We find in the days of Queen Anne such designations as black riding-wigs,
bag-wigs, and nightcap-wigs. These were in addition to the long, formally
curled perukes. In 1706, the English, led by Marlborough, gained a great
victory on the battlefield of Ramillies, and that gave the title to a long
wig described as "having a long, gradually diminishing, plaited tail,
called the 'Ramillie-tail,' which was tied with a great bow at the top,
and a smaller one at the bottom." It is stated in Read's _Weekly Journal_
of May 1st, 1736, in a report of the marriage of the Prince of Wales, that
"the officers of the Horse and Foot Guards wore Ramillie periwigs by his
Majesty's order." We meet in the reign of George II. other forms of the
wig, and more titles for them; the most popular, perhaps, was the
pigtail-wig. The pig-tails were worn hanging down the back, or tied up in
a knot behind, as shown in our illustration. This form of wig was popular
in the army, but in 1804, orders were given for it to be reduced to seven
inches in length, and finally, in 1808, to be cut off.
[Illustration: THE PIG-TAIL WIG.]
[Illustration: BAG-WIG.]
Here is a picture of an ordinary man; by no means can he be regarded as a
beau. He is wearing a common bag-wig, dating back to about the middle of
the eighteenth century. The style is modified to suit an individual
taste, and for one who did not follow the extreme fashion of his time. In
this example may be observed the sausage curls over the ear, and the
frizziness over the forehead.
We have directed attention to the large periwigs, and given a portrait of
the Earl of Albemarle wearing one. In the picture of the House of Commons
in the time of Sir Robert Walpole we get an excellent indication of how
popular the periwig was amongst the law-makers of the land. Farquhar, in a
comedy called "Love and a Bottle," brought out in 1698, says, "a full wig
is imagined to be as infallible a token of wit as the laurel."
Tillotson is usually regarded as the first amongst the English clergy to
adopt the wig. He said in one of his sermons: "I can remember since the
wearing of hair below the ears was looked upon as a sin of the first
magnitude, and when ministers generally, whatever their text was, did
either find or make occasion to reprove the great sin of long hair; and if
they saw any one in the congregation guilty in that kind, they would point
him out particularly, and let fly at him with great zeal." Dr. Tillotson
died on November 24th, 1694.
[Illustration: ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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