under the crown, the sleeves of the dress wide and hanging, and a long graceful train; sometimes we see the hair rolled quite round the head under a net, or worn in full braids. We give one more costume, as it displays a French fashion adopted in Germany towards the close of the century. This is nothing less than modern crinoline, under its oldest title of "guardinfanta." The original of the portrait was the wife of Frederick William of Saxony. The dress is singularly ungraceful; a brown velvet skirt, very short, and stretched almost tight over an enormous hoop, a blue velvet

cuffs at the wrists; an immense fur collar standing up round the neck, which is left bare, is supposed to render the attractions of this toilette complete. A few gold ornaments decorate the hair, which is strained back from the face and twisted into a roll on the top of the head. Will any lady be tempted to adopt this costume for her next fancy ball?

DOMESTIC LIFE OF GERMAN LADIES IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. THE world of the toilette filled up the time and thoughts of the German lady of those days, pretty much as it always has in all countries and ages occupied the attention of the fair sex. Different styles were in vogue, as we see from contemporary paintings and engravings of the period. A portrait of the Duchess Dorothea of Prussia, still in an admirable state of preservation in the castle of Fridenstein, represents her in a State costume. The whole figure is enveloped in a green robe, not unlike an old-jacket with tight-fitting sleeves, and red fashioned cloak; it opens at the waist, with an ermine cape falling over the shoulders, and shows a low black velvet bodice. The neck is entirely covered with muslin plaited in fine folds finished at the throat with a narrow frill; over this is displayed an amber necklace, composed of several rows of beads, interlaced in an intricate fashion, so as to ornament the whole of the muslin. The skirt, which would be pro- So much for the dress itself. With renounced by a modern dressmaker "deci-gard to the materials of which it was comdedly short and skimp," is bell-shaped, posed, they were magnificent enough to opening in front just enough to show its have served for the trousseau of a princess ermine facings, and ornamented with a in the Thousand and One Nights. To those wide border of gold arabesque; the sleeves great merchant houses, which, established large, tapering to the wrists, where they in different towns, supplied all the courts close with pearl bracelets. The hair is of Germany, the looms of Florence, Milan, completely concealed under a flat black and Venice, sent their gorgeous fabrics, gay velvet cap, slouched down on the right with embroidery and stiff with gold. We side, and on the left adorned with a plume read of silver embroidered upon silver, of and pearls. Even in the sixteenth century stuffs woven with a warp of the thickest Paris was looked up to as the fountain-head silk, and the woof made of one of the preof fashion; the pattern of a hanging sleeve cious metals; of crimson velvet flowered or a coif from France was a prize eagerly with gold, and cloths of gold and silver. A sought, and turned to the best advantage list of the requisites ordered from Master when obtained. The head-dress in this Thomas Lapi of Nuremberg for the wardportrait of the duchess may, for aught we robe of the Princess Anna, on her marriage know, be the very same the pattern of with the Elector John Sigismund of Branwhich she received from the Duchess of denburg, in 1594, is before us. It includes Munsterberg as 66 a rare and entirely new sixteen pieces of plain velvet, black, crimFrench invention," and despatched, after it son, and pomegranate colours; three pieces had been copied for her own use, by a of flowered velvet, eighty ells of different special messenger to the Queen of Den- coloured satins-gold, white, orange, violet, mark. Another portrait of a lady of that and green. Fifty ells of damasks striped period shows the skirt of the dress ample with gold and silver, three hundred of gold and long, but gathered into a very short and silver raised work; costly furs, ermine waist, ornamented with what we believe and sable, for trimming; five hundred ells ladies call a basque. The neck is quite of gold and silver lace, etc., etc. This bare, and from the head rises an immense mercer's bill of the sixteenth century nearly nondescript sort of affair, something be- takes away our breath to read. Would the tween a helmet and a foolscap, very high, Princess Anna ever want any more fine very stiff, and intensely ugly; this also clothes all her life long we wonder? Would hides the hair, with the exception of one she be condemned to wear her heavy velunhappy little curl which has strayed out, vets and thick satins, with their fur trimright in the middle of the forehead. Royal mings, in the hot German summers? brides wear their hair flowing in curls Assuredly she would-on State occasions at

any rate.
The high mightinesses of those
days paid little regard to so vulgar a thing
as a change in the temperature; the sun
might be burning hot, the thermometer at
ninety in the shade, but for all that, dignity
must not bate a single inch of crimson
velvet and ermine.

Point-lace was a favourite material for the coif, and a large half-handkerchief sometimes worn on the shoulders. There is a curious commission with respect to this lace from the Duchess Dorothea to the Prussian chargé d'affaires at Rome in 1533, which we give in her own words. "As," she says, "we approve your diligence in our service, it is our gracious request that you procure for us some delicate specimens and patterns of that rare Italian art, whereby linen is pierced and fashioned with curious skill into shapes of roses and flower-work. Also it is our gracious pleasure that you seek us out some virtuous gentlewoman or maid, not light and giddy in her manners, who shall work for us at this cunning work." If such a treasure is not to be procured, the Duchess goes on to say, her correspondent is to persuade some man, skilled not only in the manufacture of point, but also of the gold and silver lace, to enter her service and visit Prussia, for the purpose of instructing the maidens of her Court in so desirable an accomplishment.

steward at Raquit about a large barrel of butter, which it seems was not forthcoming at the proper time. The soapmaker of Marienburg receives a regular scolding, because she complains it is not possible to use his soap-"it has an evil smell, and lacks the fineness of the Venice soap.' She orders George Sculthess of Nuremberg to procure her raisins, chestnuts, medlars, and quinces from Frankfort; and commands her servants to gather the grapes in the garden at Fischaus, and "make therefrom two sorts of Turkish syrup, one red and the other white, for which," adds the economical duchess, "I shall allow no sugar." It would, we fancy, be a problem for a modern cook to make a syrup without sugar, but the Soyer of the ducal household evidently accomplished his task to the complete satisfaction of his mistress, for she despatches a supply of this Turkish syrup as a rare delicacy to her father, the King of Denmark; and moreover says, "We also send your royal dignity different sugars of lavender, spikenard, and Dutch balsam, prepared with our own hands, under the direction of our doctor and physician." Again, next year "she sets a dainty dish before the king" aforesaid, in the shape of a cask of fieldfares, preserved in butter under her own eye, modestly requesting the present of two tons of herrings in return. How the homely old ways and customs of mankind have been polished and furbished up since the days of the Duchess Dorothea! Only fancy the Princess Frederick William of Prussia, not quite so great a lady at present as the ancestress of her husband was in her time-fancy, if you can, the princess exchanging such souvenirs with her papa, H R.H. Prince Albert.

The Germans have always been famed as active housewives, and we find abundant proofs in the correspondence of the highest ladies of the time that they could personally justify this praise. The Duchess of Prussia may serve as a specimen of all her sisterhood. The letters are still extant in which this illustrious lady orders her flax and linen in her own handwriting, and These German dames, and their lords inquires why the burghers of Tilsit are likewise, were an open-handed race. Prebehindhand with their tribute of fifteen sents of some sort, many of the homeliest bundles of yarn for her household. She description, seem to have been perpetually bespeaks hemp and soap from Poland; the given and received among them. Espe silk, silver, and gold for her tapestry-work cially was the time-honoured custom of from Nuremberg; she sends the merchant proving the good-will which inspires good a list of her requirements in velvet, lace, wishes for the new year, by an accompanyand veils; and, when she finds herself short ing gift, most actively kept up. On one of ready money, offers to pay in honey and occasion the duchess sends her father a huge wool. She describes minutely the pattern cask of lampreys, while she herself receives from which the Duke's shirts are to be cut, from the Duchess of Leignitz a gage d'amour blames the seamstress for making the shoul- in the form of quinces preserved with honey, ders too narrow, and sends her a measure a really detestable compound, we should for the width of the sleeves. She takes good heed that there shall be no lack of dried fish, especially salmon, for the ducal larder; thanks a Frau Von Heideck for her courteous and welcome present of a couple of fine fat hogs, and writes to the duke's

think, and others preserved with sugar. The donor begs her friend to eat them for her sake, and adds, "If they like you well I shall be greatly pleased.' Preserves of all kinds-figs, nuts, cherries, and, above all, Nuremberg gingerbread-were the simple

dainties these good housewives loved equally I beg your grace will wear this shirt for my to bestow and to accept. The Duchess sake, considering rather the good will of the Dorothea treats Count Christian of Holstein maker than the fineness of the work, which, to a new year's gift of preserved cherries, in truth, is not so perfect as I could have apples, and gingerbread; at the same time desired." The beautiful Sidonia, of Brunsshe receives from Duke Frederick of Leignitz wick, makes him a similar present, but, some fine melons, almost the first specimens apparently, from interested motives, for she of this fruit which had ever found their way begs at the same time "sufficient ermine to Prussia; not to be outdone, she returns a for the lining of a large mantle." Finally, magnificent salmon by the duke's messen- to close this list of princely presents, in ger. A good brewing of beer was a very 1538 the Duchess Dorothea sends one of acceptable love-token, especially when it these indispensable garments as a token of came from Mecklenburg or Hamburg, both sisterly affection to the King of Denmark; places famed far and wide for the beverage" also," she says, "we beg your kingly of John Barleycorn. The Duchess Anna dignity will accept this drinking-cup, both Sophia of Mecklenburg bestows good beer because we know that you will not often with great generosity on her friends; she let it go unfilled, and also that you may see sends off ten barrels as a new year's gift to how deep we drink who can empty such the Duke of Prussia, and writes "We have cups. Likewise we send a foot from a had this strong beer brewed for your grace Prussian ox, that you may judge if your with especial care, and hope it will be your Danish cattle go on such large feet as pleasure to receive it as a sign of our good ours." will and friendliness." Duke Albert about the same time receives from the Count Von Henneberg an appropriate pendant to the lady's offering,-"A fair drinking-cup, curiously wrought by Master Peter Zinck, from Thuringian wood;" the count gallantly adds a present for the duchess, of "slippers, embroidered with much art and subtlety.' The duchess sends, as new year's presents, salmon, dried fish, beavers' tails, and a set of chessmen made of amber; she writes a grateful letter of thanks to the Duke of Mecklenburg, on account of three pairs of sweet-scented gloves, which he procured for her from France. Duke Albert might count himself a lucky man on the 1st of January, 1564; besides his Mecklenburg beer and the Thuringian drinking-cup, he received from Sabina, wife of the Elector of Brandenburg, a shirt-not of mail, bear in mind, but the ordinary and familiar garment-made by her own fair hands. Mr. Thackeray, as we all remember, allows us a glimpse of pretty little Theo at work on a shirt for one of her brothers, and lets us see how our English ladies were not ashamed of making shirts a century ago. In those more primitive times, and among, as our readers will observe, a more primitive people, a high-born lady could bestow no gift more honourable than a shirt of her own making. The active Duchess of Prussia stitches away at one destined as a new year's gift to her brother John of Schleswick Holstein, and at another for the Archbishop of Riga. The Duchess Anna Maria of Wurtemburg expresses, in an autograph letter to Duke Albert, her thanks for a present of elks' hoofs and amber, and goes on to say, "In return

We know that astrologers and alchemists flourished abundantly in Germany during this century, and it is not surprising that they found both dupes and pupils among the ladies, many of whom dabbled in the black arts. Catherine of Brandenburg, and her beautiful sister Elizabeth, wife of the Margrave George Frederick, had each her laboratory, and studied under Thurneisser, the famous magician of Thurn, who, it was believed, could assume any shape he thought proper, fly through the air, and make silver and gold at will. We can easily credit the power of this accomplished quack with respect to the prodigy last mentioned, when we read the fabulous prices at which he dispensed to his fair dupes aqua d'oro, tinctures of pearl, amethyst, and emerald; all specifics against disease, or, still more precious, potent to restore to age all the beauty and graces of youth. Hardly less famous than Thurneisser was Dr. John Meckabach, or "Megabachus," as he delighted to Latinise his name." Meckabach was so fortunate as to discover in 1545 a preventive and panacea for every ailment, the counteragent of poisons; in one word, the great remedy of the age, in the shape of an oil distilled from amber.

To the reader of history it must have occurred to observe, that when some great wonder, like the Reformation, has been wrought in any age, he will often find the veriest trifle start up by its side, and lay an almost equal hold upon the minds of men. The lapse of time brings all things to their true proportion-the colossus stands, the mushroom is forgotten in the dust: but pore with us over these yellow letters, these

physicians that she has but revived an ancient precedent, and only added the knowledge requisite for modern times to an art which was in those days considered one of the highest accomplishments a woman could possess. We find the Duchess of Leignitz making lozenges against apoplexy, and her husband believing himself perfectly cured through them; one lady is famous for healing-ointment, the recipe for which she will not give; another prepares eye-water, and powders for different ailments. The Duchess of Prussia gives medicine, prepared by herself, against the plague, to her brother; another time she writes, "We send you herewith a powder and electuary we have inade for the head and breast; we tasted it in the presence of the messenger, and the directions we have given in our letter teach the method of using the same."

faithful witnesses of what men thought and felt in the sixteenth century, and you shall see how throughout the courts of Germany Dr. Meckabach and his wonderful discoveries excited very nearly as much eager interest as Dr. Martin Luther and his new doctrines. Of course we do not speak of the bulk of the people, on whose head not one drop of that precious oil would ever fall; our remark applies only within the narrow limits of the world which could write letters and afford to pay physicians. In one important point Meckabach had a decided advantage over the Reformer; for him opinion was undivided-not one adverse voice lifted itself against the marvellous virtues of amber water, amber oil, and "manus christi," another preparation from the same substance. Catholic and Lutheran alike are anxious to possess these sovereign remedies, ladies willingly sacrifice their much valued We must not suppose, however, that a ornaments to the doctor's crucible, and re- lady's pharmacopoeia was confined to herbs, ceive or believe they receive, which an- roots, and amber. Foremost on the list of swers the same purpose-them back, melted remedies stand powdered elk's hoof, beaver's into a few drops of the wonder-working oil. fat, and horn of unicorn! Amber or uniAmber is fortunately found in Prussia, and corn rings and necklaces were worn as Duke Albert loses no time in despatching charms against the plague, and also those large quantities to Megabachus, who duly made of elk's hoof, only it was absolutely returns him amber oil, water, and manus necessary that the latter should have been christi. There with the doctor writes a procured "between the two summer fespompous letter, in which he proves himself tivals of the Virgin, otherwise," it is comwell worthy a place in Molière's famous plained, "they have little virtue." As for "Consultation." "Ars longa," he says, the unicorn, his horn was just as valuable or he would certainly have made more of in one season as another, the sole condition the oil, but he is, as all the world knows, necessary to make such a prize available overwhelmed with affairs, and must pre- would be precisely that on which Mrs. sently ride off to Munich to meet Duke Glass's recipe for dressing a hare depends. Ludwig. He gives a catalogue of the potent In 1529, Princess Catherine of Schwarzburg virtues of his drugs which would put to writes to Duke Albert, thanking him for shame the invention displayed by the mo- "a whole elk's hoof, seven white amber dern advertiser of patent medicines. "The paternosters, and seven elk-hoof paternosvery smell of the oil," he says, can per-ters," which, she says, both she and her form wonders; and only a few drops taken in wine or distilled cordials have power to drive away all manner of pain whatsoever. I send likewise a small box of manus christi, prepared from the oil aforesaid, and which has never been invented or imagined before; it is sovereign against apoplexy, madness, and in short every disease of the brain. A small piece dissolved in the mouth sufficeth to cure an epilepsy or a headache " Many ladies of this period practised more useful, if less pretending, arts than alchemy and astrology. They prepared a great variety of simple medicines from different herbs and roots, and some, the Princess Anna of Saxony for example, acquired a wide reputation through their skill. Indeed, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell may argue with those who protest against woman

66

youngest daughter, Anna Maria, received with great gratitude. "But," continues the importunate princess, "will your grace remember me with a paternoster or a ring sometimes, for I have a bad memory, and lose everything. Above all things, if you could bestow upon me an English ring, for it prevents a heavy sickness. I had one formerly which belonged to my mother, but 1 have worn it completely in two." Finally the lady winds up her letter by hinting, that, if Duke Albert feels disposed to "show her the greatest possible grace and kindness," he may send off at once "a little piece of the real horn of unicorn."

We have thus obtained a glimpse into what we may consider the more serious business of a lady's life at the period; her amusements were scanty and unvaried. On