214044_The_Essa ... rd_Of_Montaigne_Vol_II.pdf - OUDL Home

THE SECOND BOOKE 201
We imagine and faine her formes, as our fantasies
lead us.
Turpis Romano Belgicus ore color, 1
A Dutch-froes colour hath no grace,
Seen in a Roman Ladies face.
The Indians descrihe it blacke and swarthy, with
blabbered-thick lips, with a broad and flat nose, the
inward gristle whereof they loade with great gold rings,
hanging downe to their mouth, and their neather lips
with great circlets beset with precious stones, which
cover all their chins, deeming it an especiall grace to
shew their teeth to the roots. In Peru, the greatest
eares are ever esteemed the fairest, which with all art
and industrie they are continually stretching out; and
a man (who yet liveth) sweareth to have seen in a
Province of the East Indias the people so careful 1 to
make them great, and so to load them with heavie
jewels, that with ease he could have thrust his arme
through one of their eare-holes. There are other
Nations who endevour to make their teeth as blacke
as jeat, and skorne to have them white; and in other
places they die them red. Not onely in the province
of Baske, but in other places, women are accounted
fairest when their heads are shaven, and which is
strange, in some of the Northerly frozen-countries, as
Plinie affirmeth. Those of Mexico esteeme the littlenesse
of their foreheads as one of the chiefest beauties,
and whereas they sliave their haire over all their bodie
besides, by artificiall meanes they labour to nourish and
make it grow onely in their foreheads ; and so love to
have great dugs, that they strive to have their children
sucke over their shoulders. So would we set forth
ilfavordnesse. The Italians proportion it big and plum;
the Spaniards spynie and lanke; and amongst us one
would have her white, another browne, and soft and
delicate, another strong and lustie; some desire wautonuesse
and blithnesse, and othersome sturdinesse and
1 PROPERT. 1. ii. Eleg. xviii. 26.