Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-10-29
ABOUT Boards.

The beard, being the peculiar feature Of the
grayer sex, has never been subject TO quite 80
many caprices of fashion as the hair; but the
attributes, SO to speak, of that manly gift Of
nature have always been highly esteemed and
associated with the most serious events Of life.
From the most ancient times, in the East the
beard has been treated with superstitious regard.
The Egyptians, who were not thick-bearded
race, shaved all but the very tip of the chin
and this bit Of beard was evidently highly vene-
rated, for it is seen most carefully preserved 10
II special case both in the statues and in the
mummy-case efigies but when in mourning,
the whole beard was left to grow. The fashion
of all people but the Egyptians seems to have
been 10 wear the natural beard, and the monu-
ments of Nineveh show that they bestowed the
most elaborate care on their boards. The beard
was the badge of the philosopher, though prob
ably there were wise men without boards, for
Persius distinguishes Socrates as the mggistr
6drbdtas and in after-tmes when shaving was
the fashion set by Alexander the Great, the
beard was assumed in such ostentatious proper
tions BY the philosophers, that the saying arose,
a long beard does not make a philosopher; and
when would be philosopher was found out, it
was said, " his wisdom stopped at his beard
just as we say can the wisdom's in the wig"
Shaving was ordered by Alexander the Grea for
the MacedOnans, because the beard was found
to be too good hold for an enemy in battle,
and the fashion was followed very generally, but
NOT by the Athenians 1t must have been aboat
this time tB. c 300) that shaving became the
custom amongst the Greeks and Romans, when
according to Varro and Pliny, the first barber
was brought to Rome from Sicily, and Scipio set
the fashion of shaving every day. Then, In
fact, it was not considered decent to go unshaVen
for day, as it lately was with us and when
Marcus Livus, after being banished, was re-
stored, he was ordered by the Censors to shave
hpfcra bnin ad tn rab at ha hnuaa
The Emperor Hadrian restored the beard, as
Piutarch says, to hide some scars upon his face,
but more probably the Emperor, with his taste
for works of art and natural beauty, wished to
recover this ornament OF the sex, and to put an
end to the practice which made men look so
much more like women than nature iniended.--
The Fathers Patiiarchs of the primitive
Christian churches wore their beards Clement
of Alexandria says, - The beard adds to the
beauty Of man, as fine head OF hair does to
that of n woman !" and Tertullian, who lived in
the third century, oiIes particular canon which
forbade the priests to shave. The Council Of
Barcelona, held in $40, says: "Let NO ecclesi-
astic allow his hair to grow shave his beard "
The Popes wore the beard until the separation
OF the Greek and Latin churches in the eighth
century, when Leo Ill. and all the Latin clergy
cut off their boards a mark of distinction
from the Greek priests, who retain theirs to this
day. Pope Juhu XII. was deposed in 963 for
having, among other crimes, worn his beard.
Iu England, the custom of the ancient Gaus
of wearing the moustache only was followed as
Cesar expressly describes, by the Brtons;
though the Druds and the bards retained cir
boards, aud the Welsh commonly wore the nous
tache alone, in the ancient style, SO late as the
twelfth century. The Anglo -Saxons preferred
the beard they generally cultivated lorked
beard, and the Danes often three-forked one.
In these times indeed, the prejudice agalnsta
man who either had no beard or shaved was very
strong. He was often reproached q coward
for no other reason The seal of Edward the
Coufessor in the British Museum shows him
with the beard. The Normans grew thick and
busby boards; but William the Conqueror as if
to distinguish himself from the Saxons, came
shaven man William Rufus wore his beard, as
did all persons Of rank at the time. The beard
continued till the First Edward, when the nous
tache only was assumed, and was the fashion till
Henry VIII. started the beard again and dur
ing the heroic period of Elizabeth the we'll
trimmed manly beard, as we see it in the pOr-
traits of Raleigh and Bacon, became universal.
Clean shaving came into favor again with the
degenerate days of Charles l d, partly, we
imagine. from the effeminate tastes of the age,
but chiefly from its being impossible 10 wear any
hair on the face when such monstrous wigs all
but smOthered the features. The reign of the
barber was absolute till the time Of "the FIRST
gentleman in Europe" who may be said to have
lhfChtuu AOAb hPPAofSN oAyAS Va NhAoheA
known as "tho mutton-chop," and we believe
also the brushed-up and rough style of hair
(though his Royal Highness's was a superb wg)
called the "Brutus" William w. was too plain
sailing parsonage to think of the fashions;
but with the reign of Queen Victoria the general
desire to be more natural. which means to be
more elegant, has taught ladies the most becom-
ing modes Of dressing the hair of which we can
find any record. And as to the boards, it is
curious to see that in this, if in other respect,
the age manifests the taste of an Elizabethan
era.
The beard is now so very generally worn Gu
Rdturel with us, as it has been for longer time
by the continental nations and the Americans,
that the movement appears to have settled
down into regular custom Those who thus
make themselves comfortable and avoid the
morning irritation of the razor may now rest
pretty safe from the asidos of hrsute mon
strosity," or horrd cresture,' with which at
one time their entrance into polite society was
met. The fashion has become 80 far accepted
that boards OF every shape and color are to be
seen, from the golden and silky growth of the
young Hercules, to the stiff iron gray of the
middle.aged man, aud the aowisg white Of the
comfortable old genteman.-Temple-B Bar.