xcept at court; rouge was strongly objected to, and
war was declared against powder; figures became smaller and thinner,
and on the head, over small curly locks, the pastoral straw hat was
worn; with men, also, embroidered coats, with breeches, silk stockings,
buckled shoes, and the small dress-sword, were only worn as festival
attire; the German cavalier began to take pleasure in English horses,
and the round hat, boots, and spurs were introduced; and they ventured
to appear in ladies' rooms with their riding-whips.[26]

An easy life of enjoyment was frequent in the families of the
nobility--a cheerful self-indulgence without great refinement, much
courtly complaisance and good humour; they had also the art of
narrating well, which now appears to recede further eastward, and of
interweaving naturally anecdotes with fine phrases in their
conversation; and they had a neat way of introducing drolleries. The
morals of these circles, so often bitterly reprobated, were, it
appears, no worse than they usually are among mere pleasure-seekers.
They were not inclined to subtle inquiries, nor were they generally
much disquieted with severe qualms of conscience; their feelings of
honour were flexible, but certain limits were to be observed. Within
these boundaries they were tolerant; in play, wine, and affairs of the
heart, gentlemen, and even ladies, could do much without fear of very
severe comments, or disturbances of the even tenor of their life. What
could not be undone they quietly condoned, and, even when the bounds of
morality had been overstepped, quickly recovered their composure. The
art of making life agreeable was then more common than now; equally
enduring was the power of preserving a vigorous, active, genial spirit,
and a freshness of humour up to the latest age, and of carrying on a
cheerful and respectable old age, a life rich in pleasure, though not
free from conflicts between duty and inclination. There may still be
found old pictures of this time, which give us a pleasant view of the
naive freshness and easy cheerfulness of the most aged men and women.

Under the nobility were the country people and petty citizens, who, as
well as the lower officials, took that conception of life which
prevailed in Germany during the beginning of the century. Life was
still colourless. We deceive ourselves if we imagine that at the end of
this century the philosophic enlightenment had produced much
improvement in the dwelling