The Philosophy of Beards: A Lecture Physiological, Artistic & HistoricalGowing, Thomas S.
Philosophy
The Philosophy of Beards: A Lecture Physiological, Artistic & Historical
Gowing, Thomas S.
Beards
About the same time also in Germany the moustache was partially
substituted for the Beard, as appears by Berckemej’s Europ. Antiq. p.
294, who under the year 1564 says, the Archbishop Sigismund introduced
in Magdeburgh the custom of shaving off the full Beard and wearing
instead a moustache. The year in which this Beard-reformation
(de-formation?) happened, was contained in this pentameter—
“Longa sIgIsMVnDo barba IVbente perIt.”
“Sigismund commanding, the long Beard perished in
MDLVV (= X) IIII. or 1564.”
A feeble reflection of some of the heads of this period were exhibited
on the walls of the lecture room, as the sagacious Burleigh; the
adventurous Raleigh; the rash but brave Essex; Nottingham, the High
Admiral who scattered the Armada; Gresham the Merchant Prince, who found
his Beard no hindrance to business; and the Poet of Poets, whether
ancient or modern, Shakspeare.
As might be expected, the dramatic literature of the time is full of
allusions to that feature which men still honored and admired. Lear can
find no more pathetic outburst of insulted majesty, in addressing his
vile daughter Goneril, than the words—
“Art not ashamed to look upon this Beard?”
and when Regan insults the faithful Gloster, the latter exclaims—
“By the kind Gods! ’Tis most ignobly done
To pluck me by the Beard!”
In a more mocking humour, Shakspeare makes Cressida say of Troilus’s
chin, “alas poor chin! many a wart is richer!” And Rosalind to Orlando,
“I will pardon you for not having a neglected Beard, for truly your
having in Beard is a younger brother’s revenue.”
Then as characteristics, we have the black, white, straw-colored,
orange-tawney, purple-in-grain, and perfect yellow. The soldier Bearded
like a pard; the justice with Beard of formal cut; the sexton’s hungry
Beard; and the Beard of the general’s cut; and that fine passage, which
you will pardon my quoting, if only to supply an obvious correction
naturally lost sight of by _Beardless_ commentators. If instead of the
puerile conceit, _stairs_ of sand, we read _layers_ of sand, we not only
restore metaphorical beauty but literal truth; for what is more
deceitful than a layer of sand, and the Beard is “a layer of hair.”
“There is no one so simple but assumes
Some mark of virtue on his outward parts;
How many cowards, whose hearts are all as false
As _layers_ of sand, wear yet upon their chins
The Beards of Hercules and frowning Mars,
Who, inward searched, have livers white as milk:
And these assume but valour’s excrement
To make themselves redoubted.”[29]
Footnote 29:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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