It is hardly within the scope of this work to follow the varying fashions of the reign, so one more extract must suffice. It is from 'The Humours of the Army,' by Charles Shadwell (a son, or nephew, of the Poet Laureate, 1713): 'But there are some fashionable Creatures at the other End of the Town, that give great Hopes of their being very odd and Whimsical; for their Head dresses are no bigger than the Skull-caps they us'd to wear; their Petticoats are up to their knees; their Stays up to their chins; and their Fans up to their Nostrils; and the mody Shrug makes 'em wear their shoulders up to their Ears; their Lappets reach down to the Frenching of their Petticoats, which are widen'd with Abundance of Whalebone; They stoop forward when they should walk upright; they shuffle along a tip Toe, curtsey on one Side, smile on those they would ridicule, and look very grave on their intimate acquaintances.' Begin my Muse and sing in _Epick_ Strain The PETTICOAT; (nor shalt thou sing in vain, The PETTICOAT will sure reward thy Pain!)[219] [Footnote 219: _The Petticoat; an Heroi-Comical Poem_, by Joseph Gay (pseudo for J. Durant de Brevel), 1716.] Before its introduction, women to improve their figures, or to follow the fashion, wore false hips, but these speedily disappeared when the hooped petticoat made its appearance, about 1709. Addison wrote a very funny paper, a mock trial of it,[220] in which the arguments for and against are duly heard, and he winds up his judgment with 'I consider women as a beautiful romantic animal, that may be adorned with furs and feathers, pearls and diamonds, ores and silks. The lynx shall cast its skin at her feet to make her a tippet; the peacock, parrot and swan shall pay contribution to her muff, the sea shall be searched for shells, and the rocks for gems; and every part of nature furnish out its share towards the embellishment of a creature that is the most consummate work of it. All this I shall indulge them in; but as for the petticoat I have been speaking of, I neither can nor will allow it.' Vain, idle words! the fashion crept on, until under the Georges it was absolutely outrageous. At present it was a somewhat mild hooping of whalebone, compressible--at least such was the under framework; for the word petticoat meant the skirt of the dress--over which was the furbelow. They were made of varied and rich materials; one example will serve to illustrate: 'Stolen &c. A Cloth Colour Gown and Petticoat of Grazet, an Ash Coloured Grazet Gown and Petticoat, a Hair Colour plush Petticoat, a black Russel Petticoat flower'd, an Ash colour Silk Quilted Petticoat, a Cloth Colour'd Silk Sattinet Gown and Petticoat,' etc. [Footnote 220: _Tatler_, 116.]