etimes the avocats (barristers) avail themselves of causes in which
they are engaged, so as to render them vehicles for displaying their wit
or humour, and afford much amusement to the court; a case some time
since occurred which excited much interest and some mirth and
entertainment; the parties concerned were a Madame Dumoulin who had
invented stays of a peculiar nature. Another person who was English
styling herself the inventor, and making them in the same manner,
notwithstanding the former had been granted a patent, an action was the
consequence. It was observed that the hostile parties in this instance,
although French and English, were neither decked with helmets nor armed
with pistols, swords, nor muskets, but entered the scene of combat in
long shawls and velvet bonnets, announcing themselves without the aid of
heralds, the one representing the French army the other the English
host. The champion on the side of the former being a Monsieur Ch. Ledru,
against whom Monsieur Ducluseau entered the lists on the British side of
the question; what made it more remarkable, was, that the belligerents
resided in the same street, the residence of M. Ducluseau, the advocate
for the English defendant, merely separating the mansions of the two
combatants.

Victory declared for Madame Dumoulin after many subtle and learned
arguments were adduced on both sides, and an English lady, the mother of
several daughters, tells me if I have any regard for my fair
countrywomen I must recommend to their notice the stays of Madame
Dumoulin, truly observing that as the object of my work was to render
every possible service to all my readers, certainly the ladies must have
a pre-eminent claim, and although there are certain articles of the
toilet with which it might be observed man should never meddle, as he
could not be any judge of such habiliments as ought only to be worn by
the ladies, and a few dandies who are neither one thing nor the other,
yet when three scientific societies condescend to award medals to the
inventor and patentee of the articles alluded to, I trust I shall be
pardoned if with an intention to serve the fair sex I trench upon their
privilege in calling their attention to the useful and ornamental
corsets, which have caused so much controversy.

These stays are so contrived as to be totally without gussets, and adapt
themselves to the form with such perfect facility, that there is not
that restraint which, instead of