,,pogonologia ,,or ,a ,,philosophical and ,,historical ,,essay ,,on ,,beards4 ---------------------------- ,,translated from the ,,french4 ---------------------------------------- --- ,l'usage nous drobe le vrai visage des choses4 ,,montaigne4 ---------------------------------------- --- ,,exeter3 ,,printed ,,by ,r4 ,,thorn4 ,,and ,,sold ,,by ,t4 ,,cadell1 ,,in ,,the ,,strand1 ,,london4 ,,mdcclxxxvi4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,to ,mr4 ,b9999991 ,king's ,counsel1 ,deputy ,attorney ,general to the ,parliament of ,d9999994 ,my friend1 ,,to load the beginning of one's work with pompous titles is an honour that interest solicits and vanity easily grants2 but to place the name of one's friend there1 and dedicate the fruit of a few leisure hours to him1 is a homage so pure and disinterested1 that modesty need not blush at it4 ,receive then this small testimony of my attachment and esteem1 and allow me the pleasing satisfaction of publicly declaring1 how much ,i am1 your friend1 ,j4 ,a4 ,d9999994 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,preface4 8,,whatever concerns the manners and customs of a people1 says ,rollin1 shews their genius and character2 and this is what may be called the soul of history40 ,i am led to think1 that a picture of customs1 by presenting mankind with objects of comparison at a nearer view1 naturally flatters them more1 than facts or dates1 the multitude or improbability of which fatigues the memory1 or shocks the understanding4 ,this is the reason why we prefer the private life of a hero1 to the history of his great actions2 the one gives us a secret satisfaction in which self-love finds its account3 the other produces only astonishment4 ,the hero is too distant from us2 we admire him too much to presume to compare with him3 'tis the man we seek2 his heart2 his very weaknesses4 ',tis with still more eagerness we wish to examine his person2 this is the cause of our liking better to see the portraits of great men1 than to read their history4 ,we would fain touch the hero with our hand1 as one may say1 we would wish to enter into competition with him4 ,the knowledge of customs and ancient fashions forms a branch of literature which is not without its enthusiasts2 this is the favourite study of antiquaries4 ,among the histories of these usages of our ancestors1 that of the beard holds a distinguished rank2 and though at present1 from its little importance1 it is become an object of ridicule1 it has been held in high consideration in different ages and among different people4 ,never was there any thing like that caused so many troubles and so much ill blood3 the cowls of the disciples of ,st4 ,francis never occasioned so much noise4#a ,the beard1 which has been worn and highly respected at some periods1 and despised at others1 is become the sport of every witling4 ,this mark of manhood1 which was held sacred among the ,hebrews and primitive ,christians1 highly condemned by some popes1 and particularly countenanced by others1 has been successively considered by the ,roman church1 as an odious heterodoxy1 or the symbol of wisdom and ,christian humility4 ,like objects of great worth1 the beard never excited petty quarrels2 both its enemies and partisans were violent3 these anecdotes1 so strange in this age1 will not only amuse the reader1 but discover the character of the people1 the spirit of the times1 and the narrowness of the human understanding4 ,footnote #a3 ,during the pontificates of ,clement ,,vii4 and ,paul ,,iii4 there were long and warm disputes between the ,capuchins and ,observantins about cowls1 whether they should be square1 round1 sharp-pointed1 oblong1 c4 ,boverius1 the annalist of the ,capuchins1 wrote a geometrical work1 containing eleven demonstrations1 in order to fix the real form of the cowl of ,st4 ,francis4 ,wigs1 among the clergy1 have likewise caused terrible disputes4 ,the ,sulpicians alone have withstood this fashion with a laudable resolution4 ,mr4 de ,thiers wrote a history of wigs1 which1 as well as the history of cowls1 evinces the narrowness of the human mind1 and justly exposes it to ridicule4 ,o curas hominum6 ,it must appear a strange paradox1 perfectly shocking for crazy old beaus1 for priests whose beards are always shaved close1 in short1 for all those that compose the effeminate part of the human species1 to hear any one maintain1 that a long beard becomes a man's dignity1 and that it is beneficial to health and good morals2 his ideas must be very different from those of the present age4 ,this however is what ,i have presumed to do4 ,but whether the design of this work be serious or ironical1 it has at least the appearance of novelty2 and that's a great deal in this age4 ,to write an apology for long beards is to recall to men's minds their ancient dignity1 and that superiority of their sex which has been lost in ,europe ever since the fabulous days of chivalry4 ,this too is not the way to gain the good opinion of the ladies1 seeing that it's an attempt to diminish their authority2 but at the same time it is restoring1 in some respects1 the sovereign power to the lawful master1 and taking it from the usurper3 ,moliere says3 ,du ct de la barbe est la toute puissance4 ,power is on the side of the beard4 ,this is not very polite2 but when a man is determined to speak the truth1 it is often very difficult to be so4 ,to prove clearly that our priests are obliged1 not only by reason1 but by human and divine laws1 to wear a long beard1 is an idea that appears to me as singular as new2 but to employ methodically the most authentic and most sacred authorities1 to display erudition at every moment1 and to preserve always an air of gravity1 in order to support this argument1 might draw on me1 from my readers1 the reproach of having given too much importance to a subject that does not appear worthy of it4 ,i will freely confess ,i have been led away by my subject1 and that ,i thought it necessary to assume the tone of inquiry1 because most of the proofs which ,i shall bring to my aid1 are of a nature not easy to be reconciled to the spirit of irony4 ,but this inquiry is sometimes enlivened by diverting anecdotes little known2 and though my chapter ,of the ,beards of ,priests is longer and more loaded with citations than the rest1 ,i'm of opinion it will not be thought the least curious4 ,at the conclusion ,i have laid aside jesting1 and this perhaps may be thought the greatest defect2 in composing it ,i found it impossible not to be serious3 the gravity of the subject no doubt had an influence on my ideas1 and ,i will not attempt to say any thing in my own defence4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,table of ,,contents4 ,,chap4 ,,page ,i4 ,of ,fashion #a ,,ii4 ,of ,bearded ,chins #aa ,,iii4 ,of some shaved ,chins #cd ,,iv4 ,of ,bearded ,women #eb ,v4 ,that long ,beards are #eh salutary ,,vi4 ,of ,false ,beards #ff ,,vii4 ,of ,golden ,beards #gj ,,viii4 ,of ,whiskers #gd ,,ix4 ,of the ,beards of ,priests #hb ,x4 ,of the ,people that wear #aca ,beards ,,xi4 ,conclusion #acf ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,these changes have been applied to this text4 ,,errata4 ,page #a line #e ,for consider it1 read consider them4 ibid -- #aj ,for and1 read or4 -- #da note #bi ,for longuam1 read longam4 -- #ef -- ,after the ,imitation of the ,french lines1 read ,,again4 7,,by ,a ,,friend47 ,the reason why men should have beards on their face1 ,and that tattling women have none1 ,is1 the ,devil can't shave such a chattering race1 ,but he'd cut their glib cheeks to the bone4 -- #eh -- #ac ,for 8the course of her wise operations are never10 read 8the course of her wise operations is never40 -- #gd -- #ac ,for ,st4 ,clemet1 read ,st4 ,clement4 -- #hc -- #aa ,for weairng1 read wearing4 -- #hg -- #bb -- #hh note #ee ,for ,tertullion1 read ,tertullian4 -- #hi line #ae ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,,pogonologia1 ,or a ,philosophical and ,historical ,,essay ,,on ,,beards4 ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,,chap4 ,i4 ,of ,,fashion4 ,,if we were well persuaded that most new fashions are invented to hide some secret imperfections of the body1 or to satisfy the avidity of shopkeepers1 it is most likely we should consider it of less importance2 for1 if we seek the cause of these changes1 we find in general it proceeds from the ingenious ardour of a milliner1 the bad shape of some fine lady1 the long visage of a second1 and the broad foot of a beau parson4 ,the first woman that ever wore a fardingale wanted to conceal the indiscreet fruit of her gallantry4 ,this sort of hoop1 of a cylindrical form1 entirely concealed the waist4 ,in a little time all the ladies followed this example2 and every fashionable fair-one appeared as if her lover had brought her in the same situation as she that introduced the fashion4 ,the great large ruffs1 which looked like a glory about the people's necks1 in the time of ,henry ,,iv4#b were invented in ,spain to hide the hernia gutturis1 a very common disorder among the ,spaniards4 ,though the ,french had not this disorder1 they eagerly adopted the new fashion4 ,it is most likely the fear of being sunburnt1 or else that refined coquetry which conceals from public view what it means to raise a desire for1 determined the ladies to cover their faces with a mask of black velvet4 ,no lady was seen abroad without her mask4 ,tradition says nothing of the cause of this fashion2 but there is no doubt but ugliness and decrepitness invented another sort of mask1 which our old tabbies still continue the use of3 this is a plaster of white lead and vermillion1 laid on so thick1 that it represents much better the ruddy countenance of a drunken sot1 than the fine lively complexion of a beautiful damsel4 ,in the reign of ,francis ,,ii4 a tunbellied ,person of high rank turned the heads of all the ,french4 ,every body was mad to have1 not only a great belly1 but likewise a very large false rump4 ,at present1 our ladies have not revived the fashion of great bellies2 on the contrary1 it has been remarked that they have a great dislike to them3 but one of them1 who had a bad shape1 appearing with an enormous rump and hips1 all the rest would have false ones2 and all the well made women concealed their shape1 as the others did their defects4 ,footnote #b3 ,henry ,,iv4 of ,france was the contemporary of ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,t4 ,geffrey ,plantagenet1 count of ,anjou1 one of the most accomplished and handsome men of his time1 had the misfortune to have a large excrescence on the tip of his great toe2 in order to conceal this imperfection1 and walk easy1 he had some shoes made with points turned up of a sufficient length not to pinch him4 ,no sooner had he these shoes1 than every one was anxious to be like the count4 ,this fashion was so much followed1 and had such a run1 that the different degrees of rank were known by the length of the points of the shoes4 ,those of the common people were six inches long1 those of citizens a foot2 but those of gentlemen1 lords1 and princes1 were never less than two feet2 from whence came the ,french proverb ,etre fur un grand pied 7to be in easy circumstances74 ,these points to the shoes increased so in length1 that it was feared lest they should affect public order and the established religion3 sermons were preached and ordinances issued against them2 the clergy anathematized them1 and ,charles ,v4 expressly forbade their being worn4 ,thus1 every one appeared as if he had an excrescence on the tip of his great toe2 so likewise1 in most fashions1 every one seems desirous of concealing imperfections that he has not4 ,fashions have for a long time been considered as of great importance among the ,french1 and their neighbours have often reproached them with it4#c ,if a new fashion appear1 the whole nation is in an uproar3 all are infatuated1 mad3 every one is in a hurry to have it2 the contagion soon reaches all ranks2 they seem as if they could never be soon enough more ridiculous than they were the day before4 ,taste is out of the question2 'tis opinion alone that decides4 ,were the new fashion ever so silly1 not a word would be said against it1 because of this sole and powerful reason3 ,it is what is worn at present4 ,footnote #c3 ,baptist ,mantuan1 an ,italian and ,latin ,poet1 said of the ,french3 ----,cito mobile pectus ,cordaque largitus1 rerum sitibunda novarum4 ,another ,italian said1 about two centuries ago3 ,e ,natione la ,franceze che mai persiste ne sta ferme in una sorte d'habito1 ma lo varie secondo i caprici4 ,de gli habiti antichi moderni4 ,the motive that actuates people to be at the height of the mode1 is the vanity of being thought a person of consequence4 ,how many are there who are penetrated with respect at the sight of a fine coat6 how many are there who owe all the consideration they have to their outward appearance1 and who might justly say3 ,ah6 my coat1 how much ,i am obliged to you6 ,their whole merit is in their wardrobe2 and there is many a ,frenchman1 who1 had he but that to his mind1 would envy no one4 ,one sole form of a coat1 let it be ever so elegant1 would be insufficient to preserve the veneration of so many stupid asses2 their idol must be differently set off every day3 without that precaution their admiration would soon be over2 this perhaps is what most contributes to keep up the love of novelty among the ,french4 ,peter the ,great1 emperor of ,russia1 was struck1 when at ,paris1 with this national character2 not being much accustomed to see a variety of dresses1 he said1 on seeing a lord in a different coat every day3 ,surely that man is dissatisfied with his tailor4 ,why should we not have a dictionary ,of ,fashions8 ,surely it would be of as much use as many others4 ,the different denominations which we give them would not be the least entertaining part of the work4 ,among the names of old hoops we find the ,gourgandine 7the flirting hoop71 the ,boute-en-train 7the leading-mode hoop71 the ,tatez-y 7the groping hoop71 the ,culbute 7the flying-top-over-tail hoop71 c4 ,hats and shoes would likewise afford long articles4 ,then again there would be the great wigs worn in the reign of ,lewis ,,xiv4#d and which so much employed the attention of the courtiers and periwig-makers of that age3 not only the head1 but half the body was buried under this heap of curls4 ,it was then only the outside of a ,frenchman's head that was ridiculous2 now-a-days things are changed4 ,i would not have forgotten under the word canon the blunder of a ,german author1 who1 having translated ,moliere's ,prcieuses ridicules1 and intending to bring this piece out at one of the theatres of his nation1 was confoundedly puzzled how to explain this word4 ,it never entered his brain that a canon was a piece of muslin worn round the knee4 ,after maturely considering the passage1 he resolved that ,mascarille should have a brace of pistols in his pocket1 which he was to pull out when he asks3 ,how do you like my canons8 ,footnote #d3 ,the contemporary of ,charles ,,ii4 of ,england4 ,t4 ,the article of ladies' head-dresses would fill a volume entire3 we should find1 that1 in proportion as they have taken from their heads1 they have added to their hips4 ,the enormous hoop and the large high head-dress have alternately succeeded each other2 these last have lately sunk under their own weight1 if ,i may be allowed the expression1 in order to let the great hips and false rumps be in vogue4 ,the ladies are determined not to lose any of their bulk1 so much are they persuaded that their merit is in proportion to the space they occupy in the world4 ,in one of those revolutions which ladies' heads have suffered1 a lady wrote to her friend as follows4 ,many a short beauty complains and grows hot2 ,and to add to her height1 on consulting the stars1 ,learns from them that by raising the pattens she wears1 ,she'll recover the loss felt by low'ring her top4 ,so much for the mode ,which 7however absurd7 ,sets all ,paris ,ladies in motion1 ,but the men's heads are still ,the same 7if they will7 ,as they were3 not the least variation4#e ,footnote #e3 ,letter from the ,lady of ,lassay to the ,duchess of ----4 ,fashion and etiquette are nearly allied2 but they must not be confounded3 etiquette is as stable as the other is changeable4 ,the motives that produce them are not the same2 the one springs from self-love1 the other from affectation4 ,etiquette seems to have been invented by a desire to govern1 and fashion by a wish to please4 ,therefore1 the former is much better observed by people of ripe years1 and the latter by young ones4 ,if etiquette is lasting and fashion unstable1 this definition comprehends probably the sole cause of it4 ,people change the make and colour of their dress twenty times in a year2 fashion may be looked upon as their play thing2 but the laws of etiquette return as constantly as the season4 ,though it is often cold at ,whitsunday1 taffeties must be put on2 and at ,all-saints day1 though it is sometimes very hot1 every body puts on satins and velvets1 and no one is seen without a muff4 ,at court1 among the great1 etiquette reigns despotically2 and its power diminishes according to the distance from the centre of sovereignty4 ,the unambitious man1 living at his ease on a moderate fortune1 has only a sufficient acquaintance with etiquette to turn it into ridicule2 while the man who aims at consideration1 or any kind of power1 submits to its laws1 and often sacrifices his reason to it4 ,there are several states of life in which etiquette gives a consequence to him who follows it4 ,a tradesman1 for instance1 to appear as he ought1 should have his head shaved and wear a round wig2 physicians and surgeons too should do the same4 ,who1 in this enlightened age1 would put the least confidence in a physician who wears his own hair1 were it the finest in the world8 ,a wig1 certainly1 can't give him science1 but it gives him the appearance1 and that is every thing now-a-days4#f ,footnote #f3 ,strip a physician of his wig1 gold headed cane1 ruffles1 and diamond ring3 what will he have left8 ,fashion1 while it vivifies commerce1 encourages luxury4 ,these are the two sides on which it should be politically viewed2 it brings together the different conditions of society1 which birth or opinion had separated4 ,this is a moral good perhaps2 but it confounds ranks1 7which common honesty is interested in distinguishing17 by not leaving the smallest difference between a woman of virtue and a frail sister4 ,in days of yore these two conditions so very different were kept distinct by sumptuary laws4 ,in #adbj1 prostitutes were forbidden1 by a sentence of the parliament of ,paris1 to wear gold girdles1 which was the characteristical ornament of good morals4 ,i'm led to think1 it would be impossible now-a-days to put such a law into execution1 because it is as difficult to distinguish a virtuous woman1 by her manner1 from a frail sister1 as to draw a just line of demarcation between two states4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,,ii4 ,of ,,bearded ,,chins4 ,,when ,i take a review of the most respectable relations of antiquity1 of those celebrated heroes1 and the number of wise and learned men that have made ,rome and ,greece famous1 ,i feel myself penetrated with that admiration and respect which things sacred inspire2 but when ,i figure to myself the noble aspect of these great men1 when ,i perceive on their venerable faces that air of gravity1 that character of virtues1 which their long beards express1 my imagination catches fire2 they no longer appear to me as men1 but ,gods to whom we should bow down4 ,such is the marvellous effect which this ornament of manhood has produced in all ages4 ,even now1 that our effeminate customs so justly paint the faculties of our souls1 the sight of a long beard still commands respect4#g ,footnote #g3 ,at the last procession of ,captives1 at ,paris in #aghe1 the manly1 noble air of those that wore long beards was greatly admired2 nevertheless1 these were slaves4 ,it has always been esteemed in all nations2 those people1 to whom nature1 too sparing of her favours1 has denied this characteristical mark of our sex1 the ,laplander1 the ,japonese1 and especially the ,american1 whose beardless chins made people doubt a long time if they were men1 are sensible of the imperfection of their constitution and temperature of body4 ,the ,chinese regard the ,europeans as the first people on earth1 on account of their thick beards2 and though nature has been so sparing to them in this mark of virility1 yet they are particularly attentive in cherishing what little they have4 ,both the ,lacedemonians#h and ,egyptians have considered it as a mark of wisdom4 ,in order to obtain a favour among the ,greeks1 it was only to touch the beard of him that could grant it1 to insure success4#i ,footnote #h3 ,nicander replied to some-one who asked him why the ,lacedemonians wore long hair and let their beards grow out3 ,because1 said he1 it's the finest ornament that a man can wear1 and which costs least and becomes him most4 ,,plutarch4 ,footnote #i3 ,antiquis ,grci in supplicanda mentum attingere mos erat4 ,,plin4 lib4 ii4 cap4 #de4 ,the beard was not solely the mark of philosophy1 but became likewise the pledge of the most sacred oaths and promises4 ,it has been sometimes the object of the gravest discussions and most particular attention of a number of learned men2 nay1 most of the legislators of the world have not thought it beneath their notice4 ,the most celebrated ancient writers1 and several modern ones1 have spoken honourably of the finest beards of antiquity4 ,homer speaks highly of the white beard of ,nestor and that of old king ,priam4 ,virgil describes ,mezentius's to us1 which was so thick and long as to cover all his breast2 ,chrysippus praises the noble beard of ,timothy1 a famous player on the flute4 ,pliny the younger tells us of the white beard of ,euphrates1 a ,syrian philosopher2 and he takes pleasure in relating the respect mixed with fear with which it inspired the people4 ,plutarch speaks of the long1 white beard of an old ,laconian1 who1 being asked why he let it grow so1 replied3 ',tis1 that1 seeing continually my white beard1 ,i may do nothing unworthy of its whiteness4 ,strabo relates1 that the ,indian philosophers1 the ,gymnosophists1 were particularly attentive to make the length of their beards contribute to captivate the veneration of the people4 ,diodorus1 after him1 gives a very particular and circumstantial history of the beards of the ,indians4 ,juvenal does not forget that of ,antilocus1 the son of ,nestor4 ,fenelon1 in describing a priest of ,apollo in all his magnificence1 tells us1 that he had a white beard down to his girdle4 ,but ,perseus seems to outdo all these authors3 this poet was so convinced that a beard was the symbol of wisdom1 that he thought he could not bestow a greater encomium on the divine ,socrates1 than by calling him the bearded master1 ,magistrum barbatum4 ,several other writers have treated of this subject4 ,voltaire often touches on it in his voluminous writings4 ,the author of the ,modes franoises has bestowed many pages on it2 the learned ,don ,calmet has not thought this subject beneath his attention1 on which he has written a particular work1 intituled ,histoire de la barbe de l'homme4 ,the ,italians have a modern work1 intitled3 ,barbalogia del ,caval4 ,valeriano ,vanetti1 #agfj4 ,this ,vanetti1 after giving an account of the revolutions which beards have undergone1 enters into a very learned and serious dissertation on the various manners in which they were worn among the ,hebrews1 ,greeks1 and ,romans2 but the most obscure and least authenticated part of his work is that where he warmly maintains1 against ,van-,helmont1 that ,adam was created with a beard on his chin4 ,i readily confess ,i have not carried my inquiries so far into remote antiquity4 ,in the #afth century there were a great number of works published on the beard1 of which ,i shall have occasion to speak in another place4 ,but the most extraordinary account in the history of beards is that given by ,titus ,livius4 ,infinitely better than the eloquence of a ,demosthenes or the courage of an ,alexander could have done1 did the beard suspend on a sudden the ferocity of a people of barbarians thirsty of the blood of their enemies4 ,the ,gauls1 commanded by ,brennus1 had just taken ,rome by assault4#aj ,the senators1 sitting1 each at the door of his house1 in their curule chairs1 awaited death with that coolness and resolution so natural to these high spirited republicans4 ,their majestic looks and long white beards so astonished these fierce conquerors1 that their rage for carnage gave place to admiration3 all of a sudden they were struck motionless with astonishment2 their arms fell from their hands4 ,the ,romans however continuing to preserve a grave and silent countenance1 a ,gaul1 enraged to see the slaughter suspended by the sight of a long beard1 boldly advanced1 7as if to break the spell which deprived his countrymen of their wonted fierceness7 and laid hold of that of an old man1 who1 shocked at the soldier's audacity1 knocked him on the head with his ivory rod4 ,this stroke of the ivory rod destroyed the illusion1 and became the signal of the massacre4#aa ,footnote #aj3 ,anno #cfe4 ,footnote #aa3 ,ex ,livio1 ,decade #ao4 lib4 #e4 ,the beard was likewise very much esteemed among the old ,romans2 and even when they adopted1 through effeminacy1 the custom of shaving1 they preserved the most religious respect for this mark of manhood4 ,the first shaving of a young man was done with the greatest ceremony1 and these first fruits of the chin were carefully collected in a gold or silver box1 in order to be afterwards presented to some ,god1 as a tribute of youth2 this pious offering was mostly made to ,jupiter ,capitolinus4 ,while the ,gauls were under the sovereignty of the ,romans1 none but the nobles and ,christian priests were permitted to wear long beards4 ,the ,franks having made themselves masters of ,gaul1 assumed the same authority as the ,romans3 the bondsmen were expressly ordered to shave their chins1 and this law continued in force 'till the entire abolishment of servitude in ,france4 ,so likewise1 in the time of the first race of kings1 a long beard was a sign of nobility and freedom4 ,the kings1 as being the highest nobles in their kingdom1 were emulous likewise to have the largest beard3 ,eginard1 secretary to ,charlemain1 speaking of the last kings of the first race1 says1 they came to the assemblies in the ,field of ,mars in a carriage drawn by oxen1 and sat on the throne with their hair dishevelled1 and a very long beard1 crine profuso1 barb submiss1 solio residerent1 speciem dominantis effingerent4 ,to touch any one's beard1 or cut off a bit of it1 was1 among the first ,french1 the most sacred pledge of protection and confidence4 ,for a long time all letters1 that came from the sovereign1 had1 for greater sanction1 three hairs of his beard in the seal4 ,there is still in being a charter of #aaba1 which concludes with the following words3 ,quod ut ratum stabile perseveret in posterum1 prsenti scripto sigilli mei robur apposui cum tribus pilis barb me4 ,of all the people in the world1 the ,orientals seem to be those who have the most constantly worn long beards3 several nations shaved when in mourning1 such as the ,syrians and ,persians4 ,beards were1 and still are at this day1 under the controul of religious usages4 ,zingzon affirms1 that the manner of wearing the beard is an essential point in the religion of the ,tartars2 that they call the ,persians schismatics1 because they have abated their rigour to such a degree as to arrange their beards in a manner directly contrary to the rite of the ,tartars2 he adds1 that this dangerous heresy was the cause of a bloody war between these two nations4 ,all the world knows that the most dreadful oath among the ,mahometans is to swear by the beard of their prophet4 ,it is said in baron ,tott's memoirs1 that the first care of an ,ottoman monarch1 on his ascending the throne1 is to let his beard grow out3 the ,tartarian princes follow the same custom4 ,the same writer observes1 that sultan ,mustapha ,,iii4 was not satisfied with letting his grow out1 but that he stained it black1 in order that it might be more conspicuous the first day of his going out4 ,the princes1 kept prisoners in the seraglio1 wear only whiskers1 as likewise all the young people1 who don't think themselves fit to wear a whole beard 'till the age of maturity1 and this is what they commonly call becoming prudent4 ,several great men have honoured themselves with the surname of ,bearded4 ,the emperor ,constantine is distinguished by the epithet of ,pogonate1 which signifies the ,bearded4 ,in the time of the crusades1 we find there was a ,geffrey the ,bearded3 ,baldwin ,,iv4 earl of ,flanders1 was surnamed ,handsome-beard2#ab and1 in the illustrious house of ,montmorenci1 there was a famous ,bouchard1 who took a pride in the surname of ,bearded3 he was always the declared enemy of the monks1 without doubt because of their being shaved4#ac ,footnote #ab3 ,this ,baldwin1 in a charter of ,robert king of ,france1 in the year #ajbc1 is called ,honesta ,barba4 ,footnote #ac3 ,the singular quarrel which he had with the monks of ,st4 ,denis is given at length in my ,description des environs de ,paris1 under the article ,isle ,st4 ,denis4 ,this quarrel was the occasion of this family's changing their name from ,bouchard to ,montmorenci4 ,in the tenth century1 we find1 that king ,robert 7of ,france7 the rival of ,charles the ,simple1 was as famous for his exploits as for his long white beard4 ,in order that it might be more conspicuous to the soldiers1 when he was in the field1 he used to let it hang down outside his cuirass3 this venerable sight encouraged the troops in battle1 and served to rally them when they were defeated4 ,william of ,tyre relates an adventure1 which proves how much a long beard was valued1 and how disgraceful it was for a man of honour to be without one4 ,baldwin1 count of ,edesse1 being in great want of money1 had recourse to a stratagem as new as the success of it appeared to him certain4 ,he went to his father-in-law1 ,gabriel1 a very rich man1 and told him1 that1 being greatly pressed for money by his troops1 to whom he owed thirty thousand michelets1#ad and not being any way able to raise so large a sum1 he had been obliged to pledge his beard for the payment of it4 ,the astonishment of the father-in-law was so great at what he heard1 that1 doubting if he had well understood the count1 he made him repeat the terms of this strange agreement several times2 but being at length too well convinced of his son-in-law's inability to raise the cash1 the credulous ,gabriel bewailed his misfortune1 saying3 8,how is it possible for a man to find in his heart to pledge a thing that should be so carefully preserved1 a thing that is the proof of virility1 wherein consists the principal authority of man1 and is the ornament of his face4 ,how could you possibly consider as a thing of little value1 continued this wise old man1 what cannot be taken from a man without loading him with shame40#ae ,the count replied1 to these just reproaches1 that having nothing in the world that he valued so much1 he had thought it his duty to pledge it to satisfy his creditors1 and that he was determined to fulfill his promise1 if he could not immediately find the money he so much wanted4 ,the father-in-law1 alarmed for the beard of ,baldwin1 instantly gave him the thirty thousand michelets1 recommending him at the same time never more to pledge a property1 on which the honour of a brave knight depended4 ,footnote #ad3 ,a ,greek money of ,michael ,paleologus1 emperor of the ,east4 ,footnote #ae3 ----,qurit iterum3 ,quare rem tant diligenti conservandam1 argumentum viri1 vults gloriam1 hominis prcipuam autoritatem1 ita obligasset1 tanquam rem mediocrem ab homine sine confusione separabilem8 ,historia ,belli sacri1 lib1 ii4 cap4 #b4 ,a celebrated painter in ,germany1 called ,john ,mayo1 had such a large beard that he was nicknamed ,john the ,bearded3 it was so long1 that he wore it fastened to his girdle2 and though he was a very tall man1 it would hang upon the ground when he stood upright4 ,he took the greatest care of this extraordinary beard2 sometimes he would untie it before the emperor ,charles ,v4 who took great pleasure to see the wind make it fly against the faces of the lords of his court4 ,in ,england1 the famous chancellor1 ,thomas ,more1 one of the greatest men of his time1 being on the point of falling a victim to court intrigues1 was able1 when on the fatal scaffold1 to procure respect to his beard in presence of all the people1 and saved it1 as one may say1 from the fatal stroke which he could not escape himself4 ,when he had laid his head on the block1 he perceived that his beard was likely to be hurt by the axe of the executioner1 on which he took it away1 saying3 ,my beard has not been guilty of treason2 it would be an injustice to punish it4#af ,footnote #af3 ,bullart's elogy of ,more4 ,in ,france1 the wise and learned bishop of ,bellai1 ,john ,peter ,camus1 one of the greatest men of his time1 and one of the greatest enemies of the monks1 was likewise famous for a long beard4 ,when he preached1 he used to divide it into two or three tufts1 according to the number of heads his sermon was divided into4 ,a bishop of ,grenoble was famous in his time for the length of his beard4#ag ,mol1 the lord keeper of the great seal1 who had likewise a very long one1 having seen the bishop of ,grenoble's1 said1 ,now1 ,god be thanked1 my beard is under shelter4 ,footnote #ag3 ,one day1 this bishop let fall something1 when he was at table1 on his long beard4 ,one of the servants said to him3 ,there is a bit of meat on your excellency's beard4 ,the servant was answered3 ,why dost thou not say on the excellency of your beard8 ,what a number of beards should ,i have to celebrate1 if ,i had resolution enough1 to do it6 what a crowd of names of heroes and philosophers would come to embellish this precious enumeration6 ,you would be banished from it1 sages of the age1 who wish only to appear so in your writings2 shaved philosophers1 whose effeminate appearance always belies the glorious title under which you conceal the pusillanimity of your souls4 ,but you would have an honourable place there1 divine men1 the pride of ,rome and ,greece6 ,you1 adorable ,anacreon1 the patriarch of gallantry1 you1 worthy to rank with the longest bearded of the ancients1 who took care to let posterity know your pleasures and the beauty of your beard2 come and convince our age that this mark of virility is not the enemy of gallantry4 ,and you1 ,o ,adrian6#ah who1 of all the ,roman emperors1 were the first that brought in vogue this ornament of masculine faces1 your example is a proof that the introduction of a like usage is not beneath the greatest prince3 ,i would place on your head an everlasting laurel1 and by your side a ,french monarch1 your wise imitator3 the friend and protector of arts and sciences4 ,he thought the revival of the majesty of long beards was still wanting to his glory2 and1 in order to insure more certain and general success to this noble enterprize1 he1 as the first of his kingdom1 let grow out on his royal chin that hair which characterises vigour and majesty4 ,in this manner did chance favour the wise projects of ,francis ,i4 to restore an usage as ancient and natural as it was respectable4 ,footnote #ah3 ,adrian was the first ,roman emperor that wore a beard1 to hide1 as it is said1 some cicatrices which he had in his face4 ,his successors imitated him down to ,constantine1 who shaved4 ,beards came in again under ,heraclius1 and all the ,greek emperors afterwards continued the usage4 ,this prince being at ,remorantin at the count of ,st4 ,pol's1 twelfth day1 #aeba1 amused himself with several of his courtiers in attacking with snow-balls a house which the count1 with a party of noblemen and gentlemen1 defended in the same manner1 as is it had been a strong castle4 ,the national courage was equally conspicuous on both sides4 ,the vigorous attacks of the one party were followed by a still more vigorous defence from the other3 victory seemed to hang suspended between the ,greeks and ,trojans1 when all of a sudden ammunition failed in this second ,troy4 ,the besieged were filled with despair1 and the enemy took advantage of their confusion to storm the place4 ,the ,trojans were on the point of being overcome by their courageous assailants1 when captain de ,lorges1 having a little recovered himself1 resolutely laid hold of a fire-brand1 and1 ,hector like1 boldly advanced toward the enemy1 and threw it at random among the besiegers4 ,the ,french monarch1 who was climbing up among the foremost1 unfortunately received it on his head4 ,both ,greeks and ,trojans threw down their arms immediately2 an end was put to the play1 and every one was taken up with the wound of ,francis ,i4 who1 by this accident1 was obliged to have his head shaved2 and being desirous to recover on his chin what he had lost from his head1 he let his beard grow out1 and every body did the same4 ,the best establishments always meet with traducers3 the beard was not without opposers2 it had to fight at one and the same time against the usage1 against the prejudice and bad taste of the age1 and especially against the fury of the clergy and parliaments1 who1 as we shall see presently1 wanted in those days to make every body shave4 ,but the great and powerful enemies of this mode1 far from setting bounds to its conquests1 gave additional splendour to its triumph4 ,in a little time1 every body submitted to the yoke of the victorious beard1 and1 in the sequel1 a shaved chin was looked upon as a sign of turpitude and debauchery4 ,henry ,,iii4 king of ,france1 furnishes us with an example of the horror in which a shaved face was held in those days4 ,amidst the debauchery in which this prince was plunged1 like a second ,heliogabulus1 he carried things so far as to appear at a ball close shaved4 ,some verses of a satire of the poet d',aubign have preserved us this fact1 with the indignation it inspired4 ,they may be thus rendered in ,english3 ,henry was well versed in judging the dress ,of the w----s of his court3 of an intrigue not less3 ,his chin shaved2 his cheeks pale2 effeminate manner2 ,sard'napulus eye2 so much woman all over ,was he1 that one twelfth-day1 this doubtful animal1 ,without brains or consequence1 such appeared at a ball4 ,let us turn our eyes on a more flattering object1 and admire the beard of the best of kings1 the ever precious beard of the great ,henry ,,iv4 of ,france1 which diffused over the countenance of that prince a majestic sweetness and amiable openness2 a beard ever dear to posterity1 and which should serve as a model for that of every great king2 as the beard of his illustrious minister should for that of every minister4 ,it was in this golden age of bearded chins that those different fashions of wearing the beard called1 sharp-pointed1 square1 round1 fan1#ai swallow's-tail1 artichoke-leaf1 c4 successively appeared4 ,there were even ligue-beards4 ,art was often successfully made use of to give them graceful forms2 and the keeping of the beard in order was more expensive to the beaux of those days1 than that of the hair of our fribbles is now4#bj ,but what dependence is there to be put on the stability of the things of this world8 ,by an event1 as fatal as unforeseen1 the beard1 which was arrived at its highest degree of glory1 all of a sudden lost its favour1 and was at length entirely proscribed4 ,the unexpected death of ,henry the ,great1 and the youth of his successor1 were the sole cause of it4 ,footnote #ai3 ,at the time that fan-beards were in fashion1 says ,mr4 de ,st4 ,foix in his ,essais sur ,paris1 they were kept in that form by means of a wax preparation1 which gave the hair an agreeable odour and any colour that was desired4 ,the beard was set in order at night1 and in order to prevent its being put out of form before morning1 it was done up in a sort of purse made on purpose4 ,footnote #bj3 ,we read in the ,menagiana1 that a man very fond of his beard paid three half-crowns a month for keeping it in order3 on which cardinal ,campege wittily observed1 ,that his beard cost more than his head was worth4 ,the same thing might be said now-a-days of a number of head-dresses4 ,lewis ,,xiii4 mounted the throne of his glorious ancestors without a beard4 ,every one concluded immediately1 that the courtiers1 seeing their young king with a smooth chin1 would look upon their own as too rough4 ,the conjecture proved right1 for they presently reduced their beards to whiskers1 and a small tuft of hair under the nether lip4 ,the people at first would not follow this dangerous example4 ,the duke of ,sully never would adopt this effeminate custom4 ,this man1 great both as a general and a minister1 was likewise so in his retirement3 he had the courage to keep his long beard and to appear with it at the court of ,lewis ,,xiii4 where he was called to give his advice in an affair of importance4 ,the young crop-bearded courtiers laughed at the sight of his grave look and old fashioned phyz4 ,the duke1 nettled at the affront put on his fine beard1 said to the king3 8,sir1 when your father1 of glorious memory1 did me the honour to consult me on his great and important affairs1 the first thing he did was to send away all the buffoons and stage-dancers of his court40 ,the tuft of hair under the nether lip insensibly diminished1 and at length entirely disappeared4 ,this resolution caused much grief2 several complained bitterly1 and obstinately resolved not to follow the new mode4 ,le ,mercure of that period bears honourable testimony of the esteem in which the long beards were held1 even after their disgrace4 ,the following sort of funeral elogy is taken from that work3 8,the beard1 which is natural only to man1 is the mark of his virility1 and gives him precedency among his species2 'tis this token of manhood which adds a dignity to his features1 and gives him an air of gravity and modesty1 which makes him look full of wisdom40#ba ,footnote #ba3 ,mercure of ----1 ,a4 ,d4 #afgh4 ,neither the complaints of the one nor the elegies of the other were of any effect4 ,every body followed the court4#bb ,thou1 ,o celebrated ,mithon1 whose name merits an honourable place among those of the illustrious men of thy country1 thou alone hadst the resolution1 amidst thy shaved countrymen1 to let thy long beard remain1 and to preserve it entire till thy last breath4 ,may thy name1 ,o ,mithon1 passing down to posterity1 be always pronounced with rapture6 may the most famous ,academies propose thy elogy in emulation of one another6 and may it be repeated there1 in the most philosophical tone1 that thou hadst the courage to appear like a man amidst a people of beardless boys4#bc ,footnote #bb3 ,marshal ,bassompierre said1 that all the change he found in the world1 after passing twelve years in prison1 was1 that the men had lost their beards and the horses their tails4 ,footnote #bc3 ,the last that wore a long beard in this city was ,mr4 ,richard ,mithon1 bailiff and criminal judge of the county of ,eu1 who lived at the beginning of the last century1 and died about the year #afbf4 ,mercure for ,january1 #agcb4 ,thus ended the reign of the beard in ,france4 ,notwithstanding the prejudice which exists at present1 this mark of manhood has not lost its influence4 ,whenever a foreigner appears in ,france with a long beard1 he not only attracts admiration1 but likewise the confidence and respect of those that see him4 ,a ,genevese1 called ,liotard1 is an example2 he knew very well how to make an advantage of this ascendancy1 which gives an imposing appearance to people greedy of novelty4 ,he was a portrait painter1 and had lived three years at ,constantinople1 where his talents got him to be sent for by the grand seignior to come to the seraglio to draw the pictures of the sultanesses3 he followed the dress of the ,orientals1 and1 consequently1 let his beard grow out1 with as much less reluctancy1 as it hid the deformity of his face4 ,on his return to ,france1 he resolved to retain his ,levantine dress1 and after this manner appeared at ,paris in the year #ageb4 ,he soon perceived that he had no reason to be displeased with his whim4 ,his dress and beard served him much better than his talents1 to raise him above the crowd4 ,it is easy to imagine the eagerness of the ,parisians for this extraordinary man4 ,the infatuation was universal2 his name soon reached the court1 where he was sent for at length to draw the portraits of the late king and the royal family1 and where1 in a short time1 he made his fortune4 ,his talents1 less astonishing than his dress1 did not consist in the beauty of the colouring1 but in the art of taking the most striking likenesses4 ,the marchioness of ,pompadour was hurt at the scrupulous accuracy of our painter4 ,as she gave him one day a hundred pounds for a portrait which he had just drawn1 she made use of these precious words1 which ought to be written in letters of gold in the history of bearded chins3 ,all your merit consists in your beard4#bd ,footnote #bd3 ,this anecdote was given me by a friend of the painter's1 who knew him at the time he wore his oriental dress4 ,he since adopted the ,french usage1 in order to comply with the ardent solicitations of his wife1 who was a ,parisian4 ,it was likewise through favour of a long beard that a young ,frenchman1 about ten years ago1 preached a new doctrine in ,arabia4 ,he assumed the name of ,arphaxad ,tinnagelli3 his quality was1 that of disciple of ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 on a mission in ,arabia4 ,his oriental dress and prophet's beard concurred particularly to gain him proselytes4#be ,footnote #be3 ,mr4 ,m----1 in his journey to ,india by land1 met this enthusiast at ,bassora1 the #aeth of ,august1 #aggj1 who asked ,mr4 ,pyrault1 the ,french consul in that town1 for a guide to conduct him through the desert4 ,he was returning from ,surat1 where he had resided sometime with ,mr4 ,anquetil de ,briancourt1 likewise a ,french consul4 8,this ,arphaxad ,tinnagelli10 says ,mr4 ,m---- in the manuscript account of his journey1 8is a young man of about twenty-eight years of age1 of middling stature1 and seems to have the ,lorrain accent4 ,he gives himself out for an ,arabian1 born at ,eliatiff in the gulf of ,persia2 he has written a romance1 in which he has not shewn a more happy invention1 than in his ,arabian name4 ,notwithstanding his beard and dress1 we soon discovered him to be a ,frenchman1 which he at length acknowledged4 ,having made himself pretty well acquainted with ,arabic1 he has written several things in that language1 among others1 a catechism called ,tinnagellique which begins thus3 ,who is ,god8 ,the truth4 ,who is his ,prophet8 ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau4 ,it was thought at ,bassora10 continues our traveller1 8that he had quitted his pranks entirely2 and1 on his promising to return to ,india and live as he ought1 ,messieurs ,pyrault and ,rousseau 7the ,persian1 cousin to ,j4 ,james7 made him up an ,european wardrobe3 he came with me as far as ,mascata2 but ,i could not get him any farther1 and ,i left him quite disposed to go and complete his mission40 ,there is nothing more eloquent than outward appearance1 especially among a superficial people4 ,why then do those1 who1 for the interest of their state or the happiness of their subjects1 are under a necessity of commanding respect1 neglect such powerful means8 ,the beard presents them with the most simple1 most natural1 and most persuasive of all4 ,with that mark of manhood our warriors would no longer look like women2 we should have venerable old men and priests more reverenced4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,,iii4 ,of some ,,shaved ,,chins4 ,,it is a disgrace to man to have the most conspicuous mark of his virility taken off2 to pretend that it becomes him to look like a woman1 an eunuch1 or a child1 is the height of folly and ridiculousness4 ,even if this truth were not constantly supported by the will of nature1 the opinion of all the most respectable characters of antiquity should be sufficient to establish it for ever among all nations1 and this is what ,i would fain persuade my countrymen of4 ,a shaved chin was always a sign of slavery1 infamy1 or debauchery4 ,diogenes asked those he saw without beards1 if they had not changed their sex1 and were dissatisfied at being men4 ,the loss of the beard1 among a great many nations1 was always accompanied by banishment4 ,all the fathers of the church exclaimed against this shameful abuse1 and always regarded a shaved chin as the effect of the vilest licentiousness4 ,the example of ,alexander1 no doubt1 will be alleged against me1 who1 before the battle of ,ardela1 had all his soldiers shaved4 ,i shall answer1 that he never shaved himself1 but constantly wore this characteristical mark of his valour1 and that1 if he ordered his soldiers' faces to be trimmed1 it was only1 as ,plutarch says1 for fear the enemy should seize them by the beard4 ,i know very well too1 that ,scipio ,africanus was the first ,roman who daily used a razor1 and that this mode was brought from ,sicily to ,italy by ,p4 ,ticinius1 who brought with him a troop of barbers4 ,but it is good to know1 as ,pliny very judiciously remarks1 that1 of all the nations that then consented to cut off their beards1 the ,romans were the last that yielded to this effeminate custom4#bf ,this proves nothing more1 than that luxury began to be predominant at ,rome1 and that luxury perverts every thing4 ,moreover1 these particular cases should be reckoned among transient errors1 which1 being dissipated1 give to truth an additional lustre4 ,footnote #bf3 ,plin4 ,hist4 nat4 lib4 vii1 cap4 #fj4 ,let us take a view of a period less remote1 which1 interesting us more1 will shew the value of a beard1 the disgrace of a shaved face1 and the mischiefs that have been the consequence of it4 ,in the beginning of the ,french monarchy1 ,clotarius ,,ii4 having a mind to appoint a ,governor to his son ,dagobert1 chose ,sadregesile1 a man very learned for his time2 he loaded him with honours1 and created him duke of ,aquitaine2 and the new duke spared no pains to instruct his pupil2 but it seemed the latter no more answered the intention of the king his father1 than the lessons of his governor4 ,the wild unruly character of the princes of those times must necessarily have submitted with difficulty to the will of master4 ,dagobert would not long endure the constraint which the duty of his education laid him under4 ,he considered reprimands as so many outrages4 ,hatred and vengeance took possession of his proud heart1 and soon broke out to attack ,sadregesile4 ,one day when king ,clotarius was a hunting1 young ,dagobert invited his governor to dinner4 ,the prince1 feigning during the repast1 to act without ceremony1 7say the chronicles of ,france17 presented him the cup to drink1 with three4 ,this was a snare which the duke of ,aquitaine never dreamed of4 ,he received the cup with a confident air3 and this was a crime4 ,and he1 who was deserving of punishment1 took it from his hand1 not as it ought to be taken from a person of great consequence1 but as it is customary to take it from an equal4 ,the author of these same chronicles1 who was not a contemporary however1 does not fail1 as may be perceived1 to condemn ,sadregesile1 for having accepted the cup1 and to justify ,dagobert who had presented it to him with three4 ,without doubt he did not observe1 in receiving it1 all the ceremony which the etiquette of the court in those days required4 ,this slight want of respect1 or rather this liberty1 was made a pretext by ,dagobert for revenge4 ,after having called ,sadregesile all manner of names1 and had him beaten by his servants1 the young prince1 hurried away by his rage1 without regarding the age of his governor1 or the authority with which he was invested1 not even his title of duke of ,aquitaine1 rushed upon him and cut off his beard with his knife4 ,some other chronicles which relate the same affair1 add likewise this bad treatment4 ,prince ,dagobert took him by the beard1 and with his knife1 which he held in his hand1 cut it so close1 that he cut off a piece of his chin with it4 ,the two authors1 who agree in relating the same affair1 were well persuaded1 that the abuse and the blows1 which the duke of ,aquitaine received1 hurt his feelings much less than the loss of his beard4 ,this is the reason of their laying more stress on the latter4 ,in those days1 says one of them1 it was the greatest affront and disgrace a man could receive1 to have his beard cut off4 ,clotarius1 on his return from hunting1 was far from applauding his son's conduct4 ,the king was greatly enraged4 ,the young ,dagobert1 to avoid the just indignation of his father1 fled for refuge to the chapel of the ,martyrs1 now called the church of ,st4 ,denis4 ,in vain did the king send serjeants to take him from thence3 the writers1 who relate this affair1 assert that ,god worked a miracle in favour of this young rebel2 they say1 that all the men the king sent were stopped on the road by a divine power4 ,be that as it may1 this miracle had no effect on ,clotarius2 for he never pardoned his son's cutting off the beard of his governor4 ,the king was so enraged1 say the same chronicles1 that he never forgave this offence4 ,it should be observed1 that what was at the same time a mark of infamy1 became1 in other circumstances1 the seal of confidence and fidelity4 ,when a sovereign took a vassal or an ally under his protection1 he cut off his beard4 ,this was a sort of adoption which conferred on the person the title of son4 ,the nobles of ,spoleta voluntarily submitted to this usage1 after they had refused to succour ,didier against ,charlemain2 they set out immediately for ,rome1 and came and put themselves under the protection of the pope2 and as a proof of their constant fidelity1 they left their beards in his holiness's hands4 ,this ceremony was looked upon as sacred by the contracting parties2 and when any one had promised to adopt another and to cut off his beard1 the greatest rascal breathing would be afraid to break his word1 and what happened to ,tasson1 duke of ,frejus1 is a proof of it4 ,gregory1 patrician of the ,romans1 being desirous to discharge a sum which he was obliged to pay the dukes of ,frejus1 drew the young ,tasson to ,oderzo1 a town on the borders of ,trevisannah1 under the specious pretext of adopting him for his son by cutting off his beard4 ,tasson came without suspicion2 but he was no sooner entered the town with his retinue1 than ,gregory ordered the gates to be shut1 and immediately sent soldiers to attack him4 ,tasson1 accompanied by his little troop1 defended himself with great courage1 and killed a great many ,romans2 but at length he was overcome by number4 ,then the traitor1 ,gregory1 ordered the head of the young duke to be brought him2 and1 to prevent his appearing to have broken his oath1 he cut off his beard1 as he had promised4#bg ,footnote #bg3 ,pauli ,warnefridi ,longobardi filii1 ,diaconi ,forojulliensis1 de gestis ,longobardorum4 ,lib4 vi4 cap4 #aa4 ,the same usage had been observed a long time before2 but1 in the ceremony1 touching the beard1 instead of cutting it off1 was thought sufficient4 ,it was then held in higher respect4 ,clovis1 king of ,france1 sent deputies to ,alaric1 king of the ,goths1 to treat with him1 and entreat the favour of him to come and touch his beard1 and at the same time to adopt him as his son4#bh ,footnote #bh3 ,aimonius1 ,fragment4 de ,clod4 ,alar4 ,regibus4 ,the beard has met with its tyrants2 the ,latin church furnishes a great number4 ,charlemain deserved this title when he absolutely refused to let the ,beneventians have ,grimoald for duke1 unless he obliged the ,lombards to shave4#bi ,but no sooner was this same ,charlemain emperor of the ,west1 than he adopted the ,roman beard4#cj ,circumstances change every thing4 ,footnote #bi3 ,paul ,diacre says1 the ,lombards derive their name from the length of their beard4 ,he adds1 that1 according to the idiom of the country1 lang signifies longam1 and baert barbam4 ,lib4 i4 cap4 #i4 ,footnote #cj3 ,his beard is carefully preserved at ,spire4 ,since ,william the ,conqueror1 who robbed the ,english of their beards with their liberty1 history does not furnish us with any relation of this kind more poignant1 than that of ,lewis the ,young1 king of ,france4 ,this king1 in the war which he carried on against ,theobald count of ,champaign1 having taken ,vitri by storm1 burnt three thousand five hundred inhabitants1 who had taken shelter in the church1 says ,mezerai1 as a sacred asylum4 ,he soon repented of this cruelty2 and1 by way of making some atonement1 he1 at the instigation of the clergy1 consented to cut off his beard4 ,his austere deportment and shaved chin greatly displeased his young wife ,eleanor1 the daughter of the duke of ,aquitaine2 she murmured against this ridiculous custom1 and often reproached her husband1 with looking much more like a monk than a king4 ,if ,lewis the ,young's shaved chin had caused nothing more than the dislike of the young queen1 the mischief would have been trifling2 but several historians assert1 that it was the first cause of that inextinguishable hatred which has so long divided ,england and ,france4 ,the following is the account they give of it4 ,saint ,bernard1 spurred on by pope ,eugene ,,iii4 his old disciple1 took advantage of the religious disposition of the king of ,france1 to persuade him1 that nothing but the undertaking of a second crusade could appease the wrath of ,god4 ,the penitent monarch1 who had not hesitated to let himself be shaved1 was as easily prevailed on to depart for ,palestine4 ,eleanor1 whether through curiosity1 duty1 or to divert the uneasiness of mind which the continual absence of her husband caused her1 resolved to accompany him4 ,after the misfortunes with which this war was attended1 the devout prince met with one that affected his heart much nearer2 he perceived that his shaved chin had entirely alienated from him the affections of ,eleanor1 and that this wife1 expressing every day her liking for long beards1 listened with attention to the amorous assiduities of ,raymund1 prince of ,antioch1 her paternal uncle4 ,they add1 moreover1 that a young ,turk1 called ,saladin1 uncommonly handsome1 and endowed1 no doubt1 with a notable beard1 likewise made this princess forget the fatigues of this long and unfortunate campaign4 ,lewis the ,young returned from ,syria1 still shaved1 and1 moreover1 vanquished3 too certain of ,eleanor's infidelity1 in the rage of his jealousy1 he assembled a council at ,beaugency1 where1 spite of the prudent and pacific advice of his minister1 7abbot ,suger17 he had his marriage set aside1 under pretext of consanguinity4 ,eleanor1 six weeks after her repudiation1 married ,henry1 count of ,anjou and duke of ,normandy1 who was afterwards ,henry ,,ii4 king of ,england4 ,the ,french king saw with chagrin this new monarch1 his vassal1 in possession of his wife and the provinces which composed her dowry2 he declared war against him2 and this is the foundation of that destructive rivality which has so long troubled ,england and ,france4 ,who would have thought that the cutting off of a beard1 six hundred years since1 should have been the cause of a war the flames of which are scarcely extinguished1 and which not long since set a great part of our globe in blaze4#ca ,footnote #ca3 8,this woman 7,eleanor70 says ,mezerai1 8consummate in all sorts of wickedness1 lived more than eighty years1 kept up a war for more than sixty years1 and left a hatred1 between ,france and ,england1 which has lasted more than three centuries40 ,the ,templars1 that order of monks and soldiers1 who had the faults of both1 wore their beards like the ,orientals4 ,philip the ,handsome1 king of ,france1 thought it advisable to destroy these religious soldiers1 and to have a great number of them burnt4 ,their execution was preceded by cutting off their beards1 either to disgrace them more1 or to deprive them of that grave imposing air which it gave them4 ,soldiers and princes were not the only ones for whom a shaved chin was a mark of infamy3 philosophers and learned men have always abhorred these naked faces4 ,paul ,jove1 in his elogy of ,francis ,filelfo1 relates a trifling event which proves how much the learned of those days valued their beards4 ,a violent dispute arose between the ,italian1 ,filelfo1 and a ,greek professor called ,timothy2 the question was1 whether a certain ,greek syllable were long or short4 ,things were carried to such a height1 that ,filelfo waged a considerable sum1 and ,timothy his long beard4 ,the affair was at length decided4 ,timothy was declared vanquished2 and1 to save his beard1 which he had just lost1 he made ,filelfo very advantageous offers2 but the latter1 inexorable1 would have nothing but the beard he had won3 he insisted on having the unfortunate ,timothy shaved1 and retained the spoils of his adversary's chin as a monument of his victory4 ,when1 by an event which has been already related1 ,francis ,i4 introduced the mode of long beards into ,france1 the parliaments and all the lawyers stood up against this ornament so suitable to the gravity of their functions3 all the magistrates shaved1 while the young men of fashion1 and all the court1 appeared with a venerable beard4 ,this contrast in dress lasted longer than it ought to1 through the obstinacy of the lawyers4 ,the self-importance which they shewed in this sort of contest1 is one of those lineaments of character which the philosophical observer should not let escape him4 ,the rapid progress which this mode of long beards daily made1 soon alarmed the members of the parliament of ,paris2 they thought it highly necessary to stop the progress of such a dangerous usage3 being thoroughly persuaded that it was essential towards magisterial gravity to be constantly shaved1 they made a law1 in #aece1 commonly called in those days the edict of beards1 by which all magistrates and lawyers1 even litigants1 were absolutely forbidden to appear in the ,justice-hall with a long beard4 ,francis ,olivier1 a man of the court1 who was afterwards chancellor1 experienced all the hatred that the parliament had for long beards1 when he presented himself to be admitted to the charge of master of requests3 he was at first refused1 for the sole reason of not being shaved4 ,notwithstanding the pressing solicitations of our candidate1 the parliament was inflexible1 and ,francis ,olivier was obliged to sacrifice his long beard to his interest1 or rather to the childish prejudice of that court4 ,the parliament of ,toulouse distinguished itself likewise1 by pronouncing a decree which expressly forbade the wearing long beards4 ,a gentleman wanted to solicit in this court without complying with this unfashionable ordinance2 the parliament replied very seriously to him1 that he should have justice done him when he should be shaved4#cb ,footnote #cb3 ,,gentien ,,hervet1 de redend barb oratio4 ,there were neither attorneys nor counsellors in the sovereign courts of justice that could presume to appear in court on ,st4 ,martin's day1 with a long beard1 without incurring a fine2 and this was observed likewise in the inferior jurisdictions4 ,these are the words of a writer nearly contemporary3 he adds likewise1 that it was highly necessary to be careful how one came to present a request without being shaved first4 ,such-a-one would have been finely snubbed1 says he1 who should have come with a long beard to present a request1 so much so1 that whoever wanted to present one1 readily put his beard in his sleeve4#cc ,footnote #cc3 ,pogonologie1 ou ,discours factieux des ,barbes4 ,i am surprised1 says the author of this work1 at the ordinance of a certain magistrate1 who commanded all the millers of his district to cut off their beards4 ,an advocate at the parliament of ,paris was a victim to this rigorous antipathy4 ,they relate1 that having presented himself in the hall to plead a cause with a long beard1 ,peter ,lizet1 the first president1 ordered him1 in open court1 to cut it off immediately1 or else the parliament would refuse to hear him4 ,the advocate was obliged to obey this tyrannical order4 ,tome #b4 des ,memoires de ,litrature de ,salengre4 ,fortunately1 these unmerciful enemies of bearded chins were unable to exercise their persecution but over the small number of people dependant upon them2 they would have shaved all the ,french1 if the nation would have let them to4 ,but this rage for disbearding insensibly died away1 and1 in a little time1 these enemies of toleration complied with the usage which they had endeavoured to proscribe3 so1 this sort of league among the magistrates against the beards of the ,french was attended with no disagreeable consequences4 ,things are very different when similar whims enter the brain of despots4 ,the two following relations will prove what ravages a razor in their hands may cause4 ,chardin relates1 that a minister of the king of ,persia1 a scrupulous observer of the law of ,mahomet1 wore in consequence a long beard which he had very white4 ,it was not the fashion to be so religious at the court3 the courtiers were satisfied with long whiskers1 which they could turn up under their ears2 but they wore very short beards4 ,the king was shocked that his minister did not follow this mode1 but obstinately persisted to wear a long beard4 ,in a drunken moment1 he sent for a barber1 and ordered him to cut it off immediately4 ,the minister1 who was obliged to submit to this rigorous order1 begged the operator not to cut so near the skin2 but the king1 perceiving that he was badly obeyed1 fell into such a rage1 that he ordered the barber's hand to be cut off immediately4 ,the czar ,peter1 who had so many claims to the surname of ,great1 seems to have been but little worthy of it on this occasion4 ,he had the boldness to lay a tax on the beards of his subjects4 ,he ordered1 that the noblemen and gentlemen1 tradesmen1 and artisans 7the priests and peasants#cd excepted17 should pay a hundred rubles1 to be able to retain their beards2 that the lower class of people should pay a copeck for the same liberty1 and he established clerks at the gates of the different towns1 to collect these duties4 ,such a new and singular impost troubled the vast empire of ,russia4 ,both religion and manners were thought in danger4 ,complaints were heard from all parts2 they even went so far as to write libels against the sovereign2 but he was inflexible1 and1 at that time1 powerful4 ,even the fatal scenes of ,st4 ,bartholomew were renewed against these unfortunate beards1 and the most unlawful violences were publicly exercised4 ,the razor and scissars were every where made use of4 ,a great number1 to avoid these cruel extremities1 obeyed with reluctant sighs4 ,some of them carefully preserved the sad trimmings of their chins1 and1 in order to be never separated from these dear locks1 ordered that they should be placed with them in their coffins4 ,oh6 ,peter the ,great1 ,john ,james was very right1 you did not possess true genius6#ce ,footnote #cd3 ,the priests and peasants of ,russia still wear their beards4 ,footnote #ce3 ,see ,du ,contrat ,social of ,john ,james ,rousseau4 ,voltaire has censured this assertion4 ,example1 more powerful than authority1 produced1 in ,spain1 what it had not been able to bring about in ,russia without great difficulty4 ,philip ,v4 ascended the throne with a shaved chin4 ,the courtiers imitated the prince1 and the people1 in turn1 the courtiers4 ,however1 though this revolution was brought about without violence and by degrees1 it caused much lamentation and murmuring3 the gravity of the ,spaniards lost by the change4 ,the favourite custom of a nation can never be altered without incurring displeasure4 ,they have this old saying in ,spain3 ,desde que no hay barba1 no hay mas alma4 ,since we lost our beards1 we have no more souls4 ,well1 it's now a whole century since we wore beards4 ,have we gained by the change8 ,this well merits an investigation4 ,the ,spanish proverb1 which might very well be applied to us1 seems to account justly for our state of abasement4 ,if1 as a modern philosopher said1 stupor reigns1 it is1 no doubt1 because we no longer wear our beards4 ,but let us console ourselves2 the source of these evils is nearly dried up4 ,the fashion of long beards is on the point of being renewed1 an epoch which ,i pronounce to be nearer than people think4 ,all our present fashions and customs are nothing more than old ones revived1 and which will disappear in their turn4 ,the revolution is just at an end3 the rapidity of our changes has accelerated its course1 and a new reign is at hand4 ,you pretty fellows of the present day1 ,jemmy-,jessamy parsons1 jolly bucks1 and all you with smock-faces and weak nerves1 be dumb with astonishment1 ,i foretel it1 you will soon resemble men4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,,iv4 ,of ,,bearded ,,women4 ,a ,woman with a beard on her chin is one of those extraordinary deviations with which nature presents us every day2 as to those women who1 in order to pass for men1 have put on false beards1 it was in consequence of some particular circumstance3 that there have been others whose character1 seconded by nature1 made them regard a long beard as an honourable phenomenon for their sex1 must seem at this time more extraordinary2 but it would appear almost incredible that the eagerness of women to command should prompt them to make use of artificial means to have a beard on their chin1 and1 by this usurpation1 to dispute with man the symbol of his sovereignty1 and that1 to put a stop to this disorder1 the laws should have interfered1 if the authenticity of the evidence which we have left did not put it beyond a doubt4 ,it is ,cicero himself who gives an account of this singular law1 instituted to prevent the women's ever succeeding to get a beard3 they are expressly forbidden by it to shave their cheeks4 ,it is taken from the twelve ,tables2 the following are the words3 ,mulieres genas ne radunto4 ,let not women presume to shave their cheeks4#cf ,footnote #cf3 ,cicero1 de ,legibus4 ,lib4 ii4 ,if the abuse which was the cause of this law is one of the greatest encomiums on beards1 it presents us however with room for comparison4 ,the women of the present day are every wit as envious of commanding1 as those of whom ,cicero speaks2 but their means are very different4 ,it is beyond a doubt that the women of those days were very far from disliking a beard4 ,the ,venus of ,cyprus1 7whom the ancient ,greeks represented with a bushy beard on her chin17 seems to strengthen this assertion4 ,as to bearded women1 and those who have done themselves the honour of appearing so1 we have several examples4 ,in the cabinet of curiosities of ,stutgard in ,germany1 there is the portrait of a woman called ,bartel ,graetje1 whose chin is covered with a very large beard3 she was drawn in #aehg1 at which time she was but twenty-five years of age4 ,there is likewise in the same cabinet another portrait of her when she was more advanced in life1 but likewise with a beard4 ,it is said that the duke of ,saxony had the portrait of a poor ,swiss woman taken1 remarkable for her long1 bushy beard2 and those who were at the carnival at ,venice in #agbf1 saw a female dancer astonish the spectators1 as much by her talents1 as by her chin covered with a black1 bushy beard4 ,charles ,,xii4 had in his army a female grenadier3 it was neither courage nor a beard that she wanted to be a man4 ,she was taken at the battle of ,pultoway1 and carried to ,petersburg1 where she was presented to the czar in #agbd3 her beard measured a yard and half#cg4 ,footnote #cg3 ,russian measure4 ,we read in ,trvoux's dictionary1 that there was a woman seen at ,paris1 who had not only a bushy beard on her face1 but her body likewise covered all over with hair4 ,among a number of other examples of this nature1 that of ,margaret1 the governess of the ,netherlands1 is very remarkable3 she had a very long1 stiff beard1 which she prided herself on2 and being persuaded that it contributed to give her an air of majesty1 she took great care not to lose a hair of it4 ,this ,margaret was a very great woman4 ,it is said that the ,lombard women1 when they were at war1 made themselves beards with the hair of their heads1 which they ingeniously arranged on their cheeks1 in order that the enemy1 deceived by the likeness1 might take them for men4 ,it is asserted1 after ,suidas1 that1 in a similar case1 the ,athenian women did as much4#ch ,these women were more men than our ,jemmy-,jessamy countrymen4 ,footnote #ch3 ,greek3 ,pogonias1 sive de barb ,dialogus ,antonii ,hotomanni4 ,about a century ago the ladies adopted the mode of dressing their hair in such a manner that curls hung down their cheeks as far as their bosom4 ,these curls went by the name of whiskers4#ci ,this custom undoubtedly was not invented1 after the example of the ,lombard women1 to fright the men4 ,neither is it with intention to carry on a very bloody war1 that1 in our time1 they have affected to bring forward the hair of the temple on the cheeks4 ,the discovery seems to have been a fortunate one3 it gives you a tempting1 roguish1 pleasing look1 of which the ladies are very fond at present4 ,footnote #ci3 ,servants1 and citizens' wives1 who wore whiskers like ladies of fashion1 were attacked without mercy4 ,see ,trevoux's dict4 ,some wits have made themselves merry at the women's not having a beard on their chin like the men3 they pretended that it was impossible to shave them without bringing blood1 because it is very difficult for the fair-sex to keep their tongues silent a moment4 ,this thought has pleased so much that it has been put into ,greek1 ,latin1 ,italian1 and ,french verse4 ,here is the ,french4#dj ,footnote #dj3 ,see le ,menagiana1 tom4 iv4 pag4 #bjf4 ,sais-tu pourquoi1 cher camarade1 ,le beau sexe n'est point barbu8 ,babillard comme il est1 on n'auroit jamais pu ,le raser sans estafilade4 ,,imitated4 ,know'st thou why my dear companion ,ladies have not beards like us8 ,talking always1 who could shave them1 ,without gashing them the deuce4 ,,again4 7,,by ,a ,,friend47 ,the reason why men should have beards on their face1 ,and that tattling women have none1 ,is1 the ,devil can't shave such a chattering race1 ,but he'd cut their glib cheeks to the bone4 ,what has been rendered sometimes supportable by circumstances1 an extravagant taste1 the desire of being distinguished from the crowd1 or to command their attention2 true taste1 and especially the art of pleasing1 has always proscribed4 ,we meet with women every day whose features are shaded with this ornament of virility4 ,but very far from priding themselves on this superfluity of nature1 they regard it as a blemish to be ashamed of1 which they endeavour to eradicate4 ,how many brunetts especially#da are obliged1 in the secret moments of their toilet1 to make use of6444 ,but let us by no means reveal these mysterious operations2 they have a right to expect our indulgence1 as they tend to please us3 moreover1 a woman may very well be pardoned for correcting this deviation of nature1 since the men are not ashamed to disfigure her4 ,footnote #da3 ,the number is greater than people think4 ,we have at present a heroine whose dignities of warrior1 juris-consult1 man of letters1 and minister1 as well as a bearded chin1 concealed her sex a long time from her countrymen4 ,it is as ridiculous for a man to look like a woman1 as for a woman to look like a man4 ,however1 a man without a beard would be much less surprising now-a-days1 than a bearded woman1 which proves how unnatural our tastes and customs are4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,v4 ,that ,,long ,,beards are salutary4 ,,the beard has not only the advantage of giving a man a stern1 majestic air1 of preserving over the sex the empire which ,nature has bestowed on him1 and of displaying on his face the characteristical marks of his manhood1 but likewise enables the attentive observer to remark1 by more determined changes1 the different states of human life1 and gives him the still more valuable advantage of being useful to his own preservation4 ,nature made nothing in vain1 and the course of her wise operations is never opposed with impunity4 ,is it not natural to suppose1 that this bushy hair which she has placed on man's face must have an influence on the salubrity of the neighbouring parts that are acknowledged to be essential8 ,is it possible to think otherwise1 without accusing our common mother of inconsequence1 and charging her uniform conduct1 7which so fully explains its own motives17 with folly and extravagance8 ,how is it possible then for people to venture to thwart the wisdom of her intentions1 and destroy their effects1 without being afraid of drawing on themselves a superabundance of evils1 to which human nature is already too much subject8 ,this however is what we do every day1 in order to comply with a very unnatural custom4 ,the beard1 among men1 is the sign of puberty1 vigour1 and weakness4 ',tis this hair on the chin which first tells him that the time is come when his organs1 being more unfolded1 will procure him a new existence1 that he is entering the state of manhood1 that he is going to take his place in society1 and that he is endowed with the valuable faculty of begetting his own likeness4 ,this down on the chin is the same with young men1 as the increase of the bosom with young girls4 ,these two proofs of puberty announce1 in both sexes1 that sweet inquietude1 the prelude of love and pleasure2 those emotions1 desires1 and wants to be happy which nature has implanted in the human breast2 and at the same time the power of reason4#db 8,the beard10 says ,theodoret in his fourth discourse on the ,providence of ,god1 8informs these young folks1 who have this downy hair on their chin1 that it is time to leave off childish plays1 in order to employ themselves about more serious things40 ',tis then the greater or less quantity of beard a man has that determines1 in the same proportion1 the vigour of his body2 'tis then that ,nature1 steady in her course1 requires its increase1 and there is no doubt but our perseverance in thwarting her will1 injures the adjoining parts4 ,footnote #db3 8,it is at the time the ,devil is in a passion that the beard begins to bud2 and if ever a man has occasion to show some sign of courage or make some sensible observation1 'tis then his beard begins to come4 ,pogonologia40 ,if it is evident that a long beard1 by the equal heat which it maintains1 procures glandulous bodies a mild perspiration1 and that it draws away the humours intended by ,nature for its nourishment1 it cannot be denied but that1 the beard being cut off1 and neither the perspiration nor secretion having place1 the humours1 which ought to have produced both1 take a different course and become prejudicial to the parts through which they are obliged to circulate4 ,this is the sentiment of a very learned writer1 who has examined the beard under this interesting point of view4 8,it is incontestable10 says he1 8that a long beard contributes greatly to health1 because1 whilst it draws off the superfluous humours which nourish this mark of manhood1 it preserves the teeth a long time from rotting1 and strengthens the gums1 an advantage which those who shave are generally deprived of1 who1 almost all1 are tormented with a dreadful pain in the teeth1 and lose them all before they are any way advanced in age4 ,the beard1 in summer10 continues the same author1 8defends the face from the burning rays of the sun2 and in winter from rimes4 ,in short1 it preserves a man from a number of disorders1 such as the quinsy and the decay of the palate1 c40#dc ,adrian ,junius1 a physician who lived in the sixteenth century1 in his commentary on the hair of the head1 asserts that the beard is a preservative against several disorders4 ,gentien ,hervet1 in one of his discourses on beards1 relates1 that after the council of ,trent1 several ecclesiastics1 being obliged to shave1 were some time after seized with a violent tooth ach4 ,i may add to these authorities what ,i have been told by very credible persons4 ,a ,german gentleman1 having been a long time tormented with a violent pain in his teeth1 was advised to let his beard grow out1 and he was entirely indebted to this remedy for his cure4 ,footnote #dc3 ,pierius ,valerianus1 ,pro ,sacerdotum barbis4 ,the ancients seem to have been more sensible than we of the particular virtue of this ornament of manhood4 ,it was not without reason that they represented ,esculapius1 the ,god of ,physic1 ornamented with a bushy1 golden beard1 whilst his father1 ,apollo1 had a shaved chin4 ,this symbolical beard proclaimed to the ,greeks1 not only that they should wear their beards1 but moreover1 by the richness of its metal1 how necessary the beard was to their health4 ,it was not with impunity1 say several writers1 that ,dionysius the tyrant took away this golden fleece from the ,god of ,physic3 among others1 they regard1 as a chastisement for this sacrilege1 his being obliged1 through his mistrust1 to have his children burn his beard with hot nut-shells1 rather than trust himself in the hands of the barbers of ,syracuse4 ,the denomination which the ,latins give the beard proves that they were thoroughly persuaded of its preserving them from defluxions and other disorders to which the nudity of our chins is exposed3 they called it vestis 7clothing71 and investis 7without clothing71 any one not of the age of puberty4 ,as to us1 slaves to the odd customs which we have ourselves invented1 we are still very far from thinking that it is proper to look like a man4 ,a manly1 vigorous look is not fashionable1 and even health is no longer in vogue4 ,i see very clearly that the beard1 should it be again admitted in its turn1 may very well cause the destruction of some disagreeable customs1 among others1 that of taking snuff2 but1 in order to give an idea of this loss1 ,i will here place the sentiment of a contemporary on this sternutative powder4 8,snuff10 says he1 8gives a kind of slovenly appearance to those who make use of it1 and which they are incapable of avoiding3 their breath has a disagreeable smell1 their noses are almost always foul1 their clothes very often dirty1 their faces disgusting1 their tongues dry1 especially after sleep1 c4 ,but all this is nothing to the disagreeable disorders which the use of this powder produces2 and after the enumeration which ,i'm going to make of them1 people will be astonished still more that such a bad custom is not laid aside40 ,he then continues3 8,snuff is hurtful to dry1 bilious1 and hot constitutions2 it intoxicates and discomposes the functions of the brain1 brings on vomiting1 weakens the stomach1 irritates the nerves1 impairs the faculties of the understanding1 destroys the memory1 takes off all sense of smelling1 heats1 disturbs the sleep1 causes vapours and swimmings in the head1 and at length brings on an apoplexy or a lethargy40#dd ,footnote #dd3 ,discours preliminaire des ,tables nologique mtorologiques1 by ,m4 ,bazoux4 ,mr4 ,buc'hoz has just published a work on the use of snuff1 which corroborates this opinion4 ,if this account is just1 and we may be permitted to add to it the disgusting marks which this powder imprints on the beauty of the fair1 it must be confessed that great obligation would be due to whatever should cause it to be disused4 ,in ripe age1 the beard is the sign of physical powers3 in old age1 the symbol of veneration4 ,what sight is there more reverend than an old man with a venerable1 long1 white beard1 receiving the caresses of his grand-children1 the sole consolation of his burthensome years6 ,surrounded by his family1 he is the image of wisdom and divinity4 ,is there any thing more noble than ,nestor appeasing the rage of ,achilles1 lamenting the misfortunes of that division1 giving advice to all the kings of the camp of the ,greeks1 and seeing himself the object of general veneration8 ,where is there to be found a more striking example of majestic sweetness than that of the sage ,mentor8 ,is there a more moving picture than that of old ,priam at ,achilles's feet1 kissing the terrible hands of the murderer of his son2 and to see this venerable old man beg with tears the sad remains of the unfortunate ,hector8 ,all these different sketches may give some idea of the majesty and nobleness which a long beard and hoary locks stamp on the person of an old man4 ,but let any one fancy ,mentor and ,nestor shaved1 and old king ,priam without his beard and white hair1 having each of them a wig with three tails2 this allusion1 at first so flattering1 will disappear2 ridicule will succeed to respect1 and he will no longer see in these heroes1 but the figure of our neighbour the churchwarden1 the overseer of the poor1 and the auctioneer4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,,vi4 ,of ,,false ,,beards4 ,,the substitutes of art are to nature what hypocrisy is to virtue3 both are unworthy of an upright man1 who is no more afraid to discover the sentiments of his heart1 than the lineaments of his face4 ,but if1 as a famous moralist said1 hypocrisy is a homage which vice pays to virtue1 false beards should likewise be regarded as a homage which luxury or idleness pays to natural beards4 ,such impositions are more or less condemnable1 according to the causes from whence they proceed4 ,the old man whom ,theophrastus speaks of1 who1 in order to plead before the senate of ,lacedemon1 stained his beard and hoary locks black1 dearly merited the mortifying affront which a meanness so unworthy of his age publicly drew on him4 ,as he was debating his cause1 his adversary interrupted him1 and addressing himself to the senate1 asked what confidence could be given to the words of a man who carried a lie in his face8 ,towards the middle of the fourteenth century1 false beards came much into fashion in ,spain1 especially in the estates of ,cortez of ,catalonia4 ,this artifice1 which procured the advantage that a beard gives a man1 with much ease1 must appear much less strange among a people whose character has gravity for basis4 ,this mode was adopted with the greatest eagerness4 ,the same persons had beards of different forms and colours1 and could change them as they pleased3 they had different ones to wear holidays and working-days2 so that a man might have a short red beard in the morning and in the evening a long black one4 ,every one changed his appearance according to his interest4 ,such a commodious fashion and so much followed favoured however a great many misdemeanours2 and these chin-wigs would soon have been as much the wear as those of the head1 if the abuse which was made of them had not at length attracted the attention of government4 ,peter1 king of ,arragon1 expressly forbade all his subjects to wear false beards4 ,they disappeared1 and were replaced by natural ones4 ',tis a great pity this mode never got beyond the ,pyrenean mountains3 had it but reached ,france it would have acquired a degree of pre-eminence1 which the ,french alone are capable of giving4 ,however1 ,spain is not the only country where false beards have been in vogue4 ,about the end of the fourteenth century there was the largest and thickest beard seen at ,paris that ever existed perhaps in the world2 in fact1 it was the wonder of beards4 ,the man who wore it called himself patriarch of ,constantinople2 from his having such an extraordinary beard1 every one was inclined to believe his assertion3 so much power has appearance over the mind of man6 ,never was there a beard that raised such a sensation4 ,the ,parisians1 as may be supposed1 were unceasing in their admiration of it2 and it was through favour of his beard that this patriarch1 as he called himself1 received the most flattering reception4 ,he was every where loaded with honours3 and this astonishing beard1 which attracted the veneration of a whole people1 who were enraptured with it1 was nothing but a false one4 ,what a powerful effect of the majesty of beards6 but what a subject of comparison for our manners6 ,how many revered sages1 great geniuses1 extolled heroes1 and lords of high renown1 are like this beard6 ,it is some consolation however1 that the homage of the gulled citizens is always the satire of the delusion by which they were deceived3 the truth comes out sooner or later2 and then all the honour of it is clearly perceived to belong to some particular virtue or talent1 or a long beard4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,,vii4 ,of ,,golden ,,beards4 ,,men have1 in all ages1 thought to honour the objects of their regard1 or of their worship1 by endeavouring to embellish them4 ,but the means which they have employed1 whilst they do honour to their zeal1 have often given a proof of their bad taste4 ,because gold is so much valued among us1 we thought for a long time1 that nothing else could be truly ornamental4 ,luxury and devotion have both displayed it with profusion2 but riches do not constitute beauty4 ,what was intended to be decorated is in fact debased4 ,this abuse1 which reigned particularly in the times of ignorance1 has even exercised its power over the beard4 ,oriental pomp presents us at once with an example of this mistaken pride4 ,several potentates of those countries interwove the hair on their chin with gold thread and spangles4 ,it is not without indignation that ,st4 ,chrysostom tells us of a king of ,persia1 who1 in his time1 followed this ridiculous custom4 ,after reproaching the extravagant luxury of the fair-sex of ,antioch1 this evangelical doctor says3 8,if ,i should give you an account of a sort of luxury still more absurd than that of those women1 who wear gold in their hair1 load their lips and eye-brows with it1 who1 in short1 are covered all over with this precious metal2 don't think ,i want to raise a laugh3 what ,i am going to relate to you exists at this day2 it is the king of ,persia ,i mean to speak of4 ,this monarch is not ashamed to wear a golden beard2 all the hair of his chin is covered or interwoven with little plates of gold or threads of the same metal4 ,this prince1 with his face thus adorned1 looks more like a monster than a man40#de ,footnote #de3 ,johannis ,chrysostomi1 in ,epistolam ad ,collossenses1 ,comment4 cap4 iii4 ,homilia #h4 ,this is not the sole example of this ridiculous ostentation3 ,france1 which1 as all the world knows1 has furnished models of extravagance in so many different lines1 has not passed over this2 it appears even that it had a tolerable long run4 ,several historians agree in saying1 that the kings of the first race prided themselves in wearing a long beard all interwoven and set off with ribbands1 and enriched with spangles and gold and silver threads4 ,whether this mode subsisted from the time of the first race of kings1 or was brought from ,asia during the crusades1 it is certain1 that1 in the reign of ,lewis ,,xi4 there is another example of it1 which was followed only in imitation of a more ancient mode4 ,the continuator of ,monstrelet relates1 that1 at the funeral of the duke of ,burgundy1 who was killed at the battle of ,nancy in #adgf1 the duke of ,lorrain1 his vanquisher1 appeared with a false golden beard1 in the same manner as the ancient knights4 8,he was10 says the historian1 8dressed in mourning1 and had a long1 golden beard that reached down to his middle1 in commemoration of the ancient worthies1 and of the victory which he had gained over him40 ,i am of ,st4 ,chrysostom's opinion1 that a golden beard is a hideous thing2 that1 so far from the gold's heightening its natural beauties1 it only degrades them4 ,nature is like virtue1 it pleases without dazzling4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,,viii4 ,of ,,whiskers4 ,,there are no bounds for the objects that are subject to human fickleness3 every thing changes1 all gives way to the whim of fashion1 the beard is a proof of it4 ,this ornament of man1 which the ,divinity placed on his face to mark more particularly the different periods of his life1 and be the sign of the most precious faculties of humankind1 has not escaped the common law1 but been indistinctly subject to that of our capricious instability4 ,the beard1 which is the honour of manhood1 and what ,st4 ,clement of ,alexandria boldly calls the procreative beauty1 the ingenuous beauty1 has passed through all the degrees of increase and diminution4 ,whiskers are a sort of diminutive1 one of those intermediate states which preceded its triumph1 or defeat4 ,this modification of the beard1 spite of its feeble existence1 holds notwithstanding a rank in history1 and merits to be mentioned4#df ,footnote #df3 ,some authors attribute the honour of inventing whiskers to the ,arabians4 ,plutarch1 in his life of ,theseus1 gives the glory of it to the ,abantes1 an ancient people of the isle of ,euboe1 which we call ,negropont1 of whom ,herodotus makes honourable mention1 book i4 chap4 #adf4 ,as the ,abantes were a very war-like people1 they shaved all the forepart of their head1 in order that their enemies might have nothing to lay hold of in fight2 and at the same time they let their hair grow out on the back part1 to show them they were not afraid of being taken in flight4 ,recherches fur la barbe1 par le ,p4 ,oudin1 ,jesuite4 ,whiskers have been worn in war1 in order to fright the enemy by a terrible countenance4 ,this is what ,csar observed formerly in the ancient ,britons4 ,it is said likewise that the ,goths and ,franks shaved their beards1 all except the upper lip1 which they called crista4 ,the ,gauls1 intimidated at first by the appearance of their vanquishers1 admitted afterwards this custom2 and1 under the first race of ,french monarchs1 if we except the kings and princes1 who1 like the emperors1 let their beards grow out entirely1 the people wore only whiskers4 ,this1 without doubt1 is the origin of the custom which we have at this day1 as well as most of the nations of ,europe1 for soldiers to wear this ornament4 ,as a beardless face is a sign of puerility and weakness1 so is a bearded chin of virility and prudence2 in like manner whiskers1 which hold the middle between these two extremes1 announce youth and desires4 ,the ,turks and modern ,greeks are so convinced of this truth1 that1 'till the age of thirty1 they wear only whiskers1 an epoch at which they let their beards grow out entirely4 ,in every age1 and among every people1 it has received a different form2 but in whatever manner it was made use of1 or were the aim of those who wore this mark of virility1 it is beyond a doubt1 that when it is advantageously arranged1 and gracefully turned up1 it gives a stately1 vigorous1 fiery look1 which characterises the young man1 and is not displeasing to the ladies4 ,among the ,european nations that have been most curious in beards and whiskers1 we shall distinguish ,spain4 ,this grave1 romantic nation has always regarded the beard as the ornament which should be most prized2 and the ,spaniards have often made the loss of honour consist in that of their whiskers4 ,the ,portuguese1 whose national character is much the same1 are not the least behind them in that respect4 ,in the reign of ,catharine1 queen of ,portugal1 the brave ,john de ,custro had just taken in ,india the castle of ,diu3 victorious1 but in want of every thing1 he found himself obliged to ask the inhabitants of ,goa to lend him a thousand pistoles for the maintenance of his fleet2 and1 as a security for that sum1 he sent them one of his whiskers1 telling them3 8,all the gold in the world cannot equal the value of this natural ornament of my valour1 and ,i deposit it in your hands as a security for the money40 ,the whole town was penetrated with this heroism1 and every one interested himself about this invaluable whisker3 even the women were desirous to give marks of their zeal for so brave a man3 several sold their bracelets to increase the sum asked for1 and the inhabitants of ,goa sent him immediately both the money and his whisker4 ,a number of other examples of this kind might be produced1 which do as much honour to whiskers1 as to the good faith of those days4 ,when ,philip ,v4 ascended the throne of ,spain1 he found his new subjects amply provided with beards and whiskers2 he would wear neither1 though in other respects he adopted the customs of the country2 this gave rise to the mode of shaving4 ,these people saw with the greatest regret this dear ornament disappear from their chins3 even at this day they cannot recollect it without emotion2 this is what gave rise to this truly expressive proverb1 but which is a little too emphatical3 ,desde que los ,espaoles no llevan bigotes1 no tienen ,c----1 that is1 7paraphrasing what might offend the ears of the ladies37 ,since the ,spaniards lost their whiskers they are no better than eunuchs4 ,whiskers1 in ,france1 have been the object of the most refined luxury4 ,in ,lewis ,,xiii4's reign1 they attained the highest degree of favour1 at the expense of the expiring beards4 ,in those days of gallantry1 not yet empoisoned by wit1 they became the favourite occupation of lovers1 ,a fine black whisker1 elegantly turned up1 was a very powerful mark of dignity with the fair-sex4 ,the women of those ancient times1 less taken up with genius than the concerns of the heart1 and more learned in lovers than books1 made their glory consist in triumphing over a warrior1 or seeing a haughty1 swaggering lover humbly at their feet3 proud of such a conquest1 and jealous to preserve it1 these ladies had a sufficient value for their characters to continue faithful4 ,and if a favour was the reward of love1 it was often of merit3 in this case1 a woman had respect enough for a man to be sincere1 and a man had respect enough for his mistress to be discreet2 but now-a-days 444 what men6 ,the following relation proves how much the ,french valued their whiskers in the time of ,lewis ,,xiii4 ,count ,bouteville1 the most celebrated duellist of his time1 who was condemned to be beheaded1 seeing the executioner1 who had already cut off his hair1 going to take off his whiskers1 could not conceal the anguish of mind which this dishonour gave him1 and put his hands on these dear ornaments1 as if to preserve them from the outrage with which they were menaced4 ,the bishop of ,mantes1 who attended him in these last moments1 seeing this new uneasiness1 said to him3 ,my son1 you must give over all worldly thoughts2 what6 do you still think of this world8 ,whiskers were still in fashion in the beginning of ,lewis ,,xiv4's reign4 ,this king and all the great men of his reign took a pride in wearing them4 ,they were the ornament of ,turenne1 ,cond1 ,colbert1 ,corneille1 ,moliere1 c4 ,it was then no uncommon thing for a favourite lover to have his whiskers turned up1 combed1 and pomatumed by his mistress2 and1 for this purpose1 a man of fashion took care to be always provided with every little necessary article1 especially whisker-wax4 ,it was highly flattering to a lady1 to have it in her power to praise the beauty of her lover's whiskers1 which1 far from being disgusting1 gave his person an air of vivacity2 several even thought it an incitement to love4 ,it seems the levity of the ,french made them undergo several changes both in form and name3 there were ,spanish1 ,turkish1 guard-dagger1 c4 whiskers2 in short1 royal ones1 which were the last worn3 their smallness proclaimed their approaching fall4 ,since that period1 whiskers have been worn only at the theatres and by some of our troops2 besides1 they are less liked in ,france than among the other nations1 where it is very common to see all the officers with them4 ,the man1 who should be so bold as to wear whiskers first1 would be a zealous citizen and a friend to true personal beauty4 ,what glory would not this courageous mortal gain1 who1 braving the present effeminate custom1 should restore our faces the ancient mark of our valour6 ,he would bring back to his country that openness and sincerity of character which distinguished it from other nations1 and would merit an honourable place among the worthies who were formerly the honour of ,france4 8,i have a good opinion of a gentleman curious in having fine whiskers10 said an author of the last century2 8the time which he passes in dressing them is no time lost2 for the more he admires them1 the more his mind will be fed and entertained with manly1 courageous ideas40#dg ,whiskers then have the power of giving energy and valour to the mind4 ,ah6 ,frenchmen1 you lost every thing when you lost your whiskers4 ,footnote #dg3 ,elemens d'education1 printed in #afdj4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,,ix4 ,of the ,,beards of ,,priests4 ,,among the dignities that ought1 by an imposing appearance1 to gain the confidence and veneration of the people1 the priesthood holds the first rank4 ,the minister of divinity1 too often obliged to speak before a crowd of ignorant people1 has need particularly that all the delusion of pompous raiment shall accompany him to the foot of the altar2 but this sacred magnificence1 whilst it forsakes frivolousness and vulgar luxury1 should approach nearer to nature1 and be more like that respectable image of antiquity4 ,is there an ornament to be found that more perfectly unites all these advantages8 is there one that is less far-fetched1 that brings us nearer the first ages1 that gives a man a more stern1 more grave1 or more venerable look1 and1 consequently1 is there one that more becomes the priesthood1 than the majesty of a long beard8 ,were ,i to join to these clear reasons a faithful history of facts1 supported by authentic precepts1 sacred laws1 the opinions and examples of a number of divine men1 and1 in short1 come to demonstrate the absolute obligation under which our priests are1 of wearing beards1 ,i should unfold a truth not less interesting than unexpected4 ,i might call to my aid the example of the priests of foreign religions1 and point out1 in the books of their dogmas1 evidences of the honours paid to this mark of virility2 ,i could cite a number of historical monuments1 which attest1 that all the nations of the world agree in looking on the beard as the ornament most seemly for an interpreter of the will of heaven2 but ,i have no occasion for these foreign aids3 it is our own religion that shall furnish me with arms against the effeminate abuse which degrades its ministers4 ,if ,i open at hazard the old testament1 ,i every where find proofs of this truth4 ,it is there written how ,god threatened1 his chosen people several times1 by the mouths of his prophets1 that he would have their chins ignominiously shaved2 which was then a disgrace inseparable from slavery4#dh ,david saw nothing more respectable in a man's outward appearance than his beard3 this is what made this psalmist king speak so honourably of that of the high priest ,aaron1#di and think that nothing less than streams of blood could wash away the insult which had been offered the beards of some of his subjects4 ,footnote #dh3 ,see ,isaiah1 chap4 vii4 v4 #bj2 ibid4 chap4 xv4 v4 #b3 ,jeremiah1 chap4 xlviii4 v4 #cg3 ,revelations xiv3 ,sam4 xix4 c4 ,footnote #di3 ,see the cxxxii ,psalm4 ,sicut unguentum in capite quod descendit in barbam1 barbam ,aaron4 ,tertullian1 in his book de ,pallio1 has explained the expressions of this ,psalm very favourably for the beard4 ,see likewise ,saint ,ambrose1 lib4 de initiand4 cap4 #f4 ,at the council of ,basil1 held in #adcc1 ,henry ,kalteisen made a long commentary on this subject4 ,sauveur1 archbishop of ----1 made a speech at the council of ,trent1 which ran almost wholly on ,aaron's beard4 ,we read in the ,paralipomenon1 that this prince sent ambassadors to ,hanon1 king of the ,ammonites1 to console him for the death of his father ,naas2 that this king1 having been persuaded that these ambassadors were spies1 had them all secured1 and sent them back1 after having had half their garments and half their beards cut off4 ,on these news1 ,david was greatly enraged2 and in order that his envoys might avoid the disagreement of appearing at court in this disgraceful situation1 he sent them word to stop at ,jericho 'till their beards were grown out to their ordinary length2 after which he marched against the ,annmonites1 and1 in two bloody battles1 destroyed seven thousand of their chariots1 killed ,sophach1 their general1 and forty thousand foot1 and thus avenged the insult offered his ambassadors4#ej ,footnote #ej3 ,see the ,vatable ,bible1 liber ,paralipomenon1 cap4 xix4 ,this massacre1 though it had no other object than the cutting off of a part of some beards will appear neither unjust nor cruel1 if we consider how much this ornament of virility was honoured among the ,jews1 and especially when it is known that there is a law in ,leviticus1 which expressly forbids to cut off any part of it4 ,god himself1 before all his chosen people assembled1 was pleased1 by the means of ,moses1 to explain his intentions with regard to this decoration of the face of man4 ,this law does not solely forbid shaving the chin1 as the vulgar translation of the bible says1 which would insinuate that the ,hebrews had already made use of this effeminate custom2 but1 according to all the best versions of this holy book1 we read3 ,don't marr the corners of your beards1 that is1 let them grow naturally4#ea ,footnote #ea3 ,see the same ,vatable ,bible1 ,leviticus chap4 xix4 verse #bg4 ,non attondebitis in circuitum comam capitis vestri1 neque dissipabitis extremitatem barb tu4 ,no precept nor other law whatsoever has since altered this4 ,the divine legislator of our religion1 far from changing it1 respected it so much1 that he submitted to it himself2 the ,apostles1 and all the most holy and respectable followers of the ,christian worship1 have warmly supported the necessity of wearing a beard2 but the purity of precepts1 the simplicity of manners1 and humble poverty1 have disappeared with the times4 ,we have rich pluralists1 short mantled ,chrysostoms1 and prig-parsons2 but1 divines with venerable beards1 fathers of the primitive church1 where are you8 ,in the constitution of the ,apostles1 this precept is again repeated3 ,the smallest hair of the beard must on no account be clipped1 it is said therein3 ,oportet preterea non barb pilum corrumpere4#eb ,if ,i trace things on1 from the time of the ,apostles to the entire establishment of ,christianity1 ,i find1 that all the fathers1 doctors1 and saints of the rising church1 strongly recommended the custom of wearing the beard1 and regarded a bald chin as the mark of infamy and debauchery4 ,saint ,clement the ,roman1 who lived likewise in the time of the ,apostles1 after mentioning the ,levitican law1 which we have already quoted1 says1 that ,god1 who created us after his own likeness1 will load those with his hatred who violate his law by shaving their chins4#ec ,footnote #eb3 ,lib4 i4 cap4 #c4 ,footnote #ec3 ,this ,saint1 who was the disciple of ,st4 ,peter1 succeeded pope ,anaclet1 ,a4 ,d4 #ia4 ,see in his book ,constitutionum ,sanctorum ,apostolorum1 the chap4 entitled ,catholica ,doctrina de ,laicis4 ,saint ,clement of ,alexandria1 in several parts of his learned works1 complains highly of this abuse so disgraceful for mankind2 he speaks with great warmth against the rakes of his time1 who were not ashamed to appear in public close shaved4 ,this saint1 who was still a better philosopher than a theologian1 does not think it beneath him1 in another part of his work1 to write the elogy of the beard3 ,it contributes1 says he1 to the beauty of man1 as a fine head of hair does to that of a woman4#ed ,tertullian1 especially1 says a great deal about beards1 and1 with his usual eloquence1 forcibly attacks the corrupt manners of his age1 which had introduced the shameful custom of shaving2 he supports his arguments by ,st4 ,jerome and ,st4 ,clement of ,alexandria1 and even goes beyond these two holy fathers4#ee ,footnote #ed3 ,saint ,clement of ,alexandria1 who is looked upon as the most learned of all the fathers of the ,church1 lived at the end of the second and beginning of the third century4 ,see his book on theatrical exhibitions1 and his ,pedagogue1 book iii4 a work which abbot ,fleuri1 in his ,ecclesiastical history1 calls1 an abridgement of the whole ,christian moral4 ,footnote #ee3 ,tertullian1 in his book de ,cultu feminarum1 and in that de ,pallio1 speaks very advantageously of beards4 ,this learned man1 whom ,st4 ,cyprian called his master1 was the first who wrote on the alteration of a canon of the council of ,carthage1 which forbade priests to shave their beards4 ,saint ,cyprian has likewise expressed how much he thought a shaved chin contrary to the ,christian institution4 ,in deploring the state of this religion1 he exclaims3 ,there is no longer this religious devotion and entire confidence in the ministers of ,god to be found in the priests2 no more works of mercy1 no more order among the lower classes3 the men cut off their beards1 and the women paint their faces4 ,and in another part3 ,and notwithstanding it is written1 ,you shall not cut off your beards1 they depilate their chins and colour their cheeks4 ,thus1 to please the world1 they are not afraid to displease ,god4#ef ,footnote #ef3 ,divi ,cypriani1 liber de ,lapsis4 ,it would be too long to cite the number of respectable authorities who have either written in praise of beards or censured shaved faces1 who have not only looked upon it as an ornament conformable to ,christian gravity1 but maintained that it could not be cut away without a sin4#eg ,footnote #eg3 ,all the first fathers of the ,church have strongly recommended the custom of beards1 or have spoken of them advantageously3 such are ,st4 ,jerome1 ,st4 ,ambrose1 ,st4 ,chrysostom1 ,st4 ,epiphanius1 ,st4 ,theodoret1 ,st4 ,sidoin ,apollinarius1 c4 ,this opinion of the first fathers of the ,church is supported by two councils3 the first is the fourth council of ,carthage1 the #ddth canon of which runs thus3 ,clericus nec comam nutriat1 nec barbam radat4 ,a clergyman must neither keep up his hair nor shave away his beard4 ,tho' this canon has been entirely altered by the suppression of the word radat1 as ,tertullian remarks1 and1 after him1 a number of commentators1 it is certain it ought to be thus1 which we will prove by what we are going to say4 ,the second is a council held at ,barcelona in #edj1 in the third canon of which we read3 ,ut nullus ,clericorum comam nutriat1 aut barbam radat4 ,let no clergyman either keep up his hair1 or shave away his beard4 ,after such sacred laws1 and the opinion and example of the apostles1 and of all the fathers of the primitive church2 after the decisions of two authentic councils1 one should not think there had existed men sufficiently deceitful or ignorant to maintain1 not only that it is indifferent to shave or not1 but likewise that the beard is contrary to the institution of the ,church4 ,lighted by the torch of truth1 and guided by the most scrupulous impartiality1 we will follow up the chain of the different events which have so often changed the sentiments and beards of one part of ,europe4 ,i find all the popes of the earliest times of ,christianity wore long beards1 'till the first division into two ,churches1 ,greek and ,latin4 ,their rivality had already broken out in the excommunication of the iconoclasts4 ,when ,charlemain became emperor of the ,west1 the popes then threw off the yoke of the ,grecian authority1 and seized that occasion to distinguish themselves from their enemies by something particular4 ,it was at this very epoch1 according to fathers ,henschenius and ,papebrock1#eh that ,leo ,,iii4 gave the ,latin church1 for the first time1 the example of a pope shaved4 ,the disputes soon redoubled4 ,photius1 the ,greek patriarch1 renewed the pretensions of the clergy of the ,east to precendency over those of the ,west3 he excommunicated1 in his turn1 pope ,nicholas ,i4 who had already excommunicated him4 ,never had the chins of the ,greeks been so bearded1 nor those of the ,latins so closely shaved4 ,photius1 having taken the title of cumenical patriarch1 declared the ,western bishops heretics4 ,among other things1 he reproached them with cutting off their beards4 ,a strange reason for setting the ,western and ,eastern empires at variance1 says a great writer of our age4 ,to think this reason so strange1 is making very light of beards4#ei ,footnote #eh3 ,see the ,propileum of fathers ,henschenius and ,papebrock for the month of ,may1 p4 #bji1 vol4 i4 of the acts of the saints4 ,footnote #ei3 ,let it be always recollected that we have nothing to do here but with discipline4 ,some indispensable invectives against the divers opinion of the popes1 ought not to startle tender consciences4 ,the dogma1 which we highly respect1 has no part in this discussion4 ,nicholas ,i4 does not offer any thing in his own defence against this serious accusation4 ,in his letter to ,hincmar1 archbishop of ,rheims1 and the other bishops of ,france1 ,a4 ,d4 #hfg1 he only says1 speaking of the ,greeks3 8,moreover1 they endeavour to throw blame on us1 because the clergy who are under our authority don't refuse to be shaved40#fj ,this phrase1 which shews that all the clergy at that time were constrained to appear shaved1 presents nothing in excuse for this violent conduct4 ,if the pope could have offered some reasons to palliate this looseness of discipline1 he would not have failed to make use of them on this occasion2 but he does not give one4 ,rivalship was the sole cause of these puerile dissensions4 ,what a number of disputes1 and troubles has not this ridiculous infatuation of the ,latin priests occasioned6 ,had they but let their beards grow out1 they would have avoided all these mischiefs4 ,footnote #fj3 ,quin reprehendere satagunt1 quia penes os clerici barbas radere suas non abnuunt1 c4 ,acta ,conciliorum4 ,the death of the patriarch1 without destroying the schism1 calmed people's minds for some times1 and the ignorance of the times 7according to some7 contributed greatly to extinguish the flames of this violent quarrel4 ,john ,,xii4 forgetting1 or perhaps not knowing the animosity that had reigned between the two churches1 soon appeared again with a long beard according to fathers ,henschenius and ,papebrock4#fa ,footnote #fa3 ,see ,propileum1 already quoted1 page #bj4 ,this irregular and inconsequent conduct of the popes1 and indifference for the true discipline of the ,church1 seems to be justified in a council held at ,limoges in #ajca4 ,by the determinations of that assembly it is of little moment whether a priest be shaved or not4 ,the reasons of the ,greeks and ,latins are there weighed1 and the latter are said to support their arguments by the example of ,st4 ,peter4 7,this assertion is contrary to all truth1 as all the monuments which have preserved us the image of that ,saint prove47 ,they add1 in favour of those priests that go shaved1 that they ought to be distinguished from the laity by their outward appearance4 ,this reason1 were it just1 would be good only at a time when it should be the fashion for laymen to wear long beards1 and it ought to be an additional incitement to priests to let theirs grow out1 among a nation who do not wear this mark of manhood4 8,the others10 says the same council1 speaking of the ,greeks1 8have chosen the custom of not shaving2 they ground their choice upon the example of the ,apostles ,paul1 and ,james the brother of the ,lord1 saying with reason1 for nothing should be concealed1 that the clergy1 as the laity1 ought to preserve on their faces this ornament of virility1 as a dignity of the human condition1 a dignity created by ,god himself1 and with which he has been pleased to honour man alone4 ,as to the clergy1 they should be distinguished solely by the tonsure of the head4 ,the ,greeks add likewise1 that our ,lord of ,nazareth always wore his beard40 ,by this session of the council of ,limoges1 no mention is made of the two councils which expressly forbid priests to cut off their beards1 nor of the authority of the fathers and the ,levitican law2 this was to suit the circumstances3 and the council concludes on this matter1 that if the ,greeks have nothing to reproach us with1 we have nothing to reproach them with4#fb ,after this declaration1 though it is quite contrary to the fundamental discipline of the ,church1 the reader will be greatly surprised to learn1 that the very same year1 #ajca1 by a canon of the council of ,bourges1 all the clergy were ordered to get themselves shaved2#fc nor will he be less so to find pope ,gregory ,,vii4 7formerly friar ,hildebrand1 a shaved monk1 a turbulent1 ambitious man1 and the declared enemy of emperors and kings17 firmly maintain1 that a priest1 who wore a long beard1 was guilty of a high crime and misdemeanour against ,christianity4 ,this pope ,gregory was a confounded shearer of beards3 he called a council at ,gironne in #ajgc1 where the clergy were expressly forbidden to wear this mark of manhood4#fd ,a few years after1 this tyrant of the beards having learned that the archbishop of ,cagliary preserved his in all its length1 he immediately ordered him to get himself shaved1 and at the same time wrote 7in #ajhj7 to ,orzoc1 the podestate of the town1 these orders 444 8,we therefore order your bishop1 our brother1 to have his beard shaved1 like all the ,western clergy1 who have preserved this custom ever since the commencement of the ,christian faith3#fe in consequence1 we command you likewise to oblige all the clergy that are under your authority1 to be shaved1 and to confiscate the property of those who shall refuse to obey1 to the profit of the ,church of ,cagliary3 make use of severity1 for fear lest this abuse should increase40 ,footnote #fb3 ,et hac in re neque illi nos1 neque nos possumus reprehendere illos1 c4 ,concil4 ,lemovicense1 anno #ajca1 sessio ,,ii1 acta ,concil4 tom4 vi4 ,footnote #fc3 ,council of ,bourges1 canon #g4 ,footnote #fd3 ,synodus ,gerundensis1 can4 vii4 ,thsorus anecdotorum4 ,footnote #fe3 ,scilicet ut quemadmodum totius occidentalis ,ecclesi ,clerus1 ab ipsis fidei christian primordiis1 barbam radendi morem tenuit1 c4 ,greg4 ,pap vii4 ,epist4 lib4 viii4 ad ,orzoc1 judicem ,calaritanum4 ,this letter1 wholly founded upon illusion1 and which so justly characterises its author1 proclaims the approaching destruction of the little beard yet left on the chins of the ,latin priests4 ,it was at this time no doubt that those ordinances de radendis barbis1 which we still read in several communities1 were made2 and in a little time the laymen were the only ones that could1 without a crime1 wear long beard2 but it did not continue so long4 ,the ,german priests soon followed this example1 which is proved by a fragment of a letter preserved in the new history of the ,benedictines of ,black ,forest1 where ,sigefroy of ,goetz complains grievously to ,papon1 the reformer1 that the ,germans were beginning to imitate the ,french in several effeminate customs1 among others1 that of cutting off their beards4 ,in time1 the priests saw with pain1 that they were separated from other men by a mortifying distinction3 what should they do to relieve their offended self-love8 ,let their beards grow out8 ,the difficulty of ordering it1 even sometime after it had been forbidden1 did not hinder them2 but the quarrel with the ,greeks was yet too recent for the ,latins to think of looking like those haughty1 clearsighted enemies4 ,in order that all might be upon a par1 it was decided1 that the laity should be shaved3 this mean had a very plausible appearance1 and it was decided to begin with the princes4 ,that of ,henry ,i4 king of ,england1 was the premier victim of the conjuration4 ,serlon of ,abond1 bishop of ,seez1 undertook the conquest of this royal fleece4 ,easter-day1 #aaje1 he preached before this prince and all his court3 his sermon ran entirely on heads of hair and beards2 he exclaimed particularly against the length of the latter1 which1 he maintained1 was contrary to the spirit of the ,christian religion3 his vehement tone and persuasive eloquence moved all the audience4 ,the king1 penetrated with compunction1 resolved to be the first to give the example of a sacrifice as holy and new as courageous3 then the preacher1 approaching ,henry1 drew out of his sleeve a pair of scissars1 and piously sheared the prince's chin4 ,all the assembly1 carried away by this act of religion1 would fain imitate him1 and the holy bishop became the shearer of the whole congregation4 ,this strange farce1 which was not the only one1 would appear a fable1 if father ,mabillon did not very seriously relate the particulars of it in his ,annals of the ,benedictines4#ff ,footnote #ff3 ,moxque ,episcopus1 extractis manic forficibus1 primo ,regem1 post cteros ,optimates attondisse1 c4 ,annal4 ,benedict4 ,some years after1 ,lewis the ,young's beard underwent the same fate4 ,this prince having burnt three thousand five hundred ,champenese1 who had taken refuge in ,vitry church1#fg was soon a prey to his stings of conscience4 ,peter ,lombard1 bishop of ,paris1#fh assured him1 that there was no more effectual way to expiate this crime1 than to have his long beard cut off forthwith4 ,the king clearly saw there was nothing more reasonable2 and this pious bishop executed himself the function of barber to his majesty4 ,footnote #fg3 ,in the war which he had with ,theobald1 count of ,champaign4 ,see page #da of this work4 ,footnote #fh3 ,philip1 the king's brother1 being appointed bishop of ,paris1 thought the place beneath him2 he resigned it to ,peter ,lombard1 who1 according to ,zuinger1 ,a4 ,d4 #aafj1 made use of his episcopal authority to have all the priests and monks of his diocese shaved4 ,frederick ,i4 surnamed ,redbeard1 was not exempted from the common law2 the colour of his beard1 the example of two princes1 and the strong solicitations of the clergy1 prevailed on him to be shaved2 and this emperor1 who had courageously refused to hold the stirrup to pope ,adrian ,,iv4 to kiss his feet1 and lead his ,spanish genet by the bridle1 had not the resolution to withstand the priests on this occasion4 ,when the clergy had succeeded to shave the principal princes of ,europe1 they might justly expect to see a great many imitators among the rest of the people4 ,far better than violence1 the example would have triumphed over the remaining beards2 but the priests of those days of ignorance were strangers to all moderate means4 ,godfrey1 bishop of ,amiens1 saying mass ,christmas-day1 #aaje1 formed the design of unmercifully stripping all the bearded chins2 those1 who came to the offering with long beards1 were turned back4 ,frighted at this cruel refusal1 most of the men were eager to cut off the hair of their chins1 hastily laying hold of scissars1 and even knives1 in order to be able to present themselves immediately before their bishop with a better grace4#fi ,footnote #fi3 ,see le ,mercure de ,france for ,january1 #agcb4 ,never was reason the motive of such indecencies4 ,it seems as if truth had revenged itself on these silly1 superstitious times at the expense of decorum4 ,envy1 under the imposing cloak of religion1 had just scattered its venom2 vengeance had its fill2 every chin was shaved1 and the ,church enjoyed its triumph4 ,time moderates all things1 even the anger of votaries2 they forgot that beards had been anathematized3 the successors of those very popes1 who had looked upon a bearded priest as guilty of a shameful sin1 were in a little time no longer afraid to sin themselves1 and publicly appeared with long beards4 ,such were ,henry ,,iii4 ,alexander ,,iv4 ,adrian ,v4 ,john ,,xx4 ,nicholas ,,iii4 c4 c4 ,this calm was enjoyed but a short time1 before a new storm arose against sacerdotal beards1 stirred up by envy and ignorance1 to destroy the work of peace and reason4 ,the vicissitude of human things respects nothing4 ,lewis ,v4 in ,germany1 ,peter the ,cruel in ,spain1 and ,philip of ,valois in ,france1 had let out their beards1 and the mode gained ground throughout ,europe4 ,priests are not blessed with a character that shelters them from the influence of fashion2 several were slaves to that which brought beards again in vogue4 ,the popes themselves did not disdain it1 though a number of provincial councils stood up against the new bearded chins3 in #acbc1 clergymen1 by a synodal statute of the church of ,orleans1 were forbidden to wear long beards1 under pain of excommunication4 ,meanwhile1 according to the quality and condition of the persons1#gj other synodal statutes of the church of ,beziers ordered the priests of the diocese to cut off their beards and hair of their heads1 except just the crown1 in order that they might apply themselves with more diligence to their studies and functions4#ga ,a provincial council of ,paris1 and another of ,sens1 ordered the same2 a council of the same town of ,beziers1 under archbishop ,peter ,narbonne1 in #acea1 canon xi4 forbids wearing long beards2 and as a punishment for such temerity1 it is there said3 ,we condemn the offender1 if a canon1 to be deprived of his daily distribution1 and if an incumbent1 to pay twelve deniers for the use of the church4#gb ,the custom of wearing beards was condemned likewise by a synodal statute of the church of ,st4 ,malo1 in #acgj1 and all sacerdotal beards were shorn off4 ,footnote #gj3 ,statuta synodalia ecclesi ,aurelianensis1 anno #acbc4 ,amplissima ,collectio veterum ,scriptorum1 c4 vol4 i4 by ,martenne and ,durand4 ,footnote #ga3 ,statuta synodali ecclesi ,bitteris1 #accb4 ,thforus ,anecd4 ,footnote #gb3 ,alioquin1 canonicum privatum distributionibus illius diei esse volumus1 ,beneficiatum puniri pna duodecimorum denariorum pro tali usu temerario statuimus mandamus ,fabric illius ecclesi applicandorum4 ,thsorus ,anecdotorum4 ,the beards of the laity1 it seems1 were spared in this general proscription4 ,the time1 no doubt1 when the priests could take the liberty of cutting off the beards of both people and kings with impunity1 began to decline4 ,the monks had1 a long time before1 settled rules for the government of their chins3 in #hjg1 at the assembly of ,aix-la-chapelle1 it was ordered1 that the monks should not shave themselves at all during lent1 and that the rest of the year1 they should do it once a fortnight4 ,we see in the statutes and customs of different monasteries1 that the monks were shaved1 except the lay-brothers1 who were called ,fratres barbati1 bearded brothers4#gc ,we find in old manuscripts the very prayers that were recited when a monk in full orders had his beard shorn4 ,humility was the motive of this custom1 which was practised with much ceremony4 ,at the taking of the habit1 the beard of the candidate was blessed with great ceremony2 and when he was made a monk1 he dedicated his beard to ,god4 ,this ceremony was practised likewise by the ,heathens4 ,see page #af of this work4 ,footnote #gc3 ,marbillon's ,annales ,benedictines1 lib4 #ga4 ,this new storm was succeeded by another calm1 and long beards seemed likely to have a fine time2 and truly they appeared again in all their ancient majesty4 ,julius ,,ii4 gave the signal1 and was followed by all ,europe4 ,this pope1 by his venerable look1 recalled the image of the patriarchs of old4 ,the cardinals1 and all the ,church1 were eager to follow an example so commendable4 ,the age was more enlightened3 the ancient disputes were either forgotten1 or only thought of to lament the injustice of their cause4 ,the orthodoxy of beards was acknowledged1 and truth shined in all its brightness2 but gloomy envy at length came to obscure its splendour3 some exclaimed that it was a piece of pride1 others a scandal2 and quarrels that should have been buried for ever in oblivion were again renewed4 ,jealousy1 under a holy pretext1 raised itself with more daringness than ever1 and occasioned violent animosities4 ,what writings appeared6 what outrages and phrenzy6444 ,bella horrida1 bella 444 cerno4444 ,but let us not entrench upon such precious matters3 let us rather endeavour1 with the same impartiality1 to discover the origin of so many disturbances4 ,bessarion1 the famous ,greek1 first1 archbishop of ,nice1 afterwards1 cardinal1 and1 at length1 patriarch of ,constantinople1 came into ,italy with the archbishop of ,russia1 to endeavour to bring about an union between the ,greek and ,latin churches4 ,bessarion made no difficulty of subscribing to the orthodoxy of the latter2 and this was what got him a cardinal's hat3 his long beard1 and that of his companion1 accustomed the court of ,rome to this mode4 ,bessarion was one of the stoutest men of his time2 every one longed to look like this illustrious man1 were it only in the fleece on his chin2 and his fine ,grecian beard soon produced a number of ,latin ones4#gd ,footnote #gd3 ,this cardinal's beard was not so well received in ,france4 ,this great man being sent thither as legate1 visited1 through policy1 the duke of ,burgundy before he saw king ,lewis ,,xi4 ,this monarch was so offended at the preference given his enemy1 that1 at the first audience he gave this legate1 he roughly seized him by his long beard1 and gave him a great deal of abuse4 ,the patriarch took this affront so near to heart1 that he did not survive it above a year4 ,some years after1 ,julius ,,ii4 was elected pope2 his youth1 which suited but badly with the majesty of the papacy1 determined him to let his beard grow out1 in order to inspire more respect3 he was the first pope of his time who gave the ,church such a holy and rational example4 ,clement ,,vii4 one of his successors1 did not imitate him at first2 but having been detained five months in prison by the troops of ,charles of ,bourbon1 the general of the emperor's army1 he came out as if regenerated and triumphant1 with his face enobled with a large1 bushy beard1 which he would never part with4 ,this custom was eagerly adopted by those clergy1 who1 by their revenues or exploits1 held a distinguished rank in the ,church or ,state4 ,it was then that the inferior clergy1 and especially the chapters1 strongly opposed this pretended indecorum4 ,we read1 that1 in the reign of ,lewis ,,xii4 one ,anthony de ,langheac1 canon of the church of ,paris1 abbot and canon of that of ,clermont1 counsellor-clerk to the parliament1 and ambassador to the republic of ,venice1 could not enter the choir of the church of ,our ,lady at ,paris with his long beard4 ,on account of the commission with which the king had honoured him1 he at length obtained permission to hear matins1 which were then said at midnight4#ge ,in a little time1 they were not so scrupulous1 as all the clergy let out their beards1 even the lowest among them1 in order to give themselves a pontifical appearance2#gf when1 in ,france1 ,francis ,i4 7who might justly boast of having worn the first beard of his kingdom17 for conomical reasons1 armed the enemies of clerical beards with destructive weapons1 and was the occasion of the war which we are going to speak of4 ,footnote #ge3 ,these particulars are inserted in the register of the capitular resolutions of the year #aeje1 which may be seen in the archives of the metropolitical church of ,paris4 ,footnote #gf3 ,beroald de ,verville1 in his ,moyen de parvenir1 accounts for the promptitude with which the priests imitated the popes4 8,i will tell you a remark2 when the pope has a large beard1 the priests will have the same2 if he have a shaved chin1 they will likewise1 because they all aim at the papacy40 ,moyen de ,parvenir1 chap4 tom4 ,this king1 in order to get money from the clergy of his kingdom1 says doctor ,zuinger1 a contemporary1 obtained a brief from the pope1 which ordered all the ,french clergy to get themselves shaved1 or else to pay a certain sum to have permission to wear their beard4#gg ,a contribution from such a body might be of great service in a time of scarcity4 ,francis ,i4 experienced it2 for all the tufted prelates1 court ecclesiastics1 incumbents1 and expectant clergymen1 paid the money1 and retained their beards2 but all the canons of small revenue1 village curates1 and poor rectors1 freed themselves from the impost by getting themselves shaved1 and this was the source of the troubles which disquieted the reign of ,henry ,,ii4 ,the difference of the chins of the clergy of the same kingdom caused that dark1 intestine war which owed its rise solely to jealousy4 ,footnote #gg3 ,theatrum vit human ,theodori ,zuingeri1 lib4 #b4 ,now is the time to mention the discussions which1 on account of a beard affair1 began to trouble the ancient capital of the world4 ,some seditious1 jealous beings secretly fomented their ruin2 the alarm increased2 and beards were in the utmost danger1 when ,pierrius ,valerianus undertook their defence4 ,this man1 one of the most learned and most bearded of his time discussed1 in a most able manner1 the cause he undertook2 his book1 intitled pro ,sacerdotum ,barbis1 is dedicated to cardinal ,medicis4 ,a just reasoning and a strength of elocution are the great qualities of his discourse2 we can perceive that the author was impressed with his subject2 he quotes a number of authorities1 both sacred and profane1 which concur to the triumph of his cause4 ,he complains that the respect due to the ministers of ,god is already but too much diminished1 without endeavouring to destroy it by a debasing custom2 and adds1 that ,jesus never made any law that tended to alter the ,levitican ones1 which we have cited2 and that the son of ,god himself1 having given the example of this discipline1 all ,christians ought to follow it4 8,what a piece of folly it is10 cries he1 8to pretend that the beard1 which was given by ,god1 should be unworthy of his creatures40 ,he demonstrates1 that the canon of the council of ,carthage1 which forbids clergymen to let out their beards1 has been absolutely mutilated3 he calls to his aid the opinion of all the great men of his time1 and several ancient manuscripts1 among others1 that which is in the elector palatine's library4#gh ,footnote #gh3 8,who10 says he1 8will dare maintain1 that the beard is not the ornament of man1 the symbol of probity and justice2 that it does not give him a grave1 stern look2 ,i mean to speak of those who are determined by reason rather than opinion8 ,if it be admitted then that the beard is the ornament of an honest1 just man1 why should it not be the most decent ornament for a priest1 who ought to be an example of virtue40 ,apologia ,joannis ,pierii ,valeriani belumen4 ,i have seen three editions of this work4 ,let us now examine whether this canon of the council of ,carthage1 on which the antibearded gentry found their anathemas1 deserves any confidence4 ,according to them1 these are the words of the canon of that council3 ,clericus nec comam nutriat nec barbam2 and these1 according to the sticklers for beards3 ,clericus nec comam nutriat1 nec barbam radat4 ,the former forbids to wear long beards2 the latter orders it4 ,so the whole depends on the adding or suppressing of the word radat4 ,it seems at first1 in favour of bearded chins1 that the termination of the phrase1 nec barbam1 should point out the suppression of a verb1 such as radat2 and indeed it would have been much more simple1 and more regular1 in the same sense1 to write1 ,clericus nec comam nec barbam nutriat4 ,this objection1 which begins to throw light on the wiles of the enemies of beards1 would be but weak1 were it not confirmed by a number of triumphant proofs1 and especially by the opinion of the most celebrated and most laborious commentators1 such as fathers ,labbe and ,hardouin1 c4 ,savaron1 in his commentary on the epistles of ,st4 ,sidoin ,apollinarius1 warmly maintains1 that the word radat has been suppressed from the #ddth canon of this council of ,carthage1 and that the custom of wearing long beards was there precisely ordered4 ,father ,sirmond1 who published some time after a commentary on the same epistles1 is of the same opinion as ,savaron with respect to the suppression of this word radat4 ,charles ,dumoulin1 in his notes to the #eth chapter of the #ast record of the #c;d book of the ,decretals1 assures us that the text of this canon has been mutilated1 and that we ought to read nec barbam radat4 ,let us see on what authority the opinion of these learned men is founded4 ,the greatest part of the manuscripts of the councils have the word radat4 ,pierrius ,valerianus1 in his book pro ,sacerdotum ,barbis1 quotes several1 and those are the least suspected4 ,father ,labbe has added a note to the canon in question1 in which he numbers the manuscripts wherein the word radat is found4 ,father ,hardouin assures us that this important radat exists in the most authentic manuscripts1 such as those in the libraries of ,corbie1 ,giblou1 ,barberin1 ,paris1 c4 ,from these modern proofs1 let us pass to those which antiquity or the contemporaries of this council ought to furnish us with4 ,st4 ,sidoin ,apollinarius says very clearly1 speaking of the time of this council of ,carthage3 ,tum coma brevis barba prolixa2 ,at that time people wore short hair and long beards4 ,tertullian says a great deal about this same council2 he maintains that the word radat has been suppressed in the #ddth canon2 he cries out upon the licentiousness of his age1 too fertile in like impositions1 and says1 in plain terms6 ,corrigendum est reponendumque1 juxta fidem veterum exemplarium1 ,clericus nec comam nutriat1 nec barbam radat4 ,this canon ought to be corrected1 and1 conformably to the fidelity of the old copies1 it should be written1 that no clergyman should wear his hair1 or shave his beard4#gi ,we see what a distance our short cloke clergy keep from this edifying regulation4 ,footnote #gi3 ,it may not be amiss perhaps to correct a chronological error that is in the epochs of this council of ,carthage and the life of ,tertullian4 ,all the commentators and chroniclers place this council in the year #cih1 and the death of this learned man about the year #bbj of our ra4 ,according to them1 he should have lived about a century and half before this council4 ,after that1 one is greatly surprised to find1 in the works of this same ,tertullian1 his observations on this council of ,carthage1 and still more so1 to find him speak of it as an epoch much earlier than that in which he was writing2 for1 when he condemns the supression of the word radat1 he says it ought to be restored conformably to the fidelity of the old copies1 juxta fidem veterum exemplarium1 c4 ,the anachronism is more than two centuries4 ,saint ,epiphanius lived in the time of this council of ,carthage3 this was a very learned ,saint4 ,let us see in his writings if the fathers of those days proclaim the proscription of long beards4 ,with respect to the heretic ,massalians he speaks thus4 8,is there any thing more contrary to good morals than their customs8 ,they cut off their beards1 the mark of manhood1 and wear very long hair4 ,nevertheless1 the sacred expressions of the constitutions of the apostles dogmatically prescribe the rules that are to be observed with respect to the beard3 it is forbidden to cut off any part of it1 for fear lest men should at length get themselves quite shaved1 and lay hold of the effeminate manners and luxury of abandoned rakes40#hj ,footnote #hj3 ,sed deterius quiddam1 ac contrarium ab illis geritur3 siquidem isti barbam1 hoc est1 propriam viri formam1 resecant2 capillos vero1 ut plurimum1 prolixiores habent4 ,atqui quod ad barbam attinet in ,apostolorum constitutionbus divino sermone1 degmate prscribitur1 ne ea corrumpatur3 hoc est1 ne barba ponatur neve meretricius cultus ornatus usurpetur1 c4 ,st4 ,epiphanius against the heretic ,massalians1 sect4 viii4 ,these reproaches1 very conclusive in favour of the partisans of long beards1 will be much more so1 and silence the adversaries of that mark of manhood1 if it be observed1 that this same council of ,carthage condemns as heretics those same ,massalians whose shaved chins ,st4 ,epiphanius represents to be a crime4 ,is it likely that the ,massalians should be condemned as heretics1 and that at the same time the orthodox clergy should be required to imitate them1 and follow a custom that is looked upon as the most scandalous of debauchery2 such a law would be the height of inconsequence4 ,it is much more reasonable to suppose1 that1 instead of the priests' being ordered to have their chins shaved1 they were forbidden to do it1 that they might not look like the heretic ,massalians4 ,besides1 what could be opposed to the council of ,barcelona1 which was held some time after that of ,carthage1 a council that has never experienced any contradiction1 and in which shaving the beard is again forbidden8 ,we read in the third canon1 ,ut nullus ,clericorum comam nutriat aut barbam radat4 ,let no clergyman keep up his hair or shave his beard4 ,we have demonstrated then the fraud of the antibearded priests1 and proved that the word radat has been suppressed in the #ddth canon4 ,clergymen therefore1 by this council of ,carthage1 at which two hundred and fourteen bishops attended1 are forbidden to cut off their beards1 and the general opinion of the primitive church1 on this point1 is established4 ,if we did not know1 that private interests can persuade men to contradict the best founded maxims1 we should be greatly surprised no doubt to find learned men of distinction presume to write1 that the general opinion of the primitive ,church condemned long beards4 ,at the head is cardinal ,baronius 7tom4 i4 ad4 ann4 #dh74 ,let us refer the proselytes of this credulous writer of legends to le ,mercure for ,april #agfe2 they will there find that a learned ,jesuit1 father ,oudin in his inquiries concerning beards1 proves1 that this cardinal was a bad man1 or that he would not read his ,st4 ,epiphanius4 ,the ordinances of the provincial synods and councils which have made use of this council of ,carthage to justify their forbidding the clergy to wear long beards1 should therefore be void of course3 the edifice falls of itself when the foundation is undermined4 ,but let us return to the defenders of beards of the sixteenth century3 ,pierrius was not the only champion that appeared on this occasion4 ,adrian ,junius1 an ingenious physician1 and distinguished for his learning1 in his commentary on the hair of the head1 says a great deal about clerical beards1 with as much eloquence and more erudition than his predecessor2 he relates every thing that had not been advantageously said before on the subject1 and is not afraid to take a review of the opinions and examples of all the ancients2 he establishes1 that even when there should be neither law1 constitution1 nor council which ordered the priests to preserve their beards1 they ought to do it1 because it gives the wearer a grave1 stern1 respectable look1 which becomes the ministers of the altar1 and that their thus changing the nature of ,god's work1 in order to please mankind1 is1 for them1 a very criminal piece of luxury4#ha ,footnote #ha3 ,de com ,commentarium ,adriani ,junii ,honani1 ,medici1 cap4 ii4 de rasur capillorum pariter barb4 ,these works produced their effect3 nevertheless pope ,paul ,,iii4 being displeased with the severe tone of ,pierrius and the sharp reproaches which he threw out against the manners of the clergy of the age1 would not seem to comply thereto2 but without issuing a formal decree against beards1 as was talked of1 he contented himself with commanding a cardinal briefly to order the priests to get themselves shaved4#hb ,footnote #hb3 ,beroalde ridicules the shaved priests of those days4 ,he says it was ordered so1 in order that the regret which they have at not daring nor being willing to partake of the pleasures of this world1 may in no wise appear2 to which you may add that they ought to be merry 7venite exultemus71 and that theirs is a state of perpetual joy1 which must be made appear so1 though it were not2 and this is the reason why they wear their chins shaved1 because a man thus polished up about the gills is always laughing 444 from thence came this canon of the council of ,quarante3 ,,the ,,priests ,,shall ,,shave ,,with ,,hog',s ,,sward1 in order that they may always appear laughing1 dainty-mouthed1 airy1 c4 ,moyen de parvenir1 chap4 ,allegation4 ,the major part paid but little attention to this ordinance2 some1 more scrupulous1 obeyed1 but not without repugnancy3 there were a few of the latter however1 according to ,gentian ,hervet1 who had reason to repent of their exactness3 among others1 he speaks of one ,leonicus ,thomeus1 an old man of ninety1 who was no sooner shaved1 according to the decree of the pontiff1 than he was seized with such a confounded tooth-ach1 that he was obliged to solicit the pope's clemency4 ,cardinal ,bembe sent him forthwith a permission to wear his beard a reasonable length4 ,let us now proceed to ,france1 where the pope's brief1 obtained by ,francis ,i4 gave beginning to the envy which the shaved priests bore the bearded ones4 ,their jealousy had been brewing a long time1 and only waited1 to show itself1 for the death of that prince1 whose orders seemed still to be respected4 ,their animosity1 already too much increased by this obstacle1 broke out at length on the person of ,william ,duprat1 the son of the famous chancellor of that name3 he was returning from the council of ,trent1 where his eloquence had made him conspicuous1 and was going to take possession of the bishopric of ,clermont1 which he had been given some time before4 ,the reader should take along with him that he had one of the finest beards in the kingdom4 ,one ,easter-day1 when he came to his cathedral church to perform divine service1 he found the gates of the choir shut2 three dignitaries of the chapter were waiting for him at the entrance3 one of them held a razor in his hand1 the other a pair of scissars1 and the third the book of the ancient statutes of that church1 and pointing with his finger to these words2 barbis rasis4 ,at the sight of this frightful preparation1 the prelate clearly perceived that they aimed at his beard1 the dearest object of his attention2 two of these fatal enemies seemed to threaten it with the instruments with which they were armed2 and the third kept crying3 ,reverend father in ,god1 barbis rasis4 ,the impatient dean had already laid hold of this episcopal fleece1 when our bearded bishop stopped him1 and being a little recovered from his fright1 he endeavoured to convince him of the impropriety of working on such a great holy-day1 and that it was better to defer this operation 'till the next day2 but the temporizing prelate's eloquence made no impression on the minds of these intractable men2 the unmerciful dean kept his hold3 full of indignation at this mortifying insult1 and terrified for the fate of his cherished beard1 ,william ,duprat suddenly took to his heels1 crying3 ,i save my beard1 and quit my bishopric4#hc ,he immediately repaired to his country-house at ,beauregard1 three leagues from ,clermont1 and swore he would never more live in that capital4 ,footnote #hc3 ,william ,major1 a doctor of the ,sorbone and canon of the church of ,clermont1 in a work intituled defence de feu ,m4 ,savaron1 c4 maintains1 against abbot ,faydit1 that this anecdote is a story of his invention4 ,in order to free his old brethren from the imputation of having designed to shear their bishop1 in the warmth of his zeal1 he breaks out into invectives against his adversary2 but he proves it least1 in his long refutation1 that the canons saw with grief a long beard on the chin of their bishop1 and that when the latter wished to be present at some synod1 he was obliged to ask permission of his chapter to come without being shaved4 ,he quotes several resolutions of the chapter1 by which he was granted this permission4 ,it was in this place of retirement1 that1 being violently moved at the affront which his beard had received1 he fell ill1 and died of grief4#hd ,footnote #hd3 ,see the #hth vol4 of the ,causes clbres1 a canon refused for being too little4 ,these fatal news made all the bearded clergy tremble4 ,the standard of the revolt was set up1 and the destruction of all clerical beards determined on2 but ,henry ,,ii4 always took their part4 ,every new bishop put his beard under this king's protection4 ,the letter which he was obliged to write1 the #bgth ,december1 #aeea1 to the clergy of the city of ,troyes1 who refused ,anthony ,caraciole for bishop on account of his long beard1 is a proof of the interest he took in the beards of the clergy of his kingdom2 8,dear and well beloved1 it is said1 but which we doubt1 that you make a difficulty of receiving into your church our well beloved and trusty cousin ,anthony ,caraciole1 your bishop1 without his being shaved first1 in consequence of some statutes which you have been used to observe in such cases3 therefore1 we have thought fit to write you these presents to request you will not stand upon this matter1 but1 to oblige us1 excuse his compliance1 as we mean to send him for a short time to some place out of the kingdom on business that concerns us1 where we would not have him go without his said beard4 ,assuring ourselves that you will do so1 we shall say no more1 but that1 by complying with our request1 you will greatly oblige us1 and may ,god continue his protection towards you4 ,given at ,fontainbleau1 c40#he ,footnote #he3 ,this letter is taken de veterum ,scriptorum amplissima collectio1 vol4 i4 by ,martenne and ,durand4 ,the pacific tone which ,henry ,,ii4 made use of had but little effect on the inferior clergy2 the war was too much kindled2 every day produced new scenes and new attacks by the mutineers1 and new attempts by the king to quiet them4 ,the canons of ,mans refused to receive cardinal ,angennes for their bishop1 on account of his long beard4 ,the cardinal wrote to them to prepossess them in his favour1 and the king wrote to them likewise to calm them1 but they would listen to nothing1 and the prince was obliged to send an absolute order to the chapter of ,mans1 requiring them to receive the said bishop without insisting on his being shaved4 ,some years after1 the canons of ,orleans made a difficulty of receiving ,morvillier for their bishop3 the king was again obliged to write to the canons1 to desire them to receive him with his beard4 ,the canons of ,amiens likewise refused their bishop1 and he was obliged to have a famous law-suit with them to sustain the cause of his long beard4 ,about the same time1 there was the greatest difficulty to get ,peter ,lescot de ,clagny received canon of ,our ,lady at ,paris with his long beard3 he had need to join to his personal merit the qualities of counsellor to the court1 almoner to the king1 c4 ,soon after1 the ,sorbone gravely decided1 that a long beard was contrary to sacerdotal modesty4#hf ,at the same time the clergy1 by an edict of the parliament of ,toulouse1 were forbidden to wear their beards4#hg ,but persecution strengthens what it is eager to destroy3 the beards triumphed in their turn2 people even went so far as to give them a more agreeable form2 they wore them frizzled1 as appears by the order of the clergy of ,burgundy against frizzled beards4 ,anthony ,hotman wrote at that time his ,pogonias1 or dialogue on heads of hair and beards2 he concludes with the elogy of the latter4 ,in #aegf there was a poem in quatrains printed1 intitled3 ,eloges des barbes rousses4 ,in #aeci1 there was a book published1 intitled la ,pogonologie1 by ,r4 ,d4 ,p4 printed at ,rennes1 in #hvo4 and ,gentian ,hervet wrote three essays on beards4 ,we see1 by these different writings1 that1 in those days1 people were more taken up with their beards1 than now4 ,footnote #hf3 ,the #ast of ,july #aefa1 this celebrated assembly ordered all the members of their university1 doctors1 bachelors1 c4 to wear their beards shaved1 c4 ,non deferant barbas veniant tonsi4 ,footnote #hg3 ,the author of a book intituled ,pogonologia1 says on this occasion1 that those1 who wished to take advantage of the equivocation in this edict of the ,french verb porter 7which signifies to carry as well as to wear7 had their beards carried by their servants4 ,as the best things have their traducers1 the beard met with one in this ,gentian ,hervet1 a learned ,orleanese4 ,he wrote a ,latin discourse against beards2 but in a little time1 being staggered by the forcible reasons of his adversaries1 he wrote a second1 in which he advanced1 that it was indifferent whether a priest wore his beard or not2 in short1 carried away by the force of truth1 he at length wrote a third1 in which he ably maintains that a priest absolutely ought to have a long beard on his chin4#hh ,footnote #hh3 ,the first of these discourses is intitled1 de radend barb ,oratio2 the second1 de vel alend vel radend barb2 and the third1 de alend barb4 ,notwithstanding its success1 its numerous apologists1 and powerful partisans1 the beard had still enemies2 the provinces especially were the theatre of secret cabals1 where1 far from the court and the bearded powers1 plots of vengeance were easily contrived1 and their effects often broke out in provincial councils2 and most of these councils1 actuated by contrary sentiments1 contradicted each other in their decisions4 ,two provincial councils1 held at ,narbonne the same year1 #aeea1 ordered all the priests of the diocese to shave themselves at least once a month2 another council1 held at ,rheims in #aehc1 only recommended the hair of the upper lip to be cut off1 in order to be able to receive the communion without any obstacle4 ,a council of ,bagneres1 of the same year1 gives the same orders4 ,a council of ,rouen1 in #aeha1 orders the priests to shave off their beards entirely1 which it is looked upon 7says the council7 as debasing for a minister of the altar to wear4 ,a council of ,malines1 in #aegi1 absolutely condemns the custom of wearing beards1 whilst another council1 held in the same town1 eight years after1 declares nearly the contrary1 ordering only a little of the hair of the upper lip to be cut away4#hi ,all that one can conclude from all these provincial councils is1 that the rage of party was gotten into the very sanctuary of truth to propagate disorder and irresolution4 ,footnote #hi3 ,see1 for all these provincial councils1 ,acta ,conciliorum of father ,hardouin4 ,all these ephemeral ordinances had no other effect than to prolong the reign of the beards of priests2 they still flourished on their chins1 when the laity no longer wore them4 ,fashion brought about1 in a short time1 what all these redoubled efforts had been unable to effect during more than a century4 ,the popes retained their beards a good while1 and the first1 who appeared entirely shaved1 was ,clement ,,xi4 who lived at the beginning of this century4 ,most of the clergy left it off insensibly4 ,the ,augustins1 who still wore their beards1 were ashamed of not being in the fashion as usual2 they sent the famous father ,eustace1 of the ,petty ,augustins of ,paris1 to ,rome1 to obtain leave to shave their chins4 ,they say1 this father ,eustace made use of great address on the occasion4 ,there were however some true believers1 faithful observers of the ,levitican law and the precepts of the primitive church1 people on whom fashion has no influence1 who courageously preserved their beards 'till towards the middle of the reign of ,lewis ,,xiv4 ,a very respectable rector was one of them3 when the bishop visited his diocese1 he appeared with a venerable beard on his chin4 ,the prelate exclaimed greatly against his thus making himself look like a patriarch1 whilst he1 his bishop and lord1 was shaved2 and he formally ordered him to get rid of his long beard4 ,in vain did the poor rector cite the example of the pope then living1 that of ,st4 ,francis of ,sales1 c42 the bishop was inexorable1 and the rector did not think fit to obey4 ,irritated at his obstinacy1 the prelate sent him a writ to banish him from his living4 ,by a singular piece of inattention1 the place of banishment was left blank2 the rector filled it up with ,versailles1 and immediately repaired to the residence of the kings of ,france4 ,he affected to throw himself continually in the way of ,lewis ,,xiv43 his long beard was at length remarked by the king1 who had him called1 and asked him what was his business at court1 and why he had such an extraordinary beard4 ,the parson related his adventure to his majesty1 who as pleased with it so much1 that he sent back this grave pastor to his flock1 and highly blamed the bishop for such a ridiculous whim4#ij ,footnote #ij3 ,see the #hth vol4 of ,causes ,clbres1 a canon refused for being too little4 ,this adventure furnished matter for a little burlesque poem1 intitled l',exil ,versailles4 ,since this1 beards have entirely disappeared1 and have only been let grow out on the chins of the ,capuchins2 and religious jealousy has pursued them even to this last retrenchment3 how many clamours have they not caused among the other monks6 and what a number of libels and polemical productions have they had to endure6#ia ,such are the books intitled le ,rasibus or le procs fait la barbe des ,capucins2#ib la ,guerre seraphique1 ou ,histoire des prils qu'a courus la barbe des ,capucins par les violentes attaques des ,cordeliers2#ic les ,capucins sans barbe1 c4 all works of envy or vengeance1 which ,i shall be careful how ,i mention on account of my great dislike to satire4 ,not satisfied with writing1 the enemies of the ,capuchins' beards have employed the most violent and most unwarrantable means4 ,the fatal catastrophe which happened1 in #agfa1 to the ,capuchins of the town of ,ascoli1 in the limits of ,ancona1 proves how much monkish vengeance is cruel3 we read as follows in the ,utrecht ,gazette of that time4 8,our reverend fathers1 the ,capuchins1 have no longer any beards4 ,one of their lay brethren1 a cook in the monastery1 having put a good dose of opium in their meat1 unbearded all of them whilst they were asleep1 and then forsook the order4 ,the ,capuchins are so ashamed of this droll adventure1 that they no longer dare appear abroad40#id ,is it not clear to every body that base jealousy was what prompted this wicked brother to commit this deed8 ,and is it not easy to discern the vengeance of an ,italian monk in this attack on so many respectable beards8 ,after so many outrages1 how is it possible that bearded chins can any longer stand their ground8 ,without the express order to wear long beards1 which is in the ,bullarium of the brethren of that order1 they would long ere this have abandoned the sad remains of the ancient majesty of the patriarchs4#ie ,they little thought formerly1 that their long beards1 which they looked upon as a respectable ornament1 would one day become an object of public contempt2 or that it would make part of their outward humility1 which they formerly made consist solely in the colour and price of their clothes2 but time perverts every thing4#if ,footnote #ia3 ,several communities of ,capuchins have been reproached with having concealed their beards on certain occasions4 ,it is said1 that those of ,monpellier1 about the beginning of ,feb4 #agca1 played1 in the great dining-hall of the monastery1 the tragedy of ,,polieucpe1 and danced between the acts1 to celebrate the arrival of the provincial2 and that1 in order to play the women's parts1 they put their beards in a parchment thing made like a chin-cloth1 painted flesh colour4 ,the ,capuchins of the great monastery at ,lyons1 in #ageg1 likewise acted a play before their friends and their brethren of the second monastery2 they played three days running les ,fourberies de ,scapin3 the reverend father1 who played the part of ,scapin1 did it great justice4 ,they add1 that one of these reverend gentlemen danced a ,harlequin dance with much grace and suppleness1 and that1 to remedy the inconvenience of long beards1 they put them in pink taffety bags4 ,the ,capuchins at ,grenoble and ,vienne likewise acted a play1 and covered their beards in the same manner4 ,we relate these anecdotes1 which were formerly printed by the enemies of the ,capuchins1 to show1 that every opportunity has been taken to attack the beards of that religions order4 ,these friars1 at present1 have no occasion to be afraid of similar reproaches2 they act no plays1 neither do they conceal their beards1 and they make themselves equally respected by the gravity of their appearance and the extent of their learning4 ,footnote #ib3 ,this is a small dialogue printed at ,cologn in #agah1 in #abmo4 ,footnote #ic3 ,a scarce and curious work1 but badly written1 on the establishment of the ,capuchins1 printed at the ,hague1 in #agdj1 in #abmo4 ,footnote #id3 ,see the ,utrecht ,gazette of ,friday #bfth ,june1 #agfa2 this adventure furnished the subject of a work intitled ,les ,capucins1 sans barbe4 ,footnote #ie3 ,ac tam illi1 quam vos barbam deferre4 4 vii1 ,bullarium ,ordinis ,fratrorum ,minorum ,s4 ,p4 ,francisci ,capucinorum1 tom i4 ,footnote #if3 ,quod vestimentorum vilitas attendatur in pretio pariter colore4 ,bullarium idem1 tom4 i4 ,whilst several sovereigns are taken up with the destruction of monasteries or the lessening of the number of monks1 the ,portuguese minister has just distinguished himself1 not by destroying1 but rendering them more respectable1 by taking them from worldly practices1 and restoring them all their ancient gravity3 it was ordered1 in #aghd1 that all the monks1 of every order without distinction1 should let their beards grow out entirely4#ig ,footnote #ig3 ,see le ,mercure de ,france1 nouvelle politiques de ,lisbon1 of the #bith ,january1 #aghd4 ,reason1 the interest of religion 7which particularly depends on the respect its ministers inspire71 an express law of the ,divinity1 the example of the legislature of the ,christians and most of the popes1 a precept of the constitutions of the apostles1 the general opinion of the primitive ,church and of all the pontiffs1 and the decision of two councils1 are the grounds on which the obligation1 which the ,christian clergy are under of wearing long beards1 is supported4 ,what is there to oppose against so many respectable authorities8 ,the fashion8 ,a heathen emperor opposed1 to those who reproached him with not shaving his chin1 the austerity of his manners1 and replied3 ,i won't cast sheep's eyes around me1 embellish my phyz by making my mind hideous1 and1 in order to become agreeable1 cease to be a philosopher4 ,besides3 fortunately1 ,i neither like to give nor receive kisses4#ih ,footnote #ih3 ,the ,mysopogon of the emperor ,julian4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,x4 ,of the ,,people that ,,wear ,,beards4 ,,the ,capuchins1 ,carthusians1 all the ,portuguese monks1 the ,russian clergy and peasants1 all the priests of the ,greek ,church1 the ,german ,jews1 and the ,anabaptists1 are the only ones that wear beards in ,europe4 ,most of the inhabitants of ,asia wear whiskers or beards more or less long according to their age4 ,all the followers of the law of ,mahomet wear whiskers 'till they are forty1 when they let their beards grow out1 and preserve them afterwards all their lives4#ii ,footnote #ii3 ,it is in ,turkey1 where the dignity of a long beard is of the first importance4 ,all the north part of ,africa is inhabited by bearded people4 ,nature has denied a beard to the different nations of blacks who inhabit the interior and but little known parts of that quarter of the world4 ,in most of the islands of the ,pacific ocean1 the men preserve their beards1 and some of them stain them different colours4 ,the author of ,recherches philosophiques sur les ,amricains1 doctor ,robertson in his ,history of ,america1 and many other respectable writers1 maintain that all the original natives of ,america have absolutely no hair on their chins2 they except only the ,esquimaux1 7the inhabitants of ,north ,america17 who wear beards1 and are unlike the natives of the other parts4#ajj ,however1 captain ,cook says1 that the want of beard in some of the ,american nations1 proceeds less from a defect of nature than their custom of plucking them out by the roots to a greater or less degree3 this he observed at ,nootka1 in his third voyage round the world3 all the old men he saw on the west coast of ,america wore thick1 bushy beards1 but which were sleeked in the same manner as their hair generally is4 ,footnote #ajj3 ,it has been proved1 not long since1 that the ,esquimaux are descended from a colony of ,danes and ,norwegians who came through ,iceland1 and landed in this part of ,america1 several centuries before ,christopher ,columbus discovered it4 ,this is supported by the history of the times and by monuments of the arts and religion of the ,europeans found in that country4 ,see ,histoire des decouvertes de la navigation dans le ,nord1 by ,j4 ,r4 ,forster4 ,i have read a ,french manuscript by ,mr4 ,p4 ,d4 ,l4 ,c41 in which the ,european origin of the ,esquimaux is proved in the most incontestable manner4 ,in the inner parts of ,america1 ,captain ,carver met ,savages with long beards on their chins4 ,the following is his answer to those who have denied their having any4 8,after the age of puberty1 their bodies1 in their natural state1 are covered with hair in the same manner as those of the ,europeans4 ,the men1 indeed1 esteem a beard very unbecoming1 and take great pains to get rid of it1 nor is there any ever to be perceived on their faces1 except when they grow old1 and become inattentive to their appearance4444 8,the ,nawdowessies1 and the remote nations pluck them out with bent pieces of hard wood1 formed into a kind of nippers2 whilst those who have communication with the ,europeans procure from them wire1 which they twist into a screw or worm2 applying this to the part1 they press the rings together1 and with a sudden twitch draw out all the hairs that are enclosed between them40#aja ,carver's ,travels1 page #bbe4 ,the mask of ,montezuma's armour1 7the last king of ,mexico17 preserved at ,brussels1 and on which there are very long whiskers1 seems to confirm the observations of captains ,cook and ,carver3 it is evident that the ,americans would not have imitated this ornament of man1 if nature had not presented them with the model4 ,therefore1 the observations made by captain ,cook on the west coast of ,america1 those of captain ,carver in the inner part of the continent1 and the monument of the ancient customs of ,mexico1 which present us with ,montezuma's whisker'd mask1 prove that the assertion of the historians against ,american beards is at least doubtful1 is it is not destitute of foundation4 ,according to the observations of all travellers1 it is certain that the men who inhabit the temperate zones1 and are most advantageously favoured by nature1 are likewise most bearded3 it may likewise be remarked1 that those1 who bestow most attention to shaving1 are the most subject to petticoat government1 and consequently the vainest4 ,footnote #aja3 ,the islanders of ,sumatra pluck out their beards in the same manner4 7,see ,cook's third voyage1 vol4 iii47 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,chap4 ,,xi4 ,the ,,conclusion4 ,,will reason1 and the constant desire of nature at length determine the men of the present day to adopt the custom of long beards8 ,i don't believe it4 ,the power of working such a revolution is reserved for opinion and fashion4 ,but there are men in society who ought to be independent of these two wavering powers3 these are those that govern the people1 and whom religion and the state have entrusted with their interests and powers4 ,these mediators between ,god and man1 between the law and the citizen1 who are not of the ordinary class1 should be distinguished from those that are so4 ,regularity of conduct is not their first duty2 it is the art of giving themselves1 by means of their dress1 an air of wisdom and gravity3 all the virtues which their state requires are not sufficient1 they must likewise have the appearance4 ,people see only by their eyes2 it is only physical objects that have the power of captivating their veneration or exciting their contempt4 ,if a man1 who wishes to gain the respect and confidence of the public1 does not forsake the manners1 customs1 and fashions of the world1 he will soon perceive the respect and confidence he enjoyed disappear4 ,not only the man1 but the character with which he is invested1 will lose its consideration2 he will be like the wooden king which ,jupiter sent to the frogs3 his want of dignity drew on him the contempt and insults of his aquatic people4 ,of all the exterior means that can attract the admiration of the people1 a long beard is beyond a doubt the most powerful1 the only one that is not sought after1 the only natural one1 and which cannot be reasonably taxed with vanity or pride4 ,our forefathers always thought1 that both religion and morals were interested in the support of this ornament of man's face4 ,and truly1 what priests were ever more respected than those old white bearded ones of the ancient religions1 especially the patriarchs of the ,israelites8 ,in the beginning of ,christianity1 what veneration did not the grave1 stern faces of the fathers of the ,church command8 ,where are these divine men8 and where the respect due to the ministers of ,god8 ,if the constant seeing of objects1 which have the appearance of grandeur and majesty1 stir up the soul and give it a spring2 the sight of objects which have the appearance of weakness insensibly enervate and degrade it4 ,the soul appears in the face3 the man1 who beholds in another1 only the picture of effeminacy1 soon learns to withdraw his esteem from him1 and to no longer respect him2 pious veneration1 sincere consideration1 and cordial friendship1 are replaced by politeness and decorum1 which are only the gloss of interest and egotism2 people no longer fulfill the duties of society1 nor do good for their own satisfaction2 and if men's outward1 effeminate appearance is not the sole cause of all these evils1 it greatly contributes towards them4 ,in the vast regions of the ,east1 where long beards are highly esteemed1 hospitality1 filial piety1 and fidelity in engagements are the premier virtues3 men respect one another there4 ,let us take a people whom the same law subjects nearly to the same morals as ours1 the ,greek or ,latin ,christians who are under the ,mahometan government3 adultery1 among them1 is almost unknown1 and yet the women are not confined2 but they respect their husbands1 and these husbands wear long beards4 ,where is filial piety now-a-days8 will the sad wrinkled faces of our old men1 which incite our disgust and contempt1 prevail above the sweet majesty of a long1 white beard8 ,where is conjugal fidelity8 was it ever less observed than at the time1 and in the countries where men appear before a sex1 that ought to be under their subjection1 in an effeminate dress8 ,how many are there1 in this shameful age1 the sad victims of this truth6 ,i repeat it2 outward appearance is one of the great movers of a monarchial state1 especially among a superficial nation4 ,deprive subjects of their popular notions of decorum1 and of their customs1 and people in place of their ornaments1 manner1 plausibleness1 and grave imposing appearance3 you will destroy most of the social virtues2 there will be no more energy nor spirit in the people2 all their mental faculties will become languid1 if you cease to feed their imaginations with this aliment4 ,an extravagant turn of mind has produced many a hero2 reason1 by analysing every thing1 has discouraged and slackened the course of our actions1 and luxury1 c4 c4 have completed the work4 ,but what a generation is ours6 ,in times of yore1 ,diogenes1 with a lantern in his hand1 went through all the streets of ,athens in broad day to seek a man3 what could he find now in our great capital8 breathing skeletons1 women1 children1 horses1 and that multitude of wheel carriages1 the incommodious use of which crushes some to pieces and deprives others of the little strength they had left4 ,would he find men among these reverend gentry1 whose toilet is their chief employment8 ,their chief merit is a mind fraught with borrowed trifles4 ,look at this modern ,chrysostom1 powdered and close shaved1 repairing to an old coquet's1 a girl's of the town1 or the minister's4 ,every where he repeats the same flattering phrases4 ,with the one1 an intriguer or base flatterer2 with the other1 an absolute libertine or a ridiculous puppy1 he becomes every where necessary animal2 in short1 a downright plaything and piece of toilet furniture4 ,nothing gives this charming fellow any uneasiness2 he is any thing they will have him1 and will think just what they please3 in a word1 he performs the dapper parson admirably4 ,would our wise ,athenian have found men among our ,parisians8 ,the children are men1 and the men1 old men1 and they persist in fleeing from nature1 which begins to be tired of pursuing them4 ,by their weak1 frivolous minds1 and pale effeminate looks1 one would take them for women in disguise4 ,cloyed with all sorts of enjoyments1 they know no other virtue than the talent of being agreeable1 nor other vice than its reverse4 ,would he at length find men in these delicate warriors who daily give their subalterns the example of effeminacy8 ,but do you1 ,french soldiers1 the precious remains of patriotism and national valour1 always preserve the outward appearance of it2 be particularly attentive to keep in your countenances this sign of valour1 vigour1 and intrepidity2 retain those fierce looking whiskers which are the attribute of heroes2 and remember that they were the ornament of ,turenne1 ,cond1 c4 ,it would therefore be advantageous for those1 who1 by their situation or dignity1 are intended to command others1 to instruct them1 or to merit their confidence1 to let their beards grow out quite1 whilst the soldier should only wear whiskers1 which give a man a martial1 brisk look4 ,should the example of some great men1 or some political event1 at length revive the mode of long beards1 our delicateness and urbanity might again be reconciled with the majesty of man4 ,would it not be possible for people of good taste to give the beard an agreeable form1 in the same manner as was done some centuries ago8 ,this attention1 employing those who take a great deal of pains about adorning their pretty persons1 would divert them perhaps from a more dangerous luxury4 ,besides the respect of one man to another1 and of one sex to that which is its superior2 this custom would produce another advantage4 ,the resemblance of the two sexes seems to incline men to those shameful debaucheries which formerly soiled the glory of ,greece and ,rome1 debaucheries that one hardly dares mention1 and which a more particular distinction between men and women would greatly contribute to destroy4 ,it can never be denied2 a man should appear what nature made him3 this is the opinion of an illustrious philosopher and profound moralist4#ajb ,i cannot better conclude than with his own words4 8,a perfect man and a perfect woman should no more be alike in mind than in face3 these silly imitations of sex are the height of folly2 they make the wise man laugh and the lover run away4444 ,in short1 ,i take it1 that1 unless one be five feet six inches high1 have a firm1 tenor voice1 and a beard on his chin1 he should not pretend to be a man40 ,footnote #ajb3 ,john ,james ,rousseau4 ,,the ,,end4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,the changes listed in the ,,errata have been applied to this book4 ,missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected4 ,typographical errors were silently corrected4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book4 ,text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics74