The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-05-20

be told what vast valuc the Turks set
upon their boards Sooner than be dc.
spoiled of them they would prefer the
ignominy Of being publicly whipped or
branded, nay, even accept death itself,
Only slaves who attend the seraglios are
shaycn, as a token Of seryitude. The
Arab is known to preserve his beard with
scrupulous care, almost bordering on de-
votion in all probability out Of respect
for the Islam prophet who wore this ma
icstc mark of manhood. The amounting
of the beard with unguents is traccablc
to extremely remote times, and was con.
stantly practiscd by the Jews and Ro.
maus The Turks still adhere to this
custom. On occasions of staid visits one
Of the ceremonies observed is to sprinkle
scented water on the beard Of the visi-
tant, and then to perfume it with alces-
wood.
Among the ancient Greeks and Ro-
mans the beard was an object of great
veneration. Not only SO, but it was con.
sidcrcd to possess some occult charm, and
regarded as a sacred pledge of confidence
and protection. According to the Gre
clan mythology, when Thctis sought to
avenge the wrongs of her son, she en-
braced the knees of Jupiter and touched
his beard in supplication. Another illus
traton of this is presented in the plain
tive story of Dolon and Diomed. The
former thought if he could but touch the
warriors heard his life would not have
been forfeited The Greeks did not com.
mence to discard the beard until the
time of Alexander the Great, who or
dercd the Macedonians to cut off the
same, simply as precautionary measure,
lest when in battle such would afford the
enemy an undue advantage. This prac-
tice was abandoned in Justinian's reign,
when long boards once more came into
vogue. The philosophers, however, al
ways distinguished themselves from the
vulgar in this respect by suffering their
boards to grow, irrespective of the i'm.
pcrial mandate to the contrary.
With the Normans the beard was held
in adherence somewhat similar to the
ancient Brtons, who contentcd them.
selves with the cultivation of the hair on
the @gP'Si 10 G grow TA6 6y 1Gc-' iGs Angosazons
When William the Conqueror, among
other acts of oppression, compelled the
English to cut off their entire boards, the
edict was regarded as a wanton display
of authority and tyranny. Some prefer
red abandoning their country rather than
conform to so intolerant and insolent a
decree. Peter of Russia issued a similar
mandate. In both Instances such arbi.
trary laws were universally disregarded
Sometimes they led to popular out
bursts, 1t is said that upon Harold dis
patching scouts into the camp Of William
|. they returned in ccstacy at the cheer
ing prospect Of speedy victory. They
reported that their enemies were not sol
diers but priests, having all shaven faces
Singular to say, on the seal of William
} the Conqueror he appears with both mus
tache and beard.
The fashion Of wearing boards obtaine,
in France till Louis XIII. ascended tn
: throne. The nrnmatnrn d"-si. or us sire
iienry ~, caused u revolution in thi
, custom, though the duke Of Sully did no
. conform to the dress of the courtlers
g Being once rdiculed for his obstinacy, h
, said to the king, Sire, when your illus
S trious father did me the honor to consul
4 me on his weighty affairs, the first act G
his was to send off all the buffoons an
t stage-dancers of his court Boards wer
n again worn in the reign of Louis XIV
a Conde, Corneille and Moliere, like tn
5 ancient kings of France, took much prid
e in their boards. Duprat, the famou
c Bishop Of Clermont, who built the jest
? its church at Paris, is reputed to hav
had the finest beard ever known-'to
= fine beard for bishop, as the canor
e of his cathedral thought. Hence the
It came to the rude resolve to denude hi
# of it, and actually made the attempt OF
day in the church The prelate, percei'
II ing the dean and others with the instrl
N ments Of torture in the shape Of scissor
=. razor, ETC., made the best haste he cou
y out of the edifice, and fed some leagu
d off to the castle Of Beauregard. Here
J. pincd, and at length died, it is sal
le through sheer vexation.
n The eastern and western churches ha'
'r not only had controversies rcspectll
he points of doctrine and discipline thu
have had disputes concerning beard
III One church cnoired that ecclesiastl
L should wear them. Another church po
r lively prohibited this usage by expire
er constitutions de radendis barbis Ev
as the Greeks were scandalized at the bear
al lees images of saints in Roman Catho
sll places of worship The Roman cler
once assumed the rig ght of legislating
ed boards. The hirsute ornament of llen
ty l., for example, was condemned by SOL
ed priests from the pulpit aud so persi
's emily that the king, to get rid of su
fulminatious, hai to yield to their {
l., maul Yet, Notwithstanding this, in
'at years we find the beard on the efigy
he Henry IL. La after time the beard v
ed carefully cultivated, and worn with pri
'us How touching that incident at the exc
of ton of Sir Thomas More, when he dr.
.ch his teeming beard a-ils from the ia
ow AK, aud navely remarked to the exc
ed toner, My beard has not been guilty
mt treason Tile Darh Blue.
re-
PoIITICAL PRoGREss ~ AUSTRIA
US. Austria has gone much farther tow
red amalgating the various clinical elemo