The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1853-02-26

now, III tuoSe Gu tiileS, tWo VI 'ulee
hairs from the kings beard were the
sure and certain pledge of safety how
solemn deeds aud acts of govern ment
were sealed with melted wax, IN which
a HAIR or two from the kings beard made
all complete and legal or how, as to-
keHs of favor, small portion of the
sovereign's beard would be sent to some
beloved courtier, who treasured it more
than Jewels how, in the reign of Cath
crime, queen of Portugal. John de Cas-.
tro took the castle of Diu, in India, but
how he was obliged to ask the people of
Goa to lend him one thousand pistoles;
and, as a security, sent them one of his
whiskers, saying, -"All the gold in the
world cannot equal what | now send,
but now deposit it with you as a secu-
rity for the money" So charmed were
the people OF Goa with this conduct
that they sent him back the money and
the whisker too. How in the days Of
our own King Henry VIII, when the
good Sir Thomas More was brough t to
the block-and really in those tronb-
lous times it seemed very lottery
whether ones head was high in favor at
Westminster or Windsor, or high IN
public odium at the Bridge-gate-he
lifted up his beard and permitted it to
tall on the farther side Of the block,
saying, in his quiet way, only beard
has not committed treason, and it would
be an in Justice to make it suher;' how,
when in France, Louis XIII. ascended
the throne, and was without beard, all
the courtiers except Sully shaved their
chins; and how, when that wise man,
with his long beard, appeared at court,
the rhavelings laughed at his grave APP
pearance; which ridicule drew from the
minister the remark, "Sire, when your
father did me the honor to consult me
on his great and important affairs, the
first thing he did was TO send away all
the builoons and stage-players at the
court!'-how, in Spain, when Philip
Y. succeeded to the throne, and with a
shavea chin began to reign, the fash
ion was initiated by all classes, but with
great reluctance and sorrow; for, said
they, "Since we have lost our boards
We have lost our souls !"
Gar Peter, in his most successful eff
forts Tor the civilization Of his land, in
sisted on his ubjects shaving their boards.
Hair and the fashion Of wearing it
have even been a matter Of dispute.
Loudly the Church denounced both
flowing locks and flowing boards as 'bur-
dies of vanity;" but though it sometimes
happened that a temporary reformation
was effected, the old fashion came back
again, and the galants of the age in the
lordlv Strand or 's-walk, the Riato
of Venice, the public walk of Paris, the
Grand Square of St. Peter at Rome, or
the fashionable resorts of Madrid, still
sported their haunty locks and perlumed
boards.
But enough of boards; let us turn to
the rh-trmlning barber. 1t is an old
trade. We find that out by the fact
that it was introduced into Rome so ma
ny centuries ago, and even then that it
had gained some high repute in Sicily.
In England the BARRIERS formed an an
cient and honorable body. The com
pany of Barber-C Outrageous was incor-
porated by Edward the Fourth, "but
confirmed" says Howal. "by every king
and queen since" 1t was first institu-
ted by the good offices Of one Thomas
Morestead, who was one of the sheriffs
of London. and barber to the kings
Henry w., v. and W.; and his efforts
to establish a company were continued
by Jacques Fries, physician, and Will
liam Hobbs, barber to Edward w., who,
as we have seen, graciously granted their
request. The barber's shop in those
days was the resort of people above the
ordinary level of society, who went to
the barber either for the cure of wounds
or to undergo some surgical operation,
or, asst was then called. to be "trimmpd,"
term which signifed either shaving
the beard or cutting and curling the
hair The shop was usually furnished
with lutte, viol, or some other musi-
Cal instrument, that the patients or Gus
toners might beguile the time they had
to wait before they could engage the
services of the barber-surgeon. The
pole, with its painted tillet OF blue or red,
indicated that the professor was blood.
letter, the ribbon representing the band.
age, which, during the operation of
bleeding, was twisted round the arm Of
the patient, and the pole itself a Brob-
dignagian specimen of the staff which
he commonly held.
Time works wonders. A change has
indeed come over the trade of the bar.
ber-surgeon, and wondrous difference
exists between the old blood-letter sur
geon of the past, surrounded by court
gallants, and holding no small place in
public estimation as man of science
and PHILOSOPHICAL the cheap barber,