the hair growing on the chin and adjacent parts of the face, chiefly of adults and males.

Various have been the ceremonies and customs of most nations in regard of the beard. The Tartars, out of a religious principle, waged a long and bloody war with the Persians, declaring them infidels, merely because they would not cut their whiskers after the rite of Tartary; and we find, that a considerable branch of the religion of the ancients consisted in the management of their beards. The Greeks wore their beards till the time of Alexander the Great; that prince having ordered the Macedonians to be shaved, for fear it should give a handle to their enemies. According to Pliny, the Romans did not begin to shave till the year of Rome 454, when P. Ticinius brought over a flock of barbers from Sicily.—Persons of quality had their children shaved the first time by others of the same or greater quality, who, by this means, became godfather or adoptive father of the children. Anciently, indeed, a person became godfather of the child by barely touching his beard: thus historians relate, that one of the articles of the treaty between Alaric and Clovis was, that Alaric should touch the beard of Clovis to become his godfather.

As to ecclesiastics, the discipline has been very different on the article of beards: sometimes they have been enjoined to wear them, from a notion of too much effeminacy in shaving, and that a long beard was more suitable to the ecclesiastical gravity; and sometimes again they were forbid it, as imagining pride to lurk Beard. beneath a venerable beard. The Greek and Roman churches have been long together by the ears about their beards; since the time of their separation, the Romanists seem to have given more into the practice of shaving, by way of opposition to the Greeks; and have even made some express constitutions de radendis barbis. The Greeks, on the contrary, espouse very zealously the cause of long beards, and are extremely scandalized at the beardless images of saints in the Roman churches. By the statutes of some monasteries, it appears, that the lay-monks were to let their beards grow, and the priests among them to shave; and that the beards of all that were received into the monasteries, were blessed with a great deal of ceremony. There are still extant the prayers used in the solemnity of consecrating the beard to God, when an ecclesiastic was shaven.

Le Comte observes, that the Chinese affect long beards extravagantly; but nature has balked them, and only given them very little ones, which, however, they cultivate with infinite care: the Europeans are strangely envied by them on this account, and esteemed the greatest men in the world. Chrysofotum observes, that the kings of Persia had their beards wove or matted together with gold thread; and some of the first kings of France had their beards knotted and buttoned with gold.

Among the Turks, it is more infamous for any one to have his beard cut off, than among us to be publicly whipt or branded with a hot iron. There are abundance in that country, who would prefer death to this kind of punishment. The Arabs make the preservation of their beards a capital point of religion, because Mahomet never cut his. Hence the razor is never drawn over the Grand Signior's face. The Persians, who clip them, and shave above the jaw, are reputed heretics. It is likewise a mark of authority and liberty among them, as well as among the Turks. They who serve in the feraglio, have their beards shaven, as a sign of their servitude. They do not suffer it to grow till the sultan has set them at liberty, which is bestowed as a reward upon them, and is always accompanied with some employment.

The most celebrated ancient writers, and several modern ones, have spoken honourably of the fine beards of antiquity. Homer speaks highly of the white beard of Nestor and that of old King Priam. Virgil describes Mezentius's to us, which was so thick and long as to cover all his breast; Chryssippus praises the noble beard of Timothy, a famous player on the flute. Pliny the younger tells us of the white beard of Euphrates, a Syrian philosopher; and he takes pleasure in relating the respect mixed with fear with which it inspired the people. Plutarch speaks of the long white beard of an old Laconian, who being asked why he let it grow so, replied, 'Tis that, seeing continually my white beard, I may do nothing unworthy of its whiteness. Strabo relates, that the Indian philosophers, the Gymnosophists, were particularly attentive to make the length of their beards contribute to captivate the veneration of the people. Diodorus, after him, gives a very particular and circumstantial history of the beards of the Indians. Juvenal does not forget that of Antilochus the son of Nestor. Fenelon, in describing a priest of Apollo in all his magnificence, tells us that he had a white beard down to his girdle. But Peritus seems to outdo all these authors: this poet was so convinced that a beard was the symbol of wisdom, that he thought he could not bestow a greater encomium on the divine Socrates, than by calling him the bearded matter, Magistrum barbatum.

While the Gauls were under their sovereignty, none but the nobles and Christian priests were permitted to wear long beards. The Franks having made themselves masters of Gaul, assumed the same authority as the Romans; the bondmen were expressly ordered to shave their chins; and this law continued in force until the entire abolishment of servitude in France. So likewise, in the time of the first race of kings, a long beard was the sign of nobility and freedom. The kings, as being the highest nobles in their kingdom, were emulous likewise to have the largest beard: Eginard, secretary to Charlemagne, speaking of the last kings of the first race, says, they came to the assemblies in the Field of Mars in a carriage drawn by oxen, and sat on the throne with their hair dishevelled, and a very long beard, erine profusa, barba submessa, folio referent, et speciem dominantis effingere.

To touch any one's beard, or cut off a bit of it, was, among the first French, the most sacred pledge of protection and confidence. For a long time all letters that came from the sovereign had, for greater sanction, three hairs of his beard in the seal. There is still in being a charter of 1121, which concludes with the following words: Quod ut ratus et stabile perseveret in posterium, praefatis scripto sigilli mei robur apposui cum tribus pilis barbe meae.

Several great men have honoured themselves with the surname of Bearded. The emperor Constantine is distinguished by the epithet of Pogonata, which signifies the Bearded. In the time of the Crusades, we find there was a Geoffrey the Bearded; Baldwin IV. earl of Flanders, was furnamed Handsome-beard; and, in the illustrious house of Montmorenci, there was a famous Bouchard, who took a pride in the surname of Bearded: he was always the declared enemy of the monks, without doubt, because of their being shaved.

In the tenth century, we find, that King Robert (of France) the rival of Charles the Simple, was not more famous for his exploits than for his long white beard. In order that it might be more conspicuous to the soldiers when he was in the field, he used to let it hang down outside his cuirass: this venerable sight encouraged the troops in battle, and served to rally them when they were defeated.

A celebrated painter in Germany, called John Mayo, had such a large beard that he was nicknamed John the Bearded: it was so long that he wore it fastened to his girdle; and though he was a very tall man, it would hang upon the ground when he stood upright. He took the greatest care of this extraordinary beard; sometimes he would untie it before the emperor Charles V. who took great pleasure to see the wind make it fly against the faces of the lords of his court.

In England, the famous chancellor Thomas More, one of the greatest men of his time, being on the point of falling a victim to court intrigues, was able, when on the fatal scaffold, to procure respect to his beard in presence of all the people, and saved it, as one may say, Beard. say, from the fatal stroke which he could not escape himself. When he had laid his head on the block, he perceived that his beard was likely to be hurt by the axe of the executioner; on which he took it away, saying, My beard has not been guilty of treason; it would be an injustice to punish it.

But let us turn our eyes to a more flattering object, and admire the beard of the best of kings, the ever precious beard of the great Henry IV. of France, which diffused over the countenance of that prince a majestic sweetness and amiable opennes, a beard ever dear to posterity, and which should serve as a model for that of every great king, as the beard of his illustrious minister should for that of every minister. But what dependence is there to be put on the stability of the things of this world? By an event, as fatal as unforeseen, the beard, which was arrived at its highest degree of glory, all of a sudden lost its favour, and was at length entirely proscribed. The unexpected death of Henry the Great, and the youth of his successor, were the sole causes of it.

Louis XIII. mounted the throne of his glorious ancestors without a beard. Every one concluded immediately, that the courtiers, seeing their young king with a smooth chin, would look upon their own as too rough. The conjecture proved right; for they presently reduced their beards to whiskers, and a small tuft of hair under the nether lip.

The people at first would not follow this dangerous example. The duke of Sully never would adopt this effeminate custom. This man, both great as a general and a minister, was likewise so in his retirement; he had the courage to keep his long beard, and to appear with it at the court of Louis XIII. where he was called to give his advice in an affair of importance. The young crop-bearded courtiers laughed at the sight of his grave look and old-fashioned phiz. The duke, nettled at the affront put on his fine beard, said to the king, "Sir, when your father, of glorious memory, did me the honour to consult me on his great and important affairs, the first thing he did was to send away all the buffoons and stage-dancers of his court."

The Czar Peter, who had so many claims to the surname of Great, seems to have been but little worthy of it on this occasion. He had the boldness to lay a tax on the beards of his subjects. He ordered that the noblemen and gentlemen, tradesmen and artisans (the priests and peasants excepted) should pay 100 rubles to be able to retain their beards; that the lower class of people should pay a copeck for the same liberty; and he established clerks at the gates of the different towns to collect these duties. Such a new and singular impost troubled the vast empire of Russia. Both religion and manners were thought in danger. Complaints were heard from all parts; they even went so far as to write libels against the sovereign; but he was inflexible, and at that time powerful. Even the fatal scenes of St Bartholomew were renewed against these unfortunate beards, and the most unlawful violences were publicly exercised. The razor and scissors were everywhere made use of. A great number, to avoid these cruel extremities, obeyed with reluctant sighs. Some of them carefully preserved the sad trimmings of their chins; and, in order to be never separated from these dear locks, ordered that they should be placed with them in their coffins.

Example, more powerful than authority, produced in Spain, what it had not been able to bring about in Russia without great difficulty. Philip V. ascended the throne with a shaved chin. The courtiers imitated the prince, and the people, in turn, the courtiers. However, though this revolution was brought about without violence and by degrees, it caused much lamentation and murmuring; the gravity of the Spaniards lost by the change. The favourite customs of a nation can never be altered without incurring displeasure. They have this old saying in Spain: Debe que no hay barba, no hay mas alma. "Since we have lost our beards, we have lost our souls."

Among the European nations that have been most curious in beards and whiskers, we must distinguish Spain. This grave romantic nation has always regarded the beard as the ornament which should be most prized; and the Spaniards have often made the loss of honour consist in that of their whiskers. The Portuguese, whose national character is much the same, are not the least behind them in that respect. In the reign of Catherine queen of Portugal, the brave John de Castro had just taken in India the castle of Diu: victorious, but in want of every thing, he found himself obliged to ask the inhabitants of Goa to lend him a thousand pistoles for the maintenance of his fleet; and, as a security for that sum, he sent them one of his whiskers, telling them, "All the gold in the world cannot equal the value of this natural ornament of my valour; and I deposit it in your hands as a security for the money." The whole town was penetrated with his heroism, and every one interested himself about this invaluable whisker: even the women were desirous to give marks of their zeal for so brave a man: several sold their bracelets to increase the sum asked for; and the inhabitants of Goa sent him immediately both the money and his whisker. A number of other examples of this kind might be produced, which do as much honour to whiskers as to the good faith of those days.

In Louis XIII.'s reign, whiskers attained the highest degree of favour, at the expence of the expiring beards. In those days of gallantry, not yet empoisoned by wit, they became the favourite occupation of lovers. A fine black whisker, elegantly turned up, was a very powerful mark of dignity with the fair sex. Whiskers were still in fashion in the beginning of Louis XIV.'s reign. This king, and all the great men of his reign, took a pride in wearing them. They were the ornament of Turenne, Conde, Colbert, Corneille, Moliere, &c. It was then no uncommon thing for a favourite lover to have his whiskers turned up, combed, and pomatumed, by his mistress; and, for this purpose, a man of fashion took care to be always provided with every little necessary article, especially whisker-wax. It was highly flattering to a lady to have it in her power to praise the beauty of her lover's whiskers: which, far from being disgusting, gave his person an air of vivacity: several even thought them an incitement to love. It seems the levity of the French made them undergo several changes both in form and name; there were Spanish, Turkish, guard-dogger, &c. whiskers; Beards, whiskers; in short, royal ones, which were the last worn; their smallness proclaimed their approaching fall.

Consecration of the BEARD was a ceremony among the Roman youth, who, when they were shaved the first time, kept a day of rejoicing, and were particularly careful to put the hair of their beard into a silver or gold box, and make an offering of it to some god, particularly to Jupiter Capitolinus, as was done by Nero, according to Suetonius.

Kissing the BEARD. The Turkish wives kiss their husbands beards, and children their fathers, as often as they come to salute them. The men kiss one another's beards reciprocally on both sides, when they salute in the streets, or come off from any journey.

The Fashion of the BEARD has varied in different ages and countries; some cultivating and entertaining one part of it, some another. Thus the Hebrews wear a beard on their chin; but not on the upper lip or cheeks. Moses forbids them to cut off entirely the angle or extremity of their beard; that is, to manage it after the Egyptian fashion, who left only a little tuft of beard at the extremity of their chin; whereas the Jews to this day suffer a little fillet of hair to grow from the lower end of their ears to their chins, where, as well as on their lower lips, their beards are in a pretty long bunch. The Jews, in time of mourning, neglected to trim their beards, that is, to cut off what grew superfluous on the upper lips and cheeks. In time of grief and great affliction they also plucked off the hair of their beards.

Anointing the Beard with unguents was an ancient practice both among the Jews and Romans, and still continues in use among the Turks; where one of the principal ceremonies observed in serious visits is to throw sweet-scented water on the beard of the visitant, and to perfume it afterwards with aloes-wood, which sticks to this moisture, and gives it an agreeable smell, &c. In middle-age writers we meet with adentare barbam, used for stroking and combing it, to render it soft and flexible. The Turks, when they comb their beards, hold a handkerchief on their knees, and gather very carefully the hairs that fall; and when they have got together a certain quantity, they fold them up in paper, and carry them to the place where they bury the dead.

BEARD of a Comet, the rays which the comet emits towards that part of the heaven to which its proper motion seems to direct it; in which the beard of a comet is distinguished from the tail, which is understood of the rays emitted towards that part from whence its motion seems to carry it.

BEARD of a Horse, that part underneath the lower mandible on the outside and above the chin, which bears the curb. It is also called the chuck. It should have but little flesh upon it, without any chops, hardens, or swelling; and be neither too high raised nor too flat, but such as the curb may rest in its right place.

BEARD of a Muscle, Oyster, or the like, denotes an assemblage of threads or hairs, by which these animals fasten themselves to stones. The hairs of this beard terminate in a flat spongy substance, which being applied to the surface of a stone, sticks thereto, like the wet leather used by boys.

BEARDS, in the history of insects, are two small, oblong, fleshy bodies, placed just above the trunk, as in the gnats, and in the moths and butterflies.