"My son, and well-beloved Rocjean, _zitto!_ and let ME talk. Know, then, that I did permit my beard luxuriant length--for a reason. Thou dost not know, but I do, that among the ancient Egyptians they worshiped in their deity the male and female principle combined; so the exponents of this belief, the Egyptian priests, endeavored in their attire to show a mingling of the male and female sex; they wore long garments like women, _vergogna!_ they wore long hair, _guai!_ and they SHAVED THEIR FACES! It pains me to say, that their indecent example is followed even to this day, by the priests of what should be a purer and better religion. "_Silenzio!_ I have not yet said my say. Among Eastern nations, their proverbs, and what is better, their customs, show a powerful protest against this impure old faith. You have seen the flowing beards of the Mohammedans, especially the Turks, and their short-shaved heads of hair, and you may have heard of their words of wisdom: "'Long hair, little brain.' "And that eloquent sentence: "'Who has no beard has no authority.' "They have other sayings, which I can not approve of; for instance: "'Do not buy a red-haired person, do not sell one, either; if you have any in the house, drive them away.' "I say I do not approve of this, for the majority of the English have red heads, and people who want to buy my pictures I never would drive out of my house, _mai!_" 'Come,' said Caper, 'Leonardo no longer speaks when there is a question of buying or selling. Assume the first person.' 'Another excellent reason for artists in Rome to wear beards is, that where their foreign names can not be pronounced, they are often called by the size, color, or shape, of this face-drapery. This is particularly the case in the Cafe Greco, where the waiters, who have to charge for coffee, etc., when the artist does not happen to have the change about him, are compelled to give him a name on their books, and in more than one instance, I know that they are called from their beards, I have a memorandum of these nicknames: I am called _Barbone_, or Big-bearded; and you, Caper, are down as _Sbarbato Inglese_, the Shaved Englishman.' 'Hm!' spoke Caper, 'I an't an Englishman, and I don't shave; my beard has to come yet.' 'What is my name?' asked Uncle Bill. '_Puga Sempre_, or He Pays Always. A countryman of mine is called _Baffi Rici_, or Big Moustache; another one, _Barbetta_, Little Beard; another, _Barbaccia_, Shabby Beard; another, _Barba Nera_, Black Beard; and, of course, there is a _Barba Rossa_, or Red Beard. Some of the other names are funny enough, and would by no means please their owners. There is _Zoppo Francese_, the Lame Frenchman; _Scapiglione_, the Rowdy; _Pappagallo_, the Parrot; _Milordo_; _Furioso_; and one friend of ours is known, whenever he forgets to pay two baiocchi for his coffee, as _San Pietro_!'