Fop Display'd.

BEING

The Ladies VINDICATION,

In Answer to a late Pamphlet, Entituled,

Mundus Muliebris: Or, The Ladies

Dressing-Room Unlocked, &c.

In Burlesque.

Together with a short SUPPLEMENT to the Fop-Dictionary: Compos'd for the use of the Town Beaus.

Ovid de Arte Amandi. Lib. 3.

London, Printed for John Harris at the Harrow in the Poultry, 1691.

ADVERTISEMENT.

There is newly published The Present State of Europe; or, The Historical and Political Mercury: Giving an Account of all the publick and private Occurrences that are most considerable in every Court, for the Months of August and September, 1690. With curious Reflections upon every State. To be continued Monthly from the Original, published at the Hague by the Authority of the States of Holland and West-Friesland. Sold by John Harris at the Harrow in the Poultrey.

There is newly published A plain Relation of the late Action at Sea, between the English and Dutch, and the French Fleets, from June 22th. to July 5th. last: With Reflections thereupon, and upon the Present State of the Nation, &c.

Written by the Author of the Reflections upon the last Years Occurrences, &c. London, Printed for John Harris at the Harrow in the Poultrey, Price 1 s.

THE

PREFACE.

Ladies,

In the Tacker together of Mundus Muliebris, As it was a very great Piece of ill Manners, to unlock your Dressing-Rooms without your Leave, so was it no less indecent in him to expose your Wardrobes to the World, especially in such a Rhapsody of Rhime Doggeril as looks much more like an Inventory than a Poem; however, he has only pilfer'd away the Names of your Varieties without doing ye any other Mischief; for there is nothing to be found in all his Index, nor his Dictionary neither, but what becomes a Person of Quality to give, and a Person of Quality to receive; and indeed, considering how frail the mortal Estates of mortal Gentlemen are, it argues but a common Prudence in Ladies to take Advantage of the Kindness of their Admirers; to make Hay while the Sun shines; well knowing how often they are inveigl'd out of their Jointures upon all Occasions: Besides, it is a general Desire in Men, that their Ladies should keep Home, and therefore it is but reasonable they should make their Homes as delightful as it is possible; and therefore this Bubble of an Inventory is not to be

thought the Effect of general Repentance, among your Servants and Adorers, but the capricious Malice of some Person envious of the little Remunerations of your Kindnesses for being disbandded from your Conversation; little indeed, considering the Rewards due to your Merits, otherwise it would be the greatest Injustice upon Earth for the Men to think of reforming the Women before they reform themselves, who are ten times worse in all respects, as you will have sufficient to retort upon them when you come by and by to the Matter.

But to shew that it is no new thing for Ladies to go gay and gaudy, we find in Ovid, that the Women made use of great Variety of Colours for the Silks of which they made their Garments, of which the chiefest in request among them were Azure, Sea-green, Saffron colour, Violet, Ash colour, Rose colour, Chesnut, Almond Colour, with several others, as their Fancy thought fit to make choice; nor were they deny'd the Purple in Grain, overlaid with Pearl, or embroider'd with Gold: Nor was it a strange thing for the Roman Women to die their Hair Yellow, as an augmentation to their Beauty; nor did the severity of the times at all oppose it, but rather allow'd it. Now, says Ovid, The Manner of dressing is not of one sort, and therefore let every Lady choose what best becomes her; first consulting her Looking-glass. And soon after, he confesses that there were not more Leaves upon a large Oak, not so many Bees in Hybla, nor so many wild Beasts ranging the Alps as he could number differences of dressing Ladies. He tells ye how Laodamia drest to set off a long Face. How Diana drest when she

went a Hunting: And how Iole was carelessly drest when she took Alcides Captive in the Dangles of her Tresses: So that it is no such new thing for the Women of this Age to desire rich and splendid Ornaments. And why their Grandmothers, and Great Grandmothers confin'd themselves to their Nuptial Kirtles, their Gowns and Petticoats that lasted so many Anniversaries; their Virginals for Musick, and their Spanish Pavans, and Sellingers Rounds for Recreation, after their long poring upon Tent-stitch, 'tis not a farthing Matter for our Ladies to enquire: 'Twas their Misfortune they knew no better; but because they knew no better, 'tis no Argument that our Ladies should be ty'd to their obsolete Examples: For the Alterations of Times and Customs alter the Humors and Fashions of an Age, and change the whole Frame of Conversation. Juno is by the Poets trick'd up in Vestments embroidered with all the Colours of the Peacocks; and no question the Poets spoke with Relation to the Gallantry of the Women of those times. And who so gaudy as Madam Iris in the Skie, and

therefore said to be chief Maid of Honour to Jupiter's Wife. I could give ye an Account of the Habits of Venus, and the Graces, which the Poets adapting to the Modes of those Times, plainly demonstrates, that the Ladies were no less curious in those days than now.

So then, Ladies, for your comfort be it spoken, here's only a Great Cry and little Wool; while the Unlocker of your Dressing-Rooms brings us a long Bedroll of hard Names to prove that you make use of a great deal of Variety to set forth and grace your Beauty, and render your Charms more unresistable, and that you love to have your Closets splendidly and richly furnish'd: Heavens be prais'd, he lays nothing Criminal to your Charge; but only puts ye in mind of a Chapter in Isaiah, of which you are not bound to take much notice, in regard his mistaking the 6. for the 3: may secure ye there is little heed to be given to his Divinity.

But on the other side it makes me mad to hear what the Devil of a Roman Satyr Juvenal speaks of his own Sex; for tho' he makes Women bad enough, he makes it an easier thing to meet with Prodigies and Monsters, than Men of Sense and Vertue.

Heavens! how many Wonders do's Juvenal make at the sight of an Honest Man in his time; and yet when he has spoken as bad as he could of the Women, we find no such severe Expressions of his upon the Female Sex. Now Ladies if good Men are so scarce, what need you care what Fools and bad Men say. 'Tis true it must be acknowledg'd a hard Censure upon Men; but it was a Man that said it; and therefore it makes the better for the Feminine Gender. Well, Ladies, you may be pleas'd to make what use of it you think fit, as being that which will certainly defend ye against all the Picklocks of your Dressing-Rooms for the future; besides the Liberty which Ovid, an Authentick Author, gives ye, to make use of what Dresses, what Ornaments, what Embellishments you please, according to the Mode and Practice of those times, under one of the best Rulers of the Roman Empire, and far more antient than when your Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers spun Flax, and bespittl'd their Fingers.

THE

Fop Display'd;

OR,

The Ladies VINDICATION:

In ANSWER to

The Ladies Dressing-Room Unlock'd, &c.

A Short Supplement to the Fop-Dictionary, so far as concerns the present Matter.

Adieu donce me Cheres.

Farewell my dear Friends.

Arroy.

A Suit of Cloaths.

To adjust a Man's self.

That is, to dress himself.

Beau.

A Masculine French Adjective, signifying fine but now naturaliz'd into English to denote a sparkish dressing Fop.

Beaux Esprits.

A Club of Wits, who call'd themselves so.

Bachique.

A Drinking Song or Catch.

The Brilliant of Language.

Sharpness and wittiness of Expression.

A Brandenburgh.

A Morning Gown.

To Carine a Perriwig.

That is, to order it.

Chedreux.

A Perriwig.

Correct.

The same as Carine.

Deshabille.

Undrest, or rather in a careless Dress.

En Cavalier.

Like a Gentleman.

Esclat.

Of Beauty, or the Lustre of Beauty.

Eveille.

I observ'd her more Eveille than other Women; that is, more sprightly and airey.

Equipt.

That is, well furnish'd with Money and Cloaths.

Gaunte Bien Gaunte.

Modish in his Gloves.

Grossier.

The World is very Grossier; that is, very dull, and ill bred.

Levee and Couchee.

Is to attend a Gentleman at his rising or going to Bed.

Le Grass.

The furniture of a Suit.

Orangers.

The Term for Gloves scented with Oranges.

Picards.

Shoes in downright English.

Pulvillio.

Sweet Powder for the Hair.

Rolls.

A sort of Dress for the Knees, invented as some say by the Roman Catholicks, for the conveniency of Kneeling, but others ascribe the lucky Fancy to Coll. S——.

A Revoir.

Till I see you again.

Surtout.

The great Coat which covers all.

For the rest you are referr'd to the Dilucidations of the Alsatian Squire.

FINIS.

Transcriber's Notes:

Long "s" was changed to contemporary "s" throughout. Font changes and correction of spelling of one word are indicated by dotted lines under the text. Scroll the mouse over the word and an explanation of the alteration will appear.