Ture is perhaps no man of the pres sent day who has been more generally or more deservedly ridiculed than Mr. Oscar Wilde, That a young man of good family and more than average talent should devote his life, his thoughts, and his energies to such a subject as dress, is in itself a matter for regret, and even for contempt; and while many very celebrated Euglishimon huve been much worse men, and dono in. Giuitely more Larin by the exercise of their genius, (here are comparatively few who have commanded so little respect from their fellows. At the same time every creature has its uso, and even dancing-masters and mau-mile liners are not without their place in the social organism. he ssthetic move. mont, in spite of the unutterable nin. cumpoopism of its professors, did create 4 revolution in matters of taste, and a revolution which bids fair to be Ineting in its effects. The glaring colours and ungracefal contours whioh were in no some yenrs ngo are now generally discredited; the lumbering magnificence of drawing-rooms lins given place to a certain quaint elegance; the eye has been trained to appreciate the beauty of delicate and long-neglected tints, and the effects of a new refinement are observable in decoration in nearly all its phases. If, for this, we are at all me debted to Mr, Wilde and persons of his kind, the fact should be acknowe= ledged, An earlier generation did not hesitate to adopt the so-called improvoment in costume inaugurated by Beau Brummel and the Regent; and if the comply fribbles of that ago are entitled to recognition in the sphere where they made their influence felt, it were unjust to deny the same to a young man who, whatever his faults, is an infinitely more respectable member of society than either.
It appears, then, from a study of the papers which reach us by the mails, that Mr, Wilde is devoting his inven. tivo powers to ihe reformation of malo costume, Those who have adopted the clothes-philosophy of Sartor Rosartus will have no difficulty in forming an opinion of this new crusade. That the modern cent, hat, and trousers are infinitely inferior in point of elegance to the costume, say, of Charles the First, will be accepted as self-evident, and as far as we can judge it is to something like the Caroliuinn dress that Mr, Wilde would like us to return. Nor does he by any means base his theories of dress upon effect alone, He claims to argue upon strictly scientific and utilitarian principles, and to make these the foundation of any reform that may be brought about, There must be duo regard lo health. This part of the body should be covered, that part should be left free; protection which is necessary here may be discarded there; unin peded action of the limbs is indispens. able, and practical comfort shown to be compatible with the most perfect grace. In chort the clothes should be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.