"wise folk condemn the steel within his stays":- "wise folk" here has moral overtones. Wise folk being those who disapprove of the vanity of the dandy's stays - reinforced with steel to give him the slim waist dictated by fashion.
"wise folk condemn the steel within his stays":- "wise folk" here has moral overtones. Wise folk being those who disapprove of the vanity of the dandy's stays - reinforced with steel to give him the slim waist dictated by fashion.