The worlds olio written by the Right Honorable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

Of Painting.

THere be some that condemn the Art of Painting in Wo∣men, others that defend it; for, say they, as Nature hath made one World, so Art another, and that Art is be∣come the Mistris of Nature; neither is it against Nature to help the Defects. Besides, those that find out new Arts, are esteemed so, that they become as Petty Gods, whether they become Ad∣vantageous to Man, or no; as the Memory of those that found out the Art of Gunpowder, Guns, Swords, and all Engins of War for Mischief; and shall they be more praised and com∣mended than those that find out Arts and Adornments; as Painting, Curling, and other Dressings; for the one destroyes Mankind, this increaseth it; the one brings Love, the other be∣gets Hate. But some will say, those Arts defend their Lives; but where they once use them to defend their Lives, they use them ten times to destroy Life; and though it is no Fault in the Inventer, but in the User, no more is Painting, when it is used

for a good intent, as to keep or increase lawfull Affection. But, say they, it is a dissembling to make that appear otherwise than it is. 'Tisanswer'd, No more than to keep warm in Winter; for Cold is Natural, so is the sense of it in Winter; but Clothes to keep it out are Artificial; and the true use of the Art of Paint∣ing is to keep warm a Lawfull Affection. Besides, If we must use no more than what Nature hath given us, we must go naked; and those that have a bald Head, must not wear a Peruick, or Cap to cover it; and those that are born with one Leg shorter than the other, must not wear a high Shoe to make them even, nor indeed wear any Shoes at all, especially with Heels, because they make them seem higher, but go with the Feet bare; and those that are Crooked, must wear no Bombast; and many such Ex∣amples may be brought. But, say some, it is a Bawd to entice, in begetting evil Desires. It is answered, No more a Bawd than Nature is in making a handsome Creature; but if they must do nothing for fear of Enticing, then Mankind must neither cut their Hair, nor pare their Nails, nor shave their Beards, nor wash their selves, which would be very slovenly, for fear they should appear so handsome, as they may perswade and entice the Lookers on to evil Desires; which if so, let them be like Swine, and wallow in Mire; but it is to be feared, that the Mire will be too hard for the evil Desires; so as there may be more brought in defence of Painting, than can be said against it. Wherefore, say they, it is lawfull both in Maids and Wives; the one, to get a good Hus∣band; the other, to keep her Husband from coveting his Neigh∣bours Wife; for it is an Honour for Maids to get good Hus∣bands, because it is a kind of Reproach to live unmarried, for Marriage is Honourable, and gives a Respect to Women, unless they be incloystered, which all Constitutions will not agree withall; and an honest Wifes care is to please her Husband, if she can, when she hath him; for Marriage is the end of an honest Mind to all but Widows, for they, when they marry again, do as it were Cuckold their dead Husband, and their living. Besides, if they have Children, they make a Distraction and Division in their Families, and most commonly to the ruine of the first Hus∣bands Estate, having so great a share, and so much power, ac∣cording to our Laws; And though they should not marther themselves, as the Custome hath been in other Countryes, but contrary rather, to preserve their Health, and to dry their Eyes after a while of those Obsequies of Tears, which are Sacrifices to the Dead, yet to live a retired Life, to shew their unalterable Affections; for though it be fit for a Widow to put off her vio∣lent Passion of Sorrow as well as she can, yet there is no Humour becomes that Condition better than Sadness; for Sadness, which is a moderate Grief, looks full of Fortitude, and is Humble, Modest, Gracefull, and so far from dis composing any part, as it gives a setled, and majestical Face: So Painting is most dis∣allowable in Widows, for they should take the example of Ju∣dith,

where it is said, when she went to Holofernes, she anointed her self as she did usually in her Husband Manassas time, which it seems she used not after he was dead, before this time; for as they have none to Displease, so ought they not to Allure. But some will say, that their Poverty is such, as they know not how to live, and they may be presented to such a Fortune, as may make them live happy, and free from the Misery that Poverty compels them to. It is answered, that Nature is satisfied with a little, if their Ambition be not great: but if not they must make use of the old Proverb, which is, that Necessity hath no Law, in case they present not their Necessity to be greater than it is. But to return to Beauty, it is pleasing, either Natural or Artificial, and both to be admired; for if Art be Commendable, why not in the Face, as well as in the Feet in dancing Measures, or as in the Hand upon Musick Instruments, or in the Voyce, or in the Art of Oratory, and Poetry, which will sooner increase Desires: yet this is allowed of in all places and times, not onely in Tem∣poral Society, but in Spiritual Unions, where David, the Be∣loved of God, was a great Master in the Knowledge and Practice of them. And if these Arts be Commendable, and are Graces to all parts of the Body, shall it be condemned onely for Colour in the Face? And as Beauty is the Adornment of Na∣ture, so is Art the Adornment of Beauty; and this saith the De∣fendant against the Plaintiff. But all Opinions have, or most of them, Sides, and Factions; but my Opinion is so far with the Defendant, as I believe all Adotnments of Beauty are lawfull for Women, if the Intention be good. Yet I am utterly against the Art of Painting, out of three respects; The first is Dangerous, for most Paintings are mixed with Mercury, wherein is much Quicksilver, which is of so subtil a malignant nature, as it will fall from the Head to the Lungs, and cause Consumptions, and is the Cause of swelling about the Neck and Throat. The next is, that it is so far from Adorning, as it Dis-figures: for it will rot the Teeth, dim the Eyes, and take away both the Life and Youth of a Face, which is the grea'est Beauty. Thirdly and lastly, the Sluttishness of it, and especially in the Preparatives, as Masks of Sear-Clothes, which are not onely horrid to look upon, in that they seem as Dead Bodies embowelled or embalmed, but the Stink is Offensive. Then the Pomatum and Pultis, which are very uneasy to lye in, wet and greasy, and very unsavoury; for all the while they have it on, it presents to their Nose a Chandlers Shop, or a greasy Dripping-pan, so as all the time they fry as it were in Grease; neither will their Perfumes mend it, and their Oils: And though I cannot say they live in Purgatory, because they shun all hot places, for they cannot have the comfortable heat of the Fire, and shun the Natural heat of the Sun, as they must live alwaies, as if they were at the North Pole, for fear the Heat should melt away their Oil, and Oily Drops can be no grace to their Face, Dry Painting shrivels up the Skin so, as it im∣prints

Age in their Face, in filling it full of Wrinkles; where∣fore Paintings are both Dangerous, Ill-favoured, and Sluttish, besides the troublesome pains. But for other Adornments in Women, they are to be commended, as Curling, Powdring, Powncing. Cloathing, and all the Varieties of Accoutrement, in that they have none of the said former Qualities, but give a gracefull advantage to the Person. Besides, Dressing is the Poetry of Women, in shewing the Fancyes, and is the cause of imploying the greater part of a Commonwealth; for in four parts, three of them are in the Arts of Adornments; for it is not onely, Tailers, Imbroyderers, Perfumers, Milleners, Feather∣makers, Jewellers, Mercers, Silkmen, Semsters, Shoemakers, Tiremen, and many, many more, but every one of these Trades have many Trades belong to them; as for example, How many Trades belong from the Silk-worm to the Ladies Gown? and from the Golden Mine to the Lace that is laid upon it? and so in order to all other things, which is the cause of keeping a Com∣monwealth in Union, in busying and imploying their Minds, which keeps them from Factious Thoughts, and Designs. Be∣sides, it distributes and spreads the Maintenance of the King∣dome; for without particular Commerce, and Trasick, a Com∣monwealth cannot stand, and subsist: for though many a Com∣monwealth may subsist without the help of their Neighbours, yet it cannot live without their own Imployment and Dividement among themselves: for as some share in Lands, so others in Of∣fices, and the rest in Trades, wherein all trasick, from the one to the other; so that every Man lives by his Neighbour, and not altogether upon himself.