Manuscript of humorous poem 'The Chapter of Fashions | Written by T Dibdin' [Thomas John Dibdin], on the history of clothing and Regency dress, with variations from the printed versions, including an extra stanza.

2pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Divided into eight four-line stanzas, each with the same two-line refrain. The first stanza: 'Fashion was formed when the World began, | And Adam I am told was a very smart man, | As for Eve I shall say nothing more or less. | |But that Ladies of Fashion now copy her dress. | Yet barring all pother of this that & tother we all bow to Fashion in turn'. Containing witty references to the fashion for hunting boots and crops, New Bond Street, Tudor and Stuart clothing, Whigs and Tories. The poem appears to have been popular, as it was printed in various collections: attributed to Dibdin in 'Thespian Gleanings' (Ulverston, 1805) and printed anonymously in 'The Theatrical Banquet' (London, 1809), 'The Syren' (Newcastle: David Bass, 1816) and 'The Roundelay' (Doncaster: Thomas and Hunsley, n.d.), all with variations including the absence of the seventh stanza (about 'The Fashion of Fighting'), and the line 'And their Shoes were turn'd up like a Critical Nose;' printed as 'And their shoes were square toed, yellow worsted their hose.' Possibly written during the Peace of Amiens in 1802-1803, as the seventh stanza states that 'Peace is the fashion'. Although it is likely that the manuscript is in Dibdin's hand, comparison with an 1838 letter by him is inconclusive; the later hand is tighter and smaller, while this manuscript is a larger fair hand copy.