The Boot and Shoe-Maker's Assistant;
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-^ i4 ^ ^^ THE BOOT AND SHOE-MAKER'S ASSISTANT: COXTAINIXG A TREATISE ON CLICKING, AND THE FOEM AND FITTING-UP OF LASTS SCIENTIFICALLY CONSIDERED. ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGEAVINGS AND PATTERN PLATES. PRECEDED BY A HISTORY OF FEET COSTUME, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE FASHIONS OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS, HEBREWS, PERSIANS, GREEKS, ROMANS. &c., &c. AKD THE PREVAILING STYLE IN ENGLAND, FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD, DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME. BY ONE WHO HAS WORKED ON THE SEAT AND AT THE CUTTING-COARD. "You go to sec Fashions? Well, give me your ti:uul." »H.l„e,.-j„v„neei,,civili.ot,o„to thfg::i;;l^i';;rd;i^ea'Lx;;rtr;^d™tXj^^Sdji^'^ ereate new wants, that those only "''" are new links being eonstnntly addeJ to the °'' ""'' "'""'"'^'^ ''^'"'^"^ "' neeessai-ies. Jfot chainrS'tll^e eEn relf a^L^.es a dX^nt fo,™!' ]\I A N C H E S T E It : JAMES AINS WORTH, S7 AND 93, PICCADILLY MDCCCLIII. ,s4 Q — — ; T II E BOOT AND SHOE-MAKER'S ASSISTANT. FEET COSTUME OF THE ANCIENTS. CHAPTER I. T is among the ruins of ancient cities draughts and other games, and the children at their that find the we pictured chronicles play, amusing themselves with their dolls and toys. of the liabits and customs of the Not only do these still exist, to give the world nn early world. On the facades of the insight into the mode of life of those ancient people temples at or Edfou Salsette, on but also a, variety of articles, from the tools of the the slabs whicli line the exhumed workman, to some of the maiuifactures and t\ibrics, palaces of Niiuroud, on the walls with which the inhabitants of Memphis,* Heliopolis,f of ancient Thebes* the capital of and Thebes adorned themselves, and decorated their Egypt in her glory, our forefathers palaces and homes, are treasured up in the museums, are depicted busily employed; and both public and private, of our own glorious England from these rude but spirited efforts and other countries. of the ancient artist's pencil and chisel, we learn the dress, the arms, * "Memphis is the Noph of Scripture. About ten miles south of Jizeh, where stand the jjreat pyramiA's, the sports, the domestic and poli- the village of Metrahenny. half-conoealed in a thicket of palm trees, on the nestem side of tical life of the busy thousands the river, marks the site of this once mighty city, which appeai-s who then lived and acted, loved to have been the capital .of that portion of Egypt, m or near which the IsraeHtes were settled, and the main seat of persecution and hated, strove and failed ; even against them. It was also one of the grand stations of idolatrous as the men and women of this and every other worship, and here the biJl Apis was bred, nurtured, and honoured with all the splendour which Asiatic superstition lavished upon age. the representatives of their miscalled deities." Egyptian Antiquities. These venerable relics of the past, the sculptures Here were the images wliieh the Lord was one day to "cause and paintings of the early Egyptians, representing to cease," (Ezekiel, xxx. 13,) depicted by the careiul and artistic chisel of the scidptor, heightened by brilhaut colours, and adored scenes in ordinary or every-day life, are valuable for with all the vain pomp and lu.\urj' with which men mocked their their truthfulness of detail; throwing light on what own senses, and symbolized their vilest passions. But the di-eam of idolatry has passed away—the grand all-enwrapping mists of otherwise must have remained in obscurity. There imgodliuess have melted into air before the Sun of Truth, and is not a trade, occupation, or anuisement, whicli •we cannot fail to be struck by the coincidence between the facts of Memphis having been the gi^and distinguished them, nor a natural production, whose seat of persecution against the IsraeUtes, and the heavy weight of desolate affliction which, likeness they have not transmitted to posterity, en- long since foretold, fell upon the doomed city of Noph. (Isaiah. -^ graved upon the face of the everlasting rock. They xix. 13; Jer., ii. 16.; xlvi. 14, 19; Ezekiel, xxx. 16.) Most agreeable was it to the Almighty's care for His own—most suited show us the agriculturists in the field, the artificer to His avenging justice—that the scene of His chosen people's in his shop, the cooks in the kitchen, the nobles humiliation should become the most signal evidence of His triumph over their enemies. Bucklei/'s Great Cities of tlie Ancient Wui-ld. at their banquets, the priests in the temple, the t Heliopolis is the On of Scripture, (Genesis, xli. 45;) or the soldiers in their camp, the sportsmen with their Aven of Ezekiel, xxx. 17.) It is now occupied by the village of gear—hunting and fishing, the social parties at Matarieh, a few miles north-east of Cairo. In this city, called the A — — — BOOT AST) SHOE-MAKER'S ASSISTANT. The efflorescence, or high state of civilization, at of Aminon; and with amazement and religious awe which the Egj-ptians had arrived from three to four would he slowly walk along, between the majestic thousand years ago, as depicted on their monuments, and tranquil sphinxes, to tlie still more magnificent is truly wonderful. Their children were then taught propyla of tlie building. This colossal entrance is ^n•iting, arithmetic, and geometry. They had a aliout three luincb'ed and sixty feet long, and one numerous and splendid hierarchy learned in divinity hundi-ed and ninety feet high; the door in the and astronomy, conducting a gorgeous worship in middle is sixty-four feet in height. Passing through temples both vast and grand ; the existing ruins of this door-way, he would enter a large court occupied which cause tlie traveller, when he approaches them, by a range of pillars on the north ami south sides, to gaze in amazement and wonder; such is their and a double row of tall pillars running down the extent and gloomy sublimity, which break upon his middle. The pillars in tlie middle of the entrance view. court terminated opposite to two colossal statues "The imagination," says Champollion, "which in in front of a second propylon; tlirough which, after Eui'ope rises far above our porticos, sinks abashed ascending a flight of twenty-seven steps, he would at the foot of the one hundred and forty columns come to a large liall, which has had a flat stone of the hypostole hall of Karnac." The following roof. This is the great hypostol liall of Karnac, circumstantial description of which not only attests which is supported by one hundred and thirty-four its former greatness and glory, but also gives us colossal pillars. an idea of the splendour of ancient Tliebes—"of The width of this magnificent hall is about three ]iopulous No, that was situate among tlie rivers, hundred and tliirty-eight feet, and the length or that had the waters round aliout it, whose rampart breadth one hundred and seventy feet and a half. was the sea, and her wall was from the sea." It is remarkable that the gi'eat courts and chambers (Nalium, iii. 8.): in some of the oldest Egyptian buildings, such as "Luxor and Karnac, on tlie eastern side of the Jledinet-Aliou and tlie tomb of Osymandyas, have River Nile, Gournon and !Mediuet-Abou on tlie their widtli greater than their length; the entrance western, occupy the site of Thebes. About a mile being in tlie centre of the longest side. The area and a quarter lower down the river, and at about of this prodigious hall is fifty-seven thousand six two thousand five hundred feet from its banks, hundred and twenty-nine feet, on which stand the are these mighty ruins; the chief portion occupying hundred and thirty-four columns—tlie largest nearly an artificial elevation, surrounded by a wall of eleven feet in diameter—once supporting a roof of uiiburnt bricks, about five thousand three hundred enormous slabs of stone. The pillars, walls, and yards in circuit. Within these walls are the propyla of this magnificent colonnade are completely remains of several buildings, the largest of which covered with sculptured forms. Such was Thebes; is contained within the enclosure, w^hich was of occupying a site one hundred and forty furlongs in sufficient extent to hold also a large tank cased circumference." * with stone, and with steps leading down to it. "How magnificent must have l)een the conceptions The chief or western front is turned towards tlie of the Egyptian architects! And the kings—how Nile, with which it was connected by an alley of great their longing for immortality—how far down colossal ram-hcaded sphinxes. At the teniiinatiou the vista of future ages readied their views—how of tliis magnificent avenue, there was probably a tremendous the despotic power they wielded to fliglit of steps leading down to the river." accomplish their sublime purposes! If those old "Here," observes Professor Long, "the devotee Egyptians had known the power of steam, and had would land, who came from a distance to the shrine also had the art of constructing railroads, what City of tlie Sun, wm the renowned and magnificent temple, sacred with his brethren took place. Nevertheless Heliopolis was involved to the worship of the bull Mnevis ; and the eacrodotal college, most in the coraniou curse of idolatr)-, pronounced against it under it<t pre-eminent for the learning of its priests, and the antiquity of its name of Bethshcmesh.