"Yester-year"; ten centuries of toilette from the French of A. Robida

time of the ' ruelles ' and the ' précieuses ' of the Hotel de Rambouillet, and also at those of the stars of the Sun-King's fêtes at the Tuileries or Versailles. At first the hair was worn in frizzed curls upon the forehead, and very large curls at either side of the face, or in long braids, tied by bows of ribbon styled 'gallants' and known as 'Cadenettes,' because the mode had been invented by M. de Cadenet, a brother of the Constable de Luynes, in the time of Louis XIII. The gowns were low-necked, liberally displaying the shoulders, necklaces of large pearls were worn, also the last of the lace bands (' rabats '), Avhich became fine by degrees and beautifully less until they entirely disaj)peared ; the pointed bodices were covered witli embroidery, and the short sleeves ended in lawn ruffles or lace cufFs.

The outer skirt, which was raised like the sides of a window-curtain, and fastened by clasps set with brilliants, or by knots of ribbon, displayed the sumptuous under-dress.

Louis XIV. gave fashion its head by letting

I

UNDER THE SUN-KING.

127

the sumptuary edicts of INIazariii fall into desuetude. Prohibited lace reappeared, stuffs of forbidden richness were freely worn. The

Be'inuiug of the great ruiLm.

interdict remained upon cloth of gold and silver only, these the King reserved to himself and his Court. Louis made presents of pieces of those precious stuffs to highly-favoured personages, just as he granted jerkins ' by patent' to liis favourite courtiers.

Madame de Montespan reigned after la Vallière, The dress she wore at one court festival in particular is described as—"A gown of gold on gold, broidered in gold, bordered with gold and over that gold frieze stitched with a gold mixed with a certain gold which makes the most divine stuff that has ever been imagined." This panegyric is from the pen of Madame de Sévigné.

' Transparent ' gowns were much woi'u ; they were of thin material, either muslin or lawn, with bunches of many-coloured flowers painted or printed on it, placed over an under-dress of bright-tinted moiré satin. In some instances the under-dress was composed of brocade, with large flowers on a gold or blue ground, with an upper gown of tissue as light as lace.

Lace was used in a variety of ways in every part of feminine attire, from the bodice to the shoes, mixing with the ribbon streamers which

sous LE GRAND ROI. — FIX DL' XVIb Sll-CI.n.

tied the hair, forming the ' ladders ' of large bows on bodices, bedecking petticoats, and floating about in all directions.

Lace manufactories sprang up everywhere.

Under the great king.

the 'points' (or stitches) of Alençon le Puy, Dieppe, Sedan, &c., were invented, lace-makers produced their wares at all sorts of prices, to suit the purses of duchesses and shopkeepers, from rich guipure costing hundreds of pistoles, to be worn at Court by the Favourite, to the 'neigeuses' and 'gueuses' in which the lesser bourgeoises and even the market-women would appear on high days and holidays.

In 1680 a revolution in head-dresses took place. One day, at a royal hunting-party, the hat of the Duchesse de Fontanges (who had replaced Montespan in the favour of the Monarch), was blown off, and she employed her ribbon garter to confine her disordered locks, tying it in front with a smart rosette. Every thing a favourite does is of course charming and delightful. The fine gentlemen went into ecstasies over the ' inspiration/ the fine ladies were equally enchanted, and the next day everybody's hair was un-dressed à la Fontanges.

The Fontanges style became ' the rage,' and reigned for several years, but with alterations and additions. Ultimately it became an edifice of lace, ribbons, and hair, with the characteristic peak of lace mounted on brass wire, which Saint-Simon tells us was two feet high. Each article composing the structure had its distinctive name.

Tliis ftxsliion, whicli had so trifling an origin, lasted a long time, but at length it ceased to be pleasing to the King, who no doubt cared only for the severe style of Scarron's widow.

The Princess Palatine, Princess Charlotte of Bavaria, daughter of the Elector Palatine, came to France in 1G71 to be married to Monsieur the King's brother—whose first wife was the daughter of Charles I. of Ençfland and Henrietta Maria—and set a fashion, by wearing a short cape to cover her shoulders, which were too much bared by the very low-cut bodices then worn. These little capes were speedily adopted by all the ladies, and were called ' palatines.'

The romance of fashion, still gallant and heroic, now gives us Steinkirks, for it was the age of dandified chivalry, and bravery ' à la

^ The mode was imported into England, wliere the capes were called 'pelerines,' tlie first of tliem having been made in fur.

mousquetaire,' " The jDosition will be difficult to cany," said a colonel to his troops, just before a charge. " So much the better, gentlemen, we shall have all the more pleasure in tellino- our mistresses of the affair."