, with whom I had a long acquaintance. From his window we saw the whole equipage and glorious cavalcade of the young French monarch, Lewis XIV., passing to Parliament, when first he tooke the kingly government on him, now being in his 14th yeare, out of his minority and the Queene Regent's pupillage. First came the captaine of the King's aydes, at the head of 50 richly liveried; next the Queene Mother's light horse, an hundred, the lieutenant being all over covered with embroidery and ribbons, having before him 4 trumpets habited in black velvet, full of lace and casaques of the same; then the King's light horse, 200, richly habited, with 4 trumpets in blue velvet embrodred with gold, before whom rode the Count d'Olone, cornet, whose belt was set with pearle; next went the grand Provost's company on foote with the Provost on horseback; after them the Swiss in black velvet toques, led by two gallant cavaliers habited in scarlet-colour'd sattin after their country fashion, which is very fantastic, he had in his cap a pannach of heron with a band of diamonds, and about him 12 little Swisse boyes with halberds; then came the Aydes des Cérémonies ; next the grandees of court, governors of places, and