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hair of grave and sober women in those days, it was worn plain, and covered occasionally by a plain hat or bonnet. They had avoided by this choice those preposterous head-dresses and bonnets, which none but those who have seen paintings of them could believe ever to have been worn. They admitted none of the large ruffs that were then in use, but chose a plain handkerchief for their necks, differing from those of others, which had rich point and curious lace. They rejected the crimson satin doublet with black velvet skirts, and contented themselves with a plain gown, generally of stuff, and of a drab, or gray, or buff, or buffin colour as it was called, and faced with buckram. These colours, as I observed before, were the colours worn by country-people, and were not expensive—because they were not dyed. To this gown was added a green ápron: green aprons had been long worn in England; yet, at the time I allude to, they were out of fashion, so as to be ridiculed by the gay but old-fashioned people still retained them. Thus an idea of gravity was connected with them; and therefore religious and steady women adopted them as

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the grave and sober garments of antient times.

It may now be observed, that from these religious persons, habited in this manner in opposition to the fashions of the world, the primitive Quakers generally sprung. George Fox himself wore the plain gray coat that has been noticed, with alchymy buttons, and a plain leathern girdle about his waist. When the Quakers, therefore, first met in religious union, they met in these simple clothes. They made no alteration in their dress on account of their new religion. They prescribed no form or colour as distinguishing marks of their sect; but they carried with them the plain habits of their ancestors into their new Society, as the habits of the grave and sober people of their own times.

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SECTION II.

But though George Fox introduced no new dress into the Society, he was not indifferent on the subject-he recommended simplicity and plainness-and declaimed against the fashions of the times-supported by Barclay and Penn-these explained the objects of dress-The influence of these explanations-Dress, at length, incorporated into the discipline-but no standard fixed either of shape or colour-the objects of dress only recognised, and simplicity recommendedA new ara-great variety allowable by the discipline Quakers have deviated less from the dress of their ancestors than other people.

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THOUGH George Fox never introduced new or particular garments, when he formed the Society, as models worthy of the imitation of those who joined him, yet, as a religious man, he was not indifferent upon the subject of dress. Nor could he, as a reformer, see those extravagant fashions, which I have shown to have existed in his time, without publicly noticing them. We find him accordingly recommending to his followers simplicity and plainness of apparel,

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and bearing his testimony against the preposterous and fluctuating apparel of the world.

In the various papers which he wrote or gave forth upon this subject, he laid it down as a position, that all ornaments, superfluities, and unreasonable changes in dress, manifested an earthly or worldly spirit. He laid it down, again, that such things, being adopted principally for the lust of the eye, were productive of vanity and pride; and that in proportion as men paid attention to these outward decorations and changes, they suffered some loss in the value and dignity of their minds. He considered, also, all such decorations and changes as contrary both to the letter and the spirit of the Scriptures. Isaiah, one of the greatest prophets under the Law, had severely reproved the daughters of Israel on account of their tinkling ornaments, cauls, round tires, chains, bracelets, rings, and ear-rings. St. Paul, also, and St. Peter had both of them cautioned the women of their own times to adorn themselves in modest apparel, and not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array. And the former had spoken

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to both sexes indiscriminately not to conform to the world; in which latter expression he evidently included all those customs of the world, of whatsoever nature, that were in any manner injurious to the morality of the minds of those who followed them.

By the publication of these sentiments George Fox showed to the world that it was his opinion that religion, though it prescribed no particular form of apparel, was not indifferent as to the general subject of dress. These sentiments became the sentiments of his followers: but the Society was coming fast into a new situation. When the members of it first met in union, they consisted of grown-up persons; of such as had had their minds spiritually exercised, and their judgments convinced in religious matters; of such, in fact, as had been Quakers in spirit before they had become Quakers by name. All admonitions, therefore, on the subject of dress were unnecessary for such persons. But many of those who had joined the Society had brought with them children into it, and, from the marriages of others children were daily springing up.

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