ion. No shoe was fashionable, without being fattened
with a full-blown rose. Under the house of Stuart, the rose withered,
which gave rise to the shoe-string.

The beaus of that age, ornamented their lower tier with double laces of
silk, tagged with silver, and the extremities beautified with a small
fringe of the same metal. The inferior class, wore laces of plain silk,
linen, or even a thong of leather; which last is yet to be met with in
the humble plains of rural life. But I am inclined to think, the artists
of Birmingham had no great hand in fitting out the beau of the
last century.

The revolution was remarkable, for the introduction of William, of
liberty, and the minute buckle; not differing much in size and shape
from the horse bean.

This offspring of fancy, like the clouds, is ever changing. The fashion
of to-day, is thrown into the casting pot to-morrow.

The buckle seems to have undergone every figure, size and shape of
geometrical invention: It has passed through every form in the whole
zodiac of Euclid. The large square buckle is the _ton_ of the present
day. The ladies also, have adopted the reigning taste: It is difficult
to discover their beautiful little feet, covered with an enormous shield
of buckle; and we wonder to see the active motion under the massive
load. Thus the British fair support the manufactures of Birmingham, and
thus they kill by weight of metal.

GUNS.

Though the sword and the gun are equal companions in war, it does not
appear they are of equal original. I have already observed, that the
sword was the manufacture of Birmingham, in the time of the Britons.

But tradition tells us, King William was once lamenting "That guns were
not manufactured in his dominions, but that he was obliged to procure
them from Holland at a great expence, and greater difficulty."

One of the Members for Warwickshire being present, told the King, "He
thought his constituents could answer his Majesty's wishes."--The King
was pleased with the remark, and the Member posted to Birmingham. Upon
application to a person in Digbeth, whose name I forget, the pattern was
executed with precision, which, when presented to the royal board, gave
entire satisfaction. Orders were immediately issued for large numbers,
which have been so frequently repeated that they never lost their road;
and the ingenious artists have been so amply rewarded, that they have
rolled in their carriages to this day.--Thus the sam