About a century ago the ladies adopted the mode of dressing their hair in such a manner that curls hung down their cheeks as far as their bosom. These curls went by the name of _whiskers_.[39] This custom undoubtedly was not invented, after the example of the Lombard women, to fright the men. Neither is it with intention to carry on a very bloody war, that, in our time, they have affected to bring forward the hair of the temple on the cheeks. The discovery seems to have been a fortunate one: it gives you a tempting, roguish, pleasing look, of which the ladies are very fond at present. Footnote 39: Servants, and citizens’ wives, who wore _whiskers_ like ladies of fashion, were attacked without mercy. _See Trevoux’s dict._ Some wits have made themselves merry at the women’s not having a beard on their chin like the men: they pretended that it was impossible to shave them without bringing blood, because it is very difficult for the fair-sex to keep their tongues silent a moment. This thought has pleased so much that it has been put into Greek, Latin, Italian, and French verse. Here is the French.[40] Footnote 40: See le Menagiana, tom. iv. pag. 206. Sais-tu pourquoi, cher camarade, Le beau sexe n’est point barbu? Babillard comme il est, on n’auroit jamais pu Le raser sans estafilade. _IMITATED._ Know’st thou why my dear companion Ladies have not beards like us? Talking always, who could shave them, Without gashing them the deuce. _AGAIN._ (BY A FRIEND.) The reason why men should have beards on their face, And that tattling women have none, Is, the Devil can’t shave such a chattering race, But he’d cut their glib cheeks to the bone. What has been rendered sometimes supportable by circumstances, an extravagant taste, the desire of being distinguished from the crowd, or to command their attention; true taste, and especially the art of pleasing, has always proscribed. We meet with women every day whose features are shaded with this ornament of virility. But very far from priding themselves on this superfluity of nature, they regard it as a blemish to be ashamed of, which they endeavour to eradicate. How many brunetts especially[41] are obliged, in the secret moments of their toilet, to make use of!... But let us by no means reveal these mysterious operations; they have a right to expect our indulgence, as they tend to please us: moreover, a woman may very well be pardoned for correcting this deviation of nature, since the men are not ashamed to disfigure her. Footnote 41: