Female Fashions for 1799.

  A FORM, as any taper, fine ;
    A head like half-pint bason ;
  Where golden cords, and bands entwine,
    As rich as fleece of JASON.

  A pair of shoulders strong and wide,
    Like country clown enlisting ;
  Bare arms long dangling by the side,
    And shoes of ragged listing !

  Cravats like towels, thick and broad,
  Long tippets made of bear-skin,
Muffs that a RUSSIAN might applaud,
  And rouge to spoil a fair skin.

Long petticoats to hide the feet,
  Silk hose with clocks of scarlet ;
A load of perfume, sick'ning sweet,
  Bought of PARISIAN VARLET.

A bush of hair, the brow to shade,
  Sometimes the eyes to cover ;
A necklace that might be display'd
  By OTAHEITEAN lover !

A bowl of straw to deck the head,
  Like porringer unmeaning ;
A bunch of POPPIES flaming red,
  With motly ribands streaming.

Bare ears on either side the head,
  Like wood-wild savage SATYR ;
Tinted with deep vermilion red,
  To shame the blush of nature.

Red elbows, gauzy gloves, that add
  An icy cov'ring merely ;
A wadded coat, the shape to pad,
  Like Dutch-women — or nearly.

Such is CAPRICE ! but, lovely kind !
  Oh ! let each mental feature
Proclaim the labour of the mind,
  And leave your charms to NATURE.