Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-02-24
Rnnrds

the question, on this occaslon)-t TO permit The
Overing which nature has given them to remain,
as been matter Of controversy from early ages
the first ages OF the race, the Beard Party had II
leir own way. The anti.Beard Party had its ori'
in in Egypt, probably headed by few "strong
inded men," But they were not brazen enough to
etirely dlvest their faces Of the ornament which
Rture had provided; they merely trimmed the cor
rr of their boards, or, in modern vernacnlar, they
lpre goatees. In time 1t became subject Of con-
tbversy among the lsraeites, but Moses put that
9esIon at rest by issuing order-t Lev. 18Th
Capter "Neither shalt thou the corners OF thy
bard" Nothing short of death in the family, OF
SINE other great grief, ever led ancient Hebrew
tshave. lie would laiiy at Jericho six months
raher than be without beard on The iashiona-
b. promenades Of Jerusalem The Philadelphia
register furnishes interesting historical facts on
tins subject which give below
SIN early Greece, BARRIERS unknown. The
shaving theory not generally discussed in that
country until the reign Of Philip. This monarch
shaved and his son, Alexander, being young
man who went ahead when he was he
was right, called halt entering into Asia
with his army, and would not stir until he had had
every soldier clean shaved. Plntarch records the
fact, and Secretary Dobbin, who keeps a Pumrch
under his pillow, duubt had Aiexander's order in
view when he issued his famous circular on
whiskers.
Varro the historian tells US that there were no bar
one was smuggled in from Sicily. A confirmation
OF his statement is the fact that Roman statues ante
rior to that period are all bearded. Al first, the
young Romans only trimmed little; but one morn
ing, Sclp'o Africans, who, though an old fOgS, as.
pred like Everett, TO lead the young men Of his day,
appeared in the Senate close shaved. 1t was a
coupdeat; Cato and other conservatives rallied and
argued; but the day a fatal one for boards
Several centuries passed away before any thing like
reaction took place. Adrian beard because
he had warts on his chin which the Empress Sabi-
ma could not abide. Several Emperors alter him
tried TO restore the fashion Of beard wearing; Ju-
han, the Apostate, went SO far as 10 waite sting
ing satire against shaving. But his efforts of
no avail; shaving had grown into a national custom,
and custom will DEFY the hardest Teormer it
were easier TO introduce Mexico into the Union than
the bloomer among ladies; and to abolish the 'pe-
cullar institution" than the stove-pipe hat
The Christian Church continued It's opposition 10
shaving, as late The beginning Of the ninth CEN
fury. Wearing the bard was one way of proclaim.
ing to the world their proteslation against the Pa
gan civilization. The ApostoGcaI Constitutions,
formally enjom long beard, (oportet pretea non
6a16e PiIaEm corrumPere, book L, chap. 81. ST.
Clement, the Roman, cites LeViticus, and hurls
anathemas al every shaver, on the ground that God
created every man in his own image, and that it is
sacrllege to reap the chin. ST. Clement, of Alex
andria, ST. jerome, st. Cyprian, Tertuian, and
the other Fathers ot the Church condemned those
who shaved as dshgurug in order comply with the
requirements OF luxurious and effeminate ciyiiza-
ton, The Carthage Council, in 1893, ordered that
cergymen should wear short hair, and long boards,
Glorious CONAN nut7idt nee baIban radat, canon
44), This order was renewed in the sixth century
by the Council of Barcelona. But the Western
Church, like The Emperors, was obliged to yield to
the omnipotence of fashion. About The beginning
Of the ninth century, Pope Leo the Third shaved.
This act was the signal Of a furious dssension
rlx nh hun Apad 4
several occasions barely failed TO produce the most
serious schisms. From that lime, however, with
the exception OF ephemeral reaction in the six
teenh century, the Western Church and Western
civilization have been distinguished by he shaven
chin; while The Greek Church and Oriental civil.
cation have rejoiced in the flowing b ard.
For century or two after Leo, The Patriarchs at
Constantnope continued TO excommunicate the cler-
gy OF the Romish Church for shaving, whe the
latter prOlessed 10 be Indifferent 10 the subject
The Council, held in 1881, AT Limoges, France, or
dered The clergy to shave but did not make it
matter of religious doctrine In alusion the rigid.
iIy Of the Greek Church on the opposite side Of the
question, the Council sadt'And in this, they (the
Greeks) cannot blame us, nor we them,' but Greg
DRY the Seventh would stand no triling on this sub.
jec;. In 1913, he called Council at Chrome,
which prohibited beat DIS under the severest penal
ties. Some Of the clergy resisted, aid among them
the Archbishop Of Cagiar. Gregory wrote to the
time TO obge all the ecclesiasiics under your jurs-
dic'on TO shave, and to con6scale the property OF
the recusahts 10 the profit the Church OF CagIiar.
This same Gregory formed league with the Duke
Of Sardinia and other snyeregns for The purpose Of
war OF determination against the beard.
We have said that in the sixteenth century, there
was an ephemeral reaction. II was due in part to
the revival Of ancient learning, and to an admira-
ton for ancient art and, part also the general
relaxation of ecclesiastical discipline. Pope Julius
the Second, in 1902, spnrted long and floating
beard, but it came proving his ruin. II the
clergy had opposed the introduction Of shaving, they
opposed the re-inrodnction Of beards with equal
violence. For two centuries, the popes vain tried
to carry their point, AT last In 1900, Clement the
Eleventh. sacrificed his moustaches to the peace of
the Church, and the general etiquette Of Europe.
Since that time there have been various attempts
10 revive the fashion Of wearing the beard. None
of them have been successful. Throug bout (he
whole OF the Occident, bare faces are the fashion,
and long beard is sure sign that the wearer
wishes TO rebel against the leading influences Of
ciety.