precautions, how inoperative these laws; arms were bared with
impunity, with complacency, and the presentment of Governor Wentworth
shows three slashes in his sleeve.

Not only were the arms of New England women bared to an immodest degree,
but their necks also, calling forth many a "just and seasonable
reprehension of naked breasts." Though gowns thus cut in the pink of the
English mode proved too scanty to suit Puritan ministers, the fair
wearers wore them as long as they were in vogue.

It is curious to note in the oldest gowns I have seen, that the method
of cutting and shaping the waist or body is precisely the same as at the
present day. The outlines of the shoulder and back-seams, of the bust
forms, are the same, though not so gracefully curved; and the number of
pieces is usually the same. Very good examples to study are the gorgeous
brocaded gowns of Peter Faneuil's sister, perfectly preserved and now
exhibited in the Boston Art Museum.

Nor have we to-day any richer or more beautiful stuffs for gowns than
had our far-away grandmothers. The silks, satins, velvets, and brocades
which wealthy colonists imported for the adornment of their wives and
daughters, and for themselves, cannot be excelled by the work of modern
looms; and the laces were equally beautiful. Whitefield complained
justly and more than once of the "foolish virgins of New England covered
all over with the Pride of Life;" especially of their gaudy dress in
church, which the Abbe Robin also remarked, saying it was the only
theatre New England women had for the display of their finery. Other
clergymen, as Manasseh Cutler, noted with satisfaction that "the
congregation was dressed in a very tasty manner."

In old New England families many scraps of these rich stuffs of colonial
days are preserved; some still possess ancient gowns, or coats, or
waistcoats of velvet and brocade. In old work-bags, bed-quilts, and
cushions rich pieces may be found. When we see their quality, color, and
design we fully believe Hawthorne's statement that the "gaudiest dress
permissible by modern taste fades into a Quakerlike sobriety when
compared with the rich glowing splendor of our ancestors."

The royal governor and his attendants formed in each capital town a
small but very dignified circle, glittering with a carefully studied
reflection of the fashionable life of the English Court, and closely
aping English richness of dress. The large landed proprietors, such a