iple　ruffs　of　cloth；　pasted　together　with　batter　（_mit　Teig　zusammengekleistert_）；　which　create　protuberance　enough。　　Thus　do　the　two　sexes　vie　with　each　other　in　the　art　of　Decoration；　and　as　usual　the　stronger　carries　it。〃
  Our　Professor；　whether　he　have　humor　himself　or　not；　manifests　a　certain　feeling　of　the　Ludicrous；　a　sly　observance　of　it　which；　could　emotion　of　any　kind　be　confidently　predicated　of　so　still　a　man；　we　might　call　a　real　love。　　None　of　those　bell…girdles；　bushel…breeches；　counted　shoes；　or　other　the　like　phenomena；　of　which　the　History　of　Dress　offers　so　many；　escape　him：　　more　especially　the　mischances；　or　striking　adventures；　incident　to　the　wearers　of　such；　are　noticed　with　due　fidelity。　　Sir　Walter　Raleigh's　fine　mantle；　which　he　spread　in　the　mud　under　Queen　Elizabeth's　feet；　appears　to　provoke　little　enthusiasm　in　him；　he　merely　asks；　Whether　at　that　period　the　Maiden　Queen　〃was　red…painted　on　the　nose；　and　white…painted　on　the　cheeks；　as　her　tire…women；　when　from　spleen　and　wrinkles　she　would　no　longer　look　in　any　glass；　were　wont　to　serve　her〃？　We　can　answer　that　Sir　Walter　knew　well　what　he　was　doing；　and　had　the　Maiden　Queen　been　stuffed　parchment　dyed　in　verdigris；　would　have　done　the　same。
  Thus　too；　treating　of　those　enormous　habiliments；　that　were　not　only　slashed　and　gallooned；　but　artificially　swollen　out　on　the　broader　parts　of　the　body；　by　introduction　of　Bran；our　Professor　fails　not　to　comment　on　that　luckless　Courtier；　who　having　seated　himself　on　a　chair　with　some　projecting　nail　on　it；　and　therefrom　rising；　to　pay　his　_devoir_　on　the　entrance　of　Majesty；　instantaneously　emitted　several　pecks　of　dry　wheat…dust：　　and　stood　there　diminished　to　a　spindle；　his　galloons　and　slashes　dangling　sorrowful　and　flabby　round　him。　　Whereupon　the　Professor　publishes　this　reflection：
  〃By　what　strange　chances　do　we　live　in　History？　　Erostratus　by　a　torch；　Milo　by　a　bullock；　Henry　Darnley；　an　unfledged　booby　and　bustard；　by　his　limbs；　most　Kings　and　Queens　by　being　born　under　such　and　such　a　bed…tester；　Boileau　Despreaux　（according　to　Helvetius）　by　the　peck　of　a　turkey；　and　this　ill…starred　individual　by　a　rent　in　his　breeches；for　no　Memoirist　of　Kaiser　Otto's　Court　omits　him。　　Vain　was　the　prayer　of　Themistocles　for　a　talent　of　Forgetting：　　my　Friends；　yield　cheerfully　to　Destiny；　and　read　since　it　is　written。〃Has　Teufelsdrockh；　to　be　put　in　mind　that；　nearly　related　to　the　impossible　talent　of　Forgetting；　stands　that　talent　of　Silence；　which　even　travelling　Englishmen　manifest？
  〃The　simplest　costume；〃　observes　our　Professor；　〃which　I　anywhere　find　alluded　to　in　History；　is　that　used　as　regimental；　by　Bolivar's　Cavalry；　in　the　late　Colombian　wars。　　A　square　Blanket；　twelve　feet　in　diagonal；　is　provided　（some　were　wont　to　cut　off　the　corners；　and　make　it　circular）：　　in　the　centre　a　slit　is　effected　eighteen　inches　long；　through　this　the　mother…naked　Trooper　introduces　his　head　and　neck；　and　so　rides　shielded　from　all　weather；　and　in　battle　from　many　strokes　（for　he　rolls　it　about　his　left　arm）；　and　not　only　dressed；　but　harnessed　and　draperied。〃
  With　which　picture　of　a　State　of　Nature；　affecting　by　its　singularity；　and　Old…Roman　contempt　of　the　superfluous；　we　shall　quit　this　part　of　our　subject。
  CHAPTER　VIII。　THE　WORLD　OUT　OF　CLOTHES。
  If　in　the　Descriptive…Historical　portion　of　this　Volume；　Teufelsdrockh；　discussing　merely　the　_Werden_　（Origin　and　successive　Improvement）　of　Clothes；　has　astonished　many　a　reader；　much　more　will　he　in　the　Speculative…Philosophical　portion；　which　treats　of　their　_Wirken_；　or　Influences。　　It　is　here　that　thc　present　Editor　first　feels　the　pressure　of　his　task；　for　here　properly　the　higher　and　new　Philosophy　of　Clothes　commences：　　all　untried；　almost　inconceivable　region；　or　chaos；　in　venturing　upon　which；　how　difficult；　yet　how　unspeakably　important　is　it　to　know　what　course；　of　survey　and　conquest；　is　the　true　one；　where　the　footing　is　firm　substance　and　will　bear　us；　where　it　is　hollow；　or　mere　cloud；　and　may　engulf　us！　　Teufelsdrockh　undertakes　no　less　than　to　expound　the　moral；　political；　even　religious　Influences　of　Clothes；　he　undertakes　to　make　manifest；　in　its　thousand…fold　bearings；　this　grand　Proposition；　that　Man's　earthly　interests　〃are　all　hooked　and　buttoned　together；　and　held　up；　by　Clothes。〃　　He　says　in　so　many　words；　〃Society　is　founded　upon　Cloth；〃　and　again；　〃Society　sails　through　the　Infinitude　on　Cloth；　as　on　a　Faust's　Mantle；　or　rather　like　the　Sheet　of　clean　and　unclean　beasts　in　the　Apostle's　Dream；　and　without　such　Sheet　or　Mantle；　would　sink　to　endless　depths；　or　mount　to　inane　limbos；　and　in　either　case　be　no　more。〃
  By　what　chains；　or　indeed　infinitely　complected　tissues；　of　Meditation　this　grand　Theorem　is　here　unfolded；　and　innumerable　practical　Corollaries　are　drawn　therefrom；　it　were　perhaps　a　mad　ambition　to　attempt　exhibiting。　　Our　Professor's　method　is　not；　in　any　case；　that　of　common　school　Logic；　where　the　truths　all　stand　in　a　row；　each　holding　by　the　skirts　of　the　other；　but　at　best　that　of　practical　Reason'　proceeding　by　large　Intuition　over　whole　systematic　groups　and　kingdoms；　whereby；　we　might　say；　a　noble　complexity；　almost　like　that　of　Nature；　reigns　in　his　Philosophy；　or　spiritual　Picture　of　Nature：　　a　mighty　maze；　yet；　as　faith　whispers；　not　without　a　plan。　　Nay　we　complained　above；　that　a　certain　ignoble　complexity；　what　we　must　call　mere　confusion；　was　also　discernible。　　Often；　also；　we　have　to　exclaim：　Would　to　Heaven　those　same　Biographical　Documents　were　come！　　For　it　seems　as　if　the　demonstration　lay　much　in　the　Author's　individuality；　as　if　it　were　not　Argument　that　had　taught　him；　but　Experience。　　At　present　it　is　only　in　local　glimpses；　and　by　significant　fragments；　picked　often　at　wide…enough　intervals　from　the　original　Volume；　and　carefully　collated；　that　we　can　hope　to　impart　some　outline　or　foreshadow　of　this　Doctrine。　Readers　of　any　intelligence　are　once　more　invited　to　favor　us　with　their　most　concentrated　attention：　　let　these；　after　intense　consideration；　and　not　till　then；　pronounce；　Whether　on　the　utmost　verge　of　our　actual　horizon　there　is　not　a　looming　as　of　Land；　a　promise　of　new　Fortunate　Islands；　perhaps　whole　undiscovered　Americas；　for　such　as　have　canvas　to　sail　thither？As　exordium　to　the　whole；　stand　here　the　following　long　citation：
  〃With　men　of　a　speculative　turn；〃　writes　Teufelsdrockh；　〃there　come　seasons；　meditative；　sweet；　yet　awful　hours；　when　in　wonder　and　fear　you　ask　yourself　that　unanswerable　question：　　Who　am　I；　the　thing　that　can　say　'I'　（_das　Wesen　das　sich　ICH　nennt_）？　　The　world；　with　its　loud　trafficking；　retires　into　the　distance；　and；　through　the　paper…hangings；　and　stonewalls；　and　thick…plied　tissues　of　Commerce　and　Polity；　and　all　the　living　and　lifeless　integuments　（of　Society　and　a　Body）；　wherewith　your　Existence　sits　surrounded；the　sight　reaches　forth　into　the　void　Deep；　and　you　are　alone　with　the　Universe；　and　silently　commune　with　it；　as　one　mysterious　Presence　with　another。
  〃Who　am　I；　what　is　this　ME？　　A　Voice；　a　Motion；　an　Appearance；some　embodied；　visualized　Idea　in　the　Eternal　Mind？　　_Cogito；　ergo　sum_。　　Alas；　poor　Cogitator；　this　takes　us　but　a　little　way。　　Sure　enough；　I　am；　and　lately　was　not：　　but　Whence？　　How？　　Whereto？　　The　answer　lies　around；　written　in　all　colors　and　motions；　uttered　in　all　tones　of　jubilee　and　wail；　in　thousand…figured；　thousand…voiced；　harmonious　Nature：　　but　where　is　the　cunning　eye　and　ear　to　whom　that　God…written　Apocalypse　will　yield　articulate　meaning？　　We　sit　as　in　a　boundless　Phantasmagoria　and　Dream…grotto；　boundless；　for　the　faintest　star；　the　remotest　century；　lies　not　even　nearer　the　verge　thereof：　　sounds　and　many…colored　visions　flit　round　our　sense；　but　Him；　the　Unslumbering；　whose　work　both　Dream　and　Dreamer　are；　we　see　not；　except　in　rare　half…waking　moments；　suspect　not。　Creation；　says　one；　lies　before　us；　like　a　glorious　Rainbow；　but　the　Sun　that　made　it　lies　behind　us；　hidden　from　us。　　Then；　in　that　strange　Dream；　how　we　clutch　at　shadows　as　if　they　were　substances；　and　sleep　deepest　while　fancying　ourselves　most　awake！　　Which　of　your　Philosophical　Systems　is　other　than　a　dream…theorem；　a　net　quotient；　confidently　given　out；　where　divisor　and　dividend　are　both　unknown？　　What　are　all　your　national　Wars；　with　their　Moscow　Retreats；　and　sanguinary　hate…filled　Revolutions；　but　the　Somnambulism　of　uneasy　Sleepers？　　This　Dreaming；　this　Somnambulism　is　what　we　on　Earth　call　Life；　wherein　the　most　indeed　undoubtingly　wander；　as　if　they　knew　right　hand　from　left；　yet　they　only　are　wise　who　know　that　they　know　nothing。
  〃Pity　that　all　Metaphysics　had　hitherto　proved　so　inexpressibly　unproductive！　　The　secret　of　Man's　Being　is　still　like　the　Sphinx's　secret：　a　riddle　that　he　cannot　rede；　and　for　ignorance　of　which　he　suffers　death；　the　worst　death；　a　spiritual。　　What　are　your　Axioms；　and　Categories；　and　Systems；　and　Aphorisms？　　Words；　words。　　High　Air…castles　are　cunningly　built　of　Words；　the　Words　well　bedded　also　in　good　Logic…mortar；　wherein；　however；　no　Knowledge　will　come　to　lodge。　　_The　whole　is　greater　than　the　part_：　　how　exceedingly　true！　　_Nature　abhors　a　vacuum_：　　how　exceedingly　false　and　calumnious！　　Agai