The description of poor Murphy's sufferings, which threw my
sister Liddy into a swoon, extracted some sighs from the breast
of Mrs Tabby: when she understood he had been rendered unfit for
marriage, she began to spit, and ejaculated, 'Jesus, what cruel
barbarians!' and she made wry faces at the lady's nuptial repast;
but she was eagerly curious to know the particulars of her
marriage-dress; whether she wore high-breasted stays or bodice, a
robe of silk or velvet, and laces of Mechlin or minionette -- she
supposed, as they were connected with the French, she used rouge,
and had her hair dressed in the Parisian fashion. The captain
would have declined giving a catagorical explanation of all these
particulars, observing, in general, that the Indians were too
tenacious of their own customs to adopt the modes of any nation
whatsoever; he said, moreover, that neither the simplicity of
their manners nor the commerce of their country, would admit of
those articles of luxury which are deemed magnificence in Europe;
and that they were too virtuous and sensible to encourage the
introduction of any fashion which might help to render them
corrupt and effeminate.
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