oops, even in full dresses innocent
of whalebone, are bewildered by the noise; country gentlemen, in
plain-coloured coats and stout shoes, have come to London on South Sea
Bubble business. They will go to the Fair to see the Harlequin and
Scaramouch dance, they will buy a new perfume at The Civet Cat, and
they will go home--the lady's head full of the new hoop fashion, and
she will cut away the sleeve of her old dress and put in fresh lace;
the gentleman full of curses on tavern bills and the outrageous price
of South Sea shares.

[Illustration: {A man of the time of George I.}]

'And what,' says country dame to country dame lately from town--'what
is the mode in gentlemen's hair?' Her own goodman has an old periwig,
very full, and a small bob for ordinary wear.

[Illustration: {A man of the time of George I.}]

'The very full periwig is going out,' our lady assures her; 'a tied
wig is quite the mode, a wig in three queues tied in round bobs, or in
hair loops, and the long single queue wig is coming in rapidly, and
will soon be all the wear.' So, with talk of flowered tabbies and
fine lutestring, are the fashions passed on.

[Illustration: A WOMAN OF THE TIME OF GEORGE I. (1714-1727)

You will see that the fontage has given way to a small lace cap. The
hair is drawn off the forehead. The hoop of the skirt is still
large.]

[Illustration: {A woman of the time of George I.}]

Just as Sir Roger de Coverley nearly called a young lady in
riding-dress 'sir,' because of the upper half of her body, so the
ladies of this day might well be taken for 'sirs,' with their
double-breasted riding-coats like the men, and their hair in a queue
surmounted by a cocked hat.

Colours and combinations of colours are very striking: petticoats of
black satin covered with large bunches of worked flowers, morning gown
of yellow flowered satin faced with cherry-coloured bands, waistcoats
of one colour with a fringe of another, bird's-eye hoods, bodices
covered with gold lace and embroidered flowers--all these gave a gay,
artificial appearance to the age; but we are to become still more
quaintly devised, still more powdered and patched, in the next reign.

GEORGE THE SECOND

Reigned thirty-three years: 1727-1760.

Born 1683. Married, 1705, Caroline of Anspach.

THE MEN

Just a few names of wigs, and you will see how the periwig has gone
into the background, how the bob-wig has superseded the campaign