80.Sed deterius quiddam, ac contrarium ab illis geritur: siquidem isti barbam, hoc est, propriam viri formam, resecant; capillos vero, ut plurimum, prolixiores habent. Atqui quod ad barbam attinet in Apostolorum constitutionbus divino sermone, à degmate præscribitur, ne ea corrumpatur: hoc est, ne barba ponatur neve meretricius cultus & ornatus usurpetur, &c.St. Epiphanius against the heretic Massalians, sect. viii.
80.Sed deterius quiddam, ac contrarium ab illis geritur: siquidem isti barbam, hoc est, propriam viri formam, resecant; capillos vero, ut plurimum, prolixiores habent. Atqui quod ad barbam attinet in Apostolorum constitutionbus divino sermone, à degmate præscribitur, ne ea corrumpatur: hoc est, ne barba ponatur neve meretricius cultus & ornatus usurpetur, &c.St. Epiphanius against the heretic Massalians, sect. viii.
These reproaches, very conclusive in favour of the partisans of long beards, will be much more so, and silence the adversaries of that mark of manhood, if it be observed, that this same council of Carthage condemns as heretics those same Massalians whose shaved chins St. Epiphanius represents to be a crime. Is it likely that the Massalians should be condemned as heretics, and that at the same time the orthodox clergy should be required to imitate them, and follow a custom that is looked upon as the most scandalous of debauchery; such a law would be the height of inconsequence. It is much more reasonable to suppose, that, instead of the priests’ being ordered to have their chins shaved, they were forbidden to do it, that they might not look like the heretic Massalians. Besides, what could be opposed to the council of Barcelona, which was held some time after that of Carthage, a council that has never experienced any contradiction, and in which shaving the beard is again forbidden? We read in the third canon,Ut nullus Clericorum comam nutriat aut barbam radat. Let no clergyman keep up his hair or shave his beard.
We have demonstrated then the fraud of the antibearded priests, and proved that the wordradathas been suppressed in the 44th canon. Clergymen therefore, by this council of Carthage, at which two hundred and fourteen bishops attended, are forbidden to cut off their beards, and the general opinion of the primitive church, on this point, is established.
If we did not know, that private interests can persuade men to contradict the best founded maxims, we should be greatly surprised no doubt to find learned men of distinction presume to write, that the general opinion of the primitive Church condemned long beards. At the head is cardinal Baronius (tom. i. ad. ann. 48). Let us refer the proselytes of this credulous writer of legends tole Mercurefor April 1765; they will there find that a learned Jesuit, father Oudin in his inquiries concerning beards, proves, that this cardinal was a bad man, or that he would not read his St. Epiphanius.
The ordinances of the provincial synods and councils which have made use of this council of Carthage to justify their forbidding the clergy to wear long beards, should therefore be void of course: the edifice falls of itself when the foundation is undermined.
But let us return to the defenders of beards of the sixteenth century: Pierrius was not the only champion that appeared on this occasion. Adrian Junius, an ingenious physician, and distinguished for his learning, in his commentary on the hair of the head, says a great deal about clerical beards, with as much eloquence and more erudition than his predecessor; he relates every thing that had not been advantageously said before on the subject, and is not afraid to take a review of the opinions and examples of all the ancients; he establishes, that even when there should be neither law, constitution, nor council which ordered the priests to preserve their beards, they ought to do it, because it gives the wearer a grave, stern, respectable look, which becomes the ministers of the altar, and that their thus changing the nature of God’s work, in order to please mankind, is, for them, a very criminal piece of luxury.[81]
81.De comâ Commentarium Adriani Junii Honani, Medici, cap. ii. de rasurâ capillorum pariter & barbæ.
81.De comâ Commentarium Adriani Junii Honani, Medici, cap. ii. de rasurâ capillorum pariter & barbæ.
These works produced their effect: nevertheless pope Paul III. being displeased with the severe tone of Pierrius and the sharp reproaches which he threw out against the manners of the clergy of the age, would not seem to comply thereto; but without issuing a formal decree against beards, as was talked of, he contented himself with commanding a cardinal briefly to order the priests to get themselves shaved.[82]
82.Beroalde ridicules the shaved priests of those days. He says it was ordered so,in order that the regret which they have at not daring nor being willing to partake of the pleasures of this world, may in no wise appear; to which you may add that they ought to be merry(venite exultemus),and that theirs is a state of perpetual joy, which must be made appear so, though it were not; and this is the reason why they wear their chins shaved, because a man thus polished up about the gills is always laughing ... from thence came this canon of the council of Quarante:THE PRIESTS SHALL SHAVE WITH HOG’S SWARD,in order that they may always appear laughing, dainty-mouthed, airy, &c.Moyen de parvenir, chap.Allegation.
82.Beroalde ridicules the shaved priests of those days. He says it was ordered so,in order that the regret which they have at not daring nor being willing to partake of the pleasures of this world, may in no wise appear; to which you may add that they ought to be merry(venite exultemus),and that theirs is a state of perpetual joy, which must be made appear so, though it were not; and this is the reason why they wear their chins shaved, because a man thus polished up about the gills is always laughing ... from thence came this canon of the council of Quarante:THE PRIESTS SHALL SHAVE WITH HOG’S SWARD,in order that they may always appear laughing, dainty-mouthed, airy, &c.Moyen de parvenir, chap.Allegation.
The major part paid but little attention to this ordinance; some, more scrupulous, obeyed, but not without repugnancy: there were a few of the latter however, according to Gentian Hervet, who had reason to repent of their exactness: among others, he speaks of one Leonicus Thomeus, an old man of ninety, who was no sooner shaved, according to the decree of the pontiff, than he was seized with such a confounded tooth-ach, that he was obliged to solicit the pope’s clemency. Cardinal Bembe sent him forthwith a permission to wear his beard a reasonable length.
Let us now proceed to France, where the pope’s brief, obtained by Francis I. gave beginning to the envy which the shaved priests bore the bearded ones. Their jealousy had been brewing a long time, and only waited, to show itself, for the death of that prince, whose orders seemed still to be respected. Their animosity, already too much increased by this obstacle, broke out at length on the person of William Duprat, the son of the famous chancellor of that name: he was returning from the council of Trent, where his eloquence had made him conspicuous, and was going to take possession of the bishopric of Clermont, which he had been given some time before. The reader should take along with him that he had one of the finest beards in the kingdom. One Easter-day, when he came to his cathedral church to perform divine service, he found the gates of the choir shut; three dignitaries of the chapter were waiting for him at the entrance: one of them held a razor in his hand, the other a pair of scissars, and the third the book of the ancient statutes of that church, and pointing with his finger to these words;barbis rasis.
At the sight of this frightful preparation, the prelate clearly perceived that they aimed at his beard, the dearest object of his attention; two of these fatal enemies seemed to threaten it with the instruments with which they were armed; and the third kept crying: Reverend father in God,barbis rasis. The impatient dean had already laid hold of this episcopal fleece, when our bearded bishop stopped him, and being a little recovered from his fright, he endeavoured to convince him of the impropriety of working on such a great holy-day, and that it was better to defer this operation ’till the next day; but the temporizing prelate’s eloquence made no impression on the minds of these intractable men; the unmerciful dean kept his hold: full of indignation at this mortifying insult, and terrified for the fate of his cherished beard, William Duprat suddenly took to his heels, crying:I save my beard, and quit my bishopric.[83]He immediately repaired to his country-house at Beauregard, three leagues from Clermont, and swore he would never more live in that capital.
83.William Major, a doctor of the Sorbone and canon of the church of Clermont, in a work intituleddefence de feu M. Savaron, &c.maintains, against abbot Faydit, that this anecdote is a story of his invention. In order to free his old brethren from the imputation of having designed to shear their bishop, in the warmth of his zeal, he breaks out into invectives against his adversary; but he proves it least, in his long refutation, that the canons saw with grief a long beard on the chin of their bishop, and that when the latter wished to be present at some synod, he was obliged to ask permission of his chapter to come without being shaved. He quotes several resolutions of the chapter, by which he was granted this permission.
83.William Major, a doctor of the Sorbone and canon of the church of Clermont, in a work intituleddefence de feu M. Savaron, &c.maintains, against abbot Faydit, that this anecdote is a story of his invention. In order to free his old brethren from the imputation of having designed to shear their bishop, in the warmth of his zeal, he breaks out into invectives against his adversary; but he proves it least, in his long refutation, that the canons saw with grief a long beard on the chin of their bishop, and that when the latter wished to be present at some synod, he was obliged to ask permission of his chapter to come without being shaved. He quotes several resolutions of the chapter, by which he was granted this permission.
It was in this place of retirement, that, being violently moved at the affront which his beard had received, he fell ill, and died of grief.[84]
84.See the 8th vol. of theCauses célébres, a canon refused for being too little.
84.See the 8th vol. of theCauses célébres, a canon refused for being too little.
These fatal news made all the bearded clergy tremble. The standard of the revolt was set up, and the destruction of all clerical beards determined on; but Henry II. always took their part. Every new bishop put his beard under this king’s protection. The letter which he was obliged to write, the 27th December, 1551, to the clergy of the city of Troyes, who refused Anthony Caraciole for bishop on account of his long beard, is a proof of the interest he took in the beards of the clergy of his kingdom; “Dear and well beloved, it is said, but which we doubt, that you make a difficulty of receiving into your church our well beloved and trusty cousin Anthony Caraciole, your bishop, without his being shaved first, in consequence of some statutes which you have been used to observe in such cases: therefore, we have thought fit to write you these presents to request you will not stand upon this matter, but, to oblige us, excuse his compliance, as we mean to send him for a short time to some place out of the kingdom on business that concerns us, where we would not have him go without his said beard. Assuring ourselves that you will do so, we shall say no more, but that, by complying with our request, you will greatly oblige us, and may God continue his protection towards you. Given at Fontainbleau, &c.”[85]
85.This letter is takende veterum Scriptorum & amplissima collectio, vol. i. by Martenne and Durand.
85.This letter is takende veterum Scriptorum & amplissima collectio, vol. i. by Martenne and Durand.
The pacific tone which Henry II. made use of had but little effect on the inferior clergy; the war was too much kindled; every day produced new scenes and new attacks by the mutineers, and new attempts by the king to quiet them. The canons of Mans refused to receive cardinal Angennes for their bishop, on account of his long beard. The cardinal wrote to them to prepossess them in his favour, and the king wrote to them likewise to calm them, but they would listen to nothing, and the prince was obliged to send an absolute order to the chapter of Mans, requiring them to receive the said bishop without insisting on his being shaved. Some years after, the canons of Orleans made a difficulty of receiving Morvillier for their bishop: the king was again obliged to write to the canons, to desire them to receive him with his beard. The canons of Amiens likewise refused their bishop, and he was obliged to have a famous law-suit with them to sustain the cause of his long beard.
About the same time, there was the greatest difficulty to get Peter Lescot de Clagny received canon of Our Lady at Paris with his long beard: he had need to join to his personal merit the qualities of counsellor to the court, almoner to the king, &c.
Soon after, the Sorbone gravely decided, that a long beard was contrary to sacerdotal modesty.[86]At the same time the clergy, by an edict of the parliament of Toulouse, were forbidden to wear their beards.[87]But persecution strengthens what it is eager to destroy: the beards triumphed in their turn; people even went so far as to give them a more agreeable form; they wore them frizzled, as appears by the order of the clergy of Burgundy against frizzled beards. Anthony Hotman wrote at that time hisPogonias, or dialogue on heads of hair and beards; he concludes with the elogy of the latter. In 1576 there was a poem in quatrains printed, intitled:Eloges des barbes rousses. In 1539, there was a book published, intitledla Pogonologie, by R. D. P. printed at Rennes, in 8vo. and Gentian Hervet wrote three essays on beards. We see, by these different writings, that, in those days, people were more taken up with their beards, than now.
86.The 1st of July 1561, this celebrated assembly ordered all the members of their university, doctors, bachelors, &c. to wear their beards shaved, &c.Non deferant barbas & veniant tonsi.
86.The 1st of July 1561, this celebrated assembly ordered all the members of their university, doctors, bachelors, &c. to wear their beards shaved, &c.Non deferant barbas & veniant tonsi.
87.The author of a book intituled Pogonologia, says on this occasion, that those, who wished to take advantage of the equivocation in this edict of the French verbporter(which signifies tocarryas well as towear) had their beardscarriedby their servants.
87.The author of a book intituled Pogonologia, says on this occasion, that those, who wished to take advantage of the equivocation in this edict of the French verbporter(which signifies tocarryas well as towear) had their beardscarriedby their servants.
As the best things have their traducers, the beard met with one in this Gentian Hervet, a learned Orleanese. He wrote a Latin discourse against beards; but in a little time, being staggered by the forcible reasons of his adversaries, he wrote a second, in which he advanced, that it was indifferent whether a priest wore his beard or not; in short, carried away by the force of truth, he at length wrote a third, in which he ably maintains that a priest absolutely ought to have a long beard on his chin.[88]
88.The first of these discourses is intitled,de radendâ barbâ Oratio; the second,de vel alendâ vel radendâ barbâ; and the third,de alendâ barbâ.
88.The first of these discourses is intitled,de radendâ barbâ Oratio; the second,de vel alendâ vel radendâ barbâ; and the third,de alendâ barbâ.
Notwithstanding its success, its numerous apologists, and powerful partisans, the beard had still enemies; the provinces especially were the theatre of secret cabals, where, far from the court and the bearded powers, plots of vengeance were easily contrived, and their effects often broke out in provincial councils; and most of these councils, actuated by contrary sentiments, contradicted each other in their decisions.
Two provincial councils, held at Narbonne the same year, 1551, ordered all the priests of the diocese to shave themselves at least once a month; another council, held at Rheims in 1583, only recommended the hair of the upper lip to be cut off, in order to be able to receive the communion without any obstacle. A council of Bagneres, of the same year, gives the same orders. A council of Rouen, in 1581, orders the priests to shave off their beards entirely, which it is looked upon (says the council) as debasing for a minister of the altar to wear. A council of Malines, in 1579, absolutely condemns the custom of wearing beards, whilst another council, held in the same town, eight years after, declares nearly the contrary, ordering only a little of the hair of the upper lip to be cut away.[89]All that one can conclude from all these provincial councils is, that the rage of party was gotten into the very sanctuary of truth to propagate disorder and irresolution.
89.See, for all these provincial councils,Acta Conciliorumof father Hardouin.
89.See, for all these provincial councils,Acta Conciliorumof father Hardouin.
All these ephemeral ordinances had no other effect than to prolong the reign of the beards of priests; they still flourished on their chins, when the laity no longer wore them. Fashion brought about, in a short time, what all these redoubled efforts had been unable to effect during more than a century. The popes retained their beards a good while, and the first, who appeared entirely shaved, was Clement XI. who lived at the beginning of this century. Most of the clergy left it off insensibly.
The Augustins, who still wore their beards, were ashamed of not being in the fashion as usual; they sent the famous father Eustace, of the Petty Augustins of Paris, to Rome, to obtain leave to shave their chins. They say, this father Eustace made use of great address on the occasion.
There were however some true believers, faithful observers of the Levitican law and the precepts of the primitive church, people on whom fashion has no influence, who courageously preserved their beards ’till towards the middle of the reign of Lewis XIV. A very respectable rector was one of them: when the bishop visited his diocese, he appeared with a venerable beard on his chin. The prelate exclaimed greatly against his thus making himself look like a patriarch, whilst he, his bishop and lord, was shaved; and he formally ordered him to get rid of his long beard. In vain did the poor rector cite the example of the pope then living, that of St. Francis of Sales, &c.; the bishop was inexorable, and the rector did not think fit to obey. Irritated at his obstinacy, the prelate sent him a writ to banish him from his living. By a singular piece of inattention, the place of banishment was left blank; the rector filled it up withVersailles, and immediately repaired to the residence of the kings of France. He affected to throw himself continually in the way of Lewis XIV.: his long beard was at length remarked by the king, who had him called, and asked him what was his business at court, and why he had such an extraordinary beard. The parson related his adventure to his majesty, who as pleased with it so much, that he sent back this grave pastor to his flock, and highly blamed the bishop for such a ridiculous whim.[90]
90.See the 8th vol. ofCauses Célébres, a canon refused for being too little. This adventure furnished matter for a little burlesque poem, intitledl’Exilé à Versailles.
90.See the 8th vol. ofCauses Célébres, a canon refused for being too little. This adventure furnished matter for a little burlesque poem, intitledl’Exilé à Versailles.
Since this, beards have entirely disappeared, and have only been let grow out on the chins of the Capuchins; and religious jealousy has pursued them even to this last retrenchment: how many clamours have they not caused among the other monks! and what a number of libels and polemical productions have they had to endure![91]Such are the books intitledle Rasibusorle procés fait à la barbe des Capucins;[92]la Guerre seraphique, ou Histoire des périls qu’a courus la barbe des Capucins par les violentes attaques des Cordeliers;[93]les Capucins sans barbe, &c. all works of envy or vengeance, which I shall be careful how I mention on account of my great dislike to satire. Not satisfied with writing, the enemies of the Capuchins’ beards have employed the most violent and most unwarrantable means. The fatal catastrophe which happened, in 1761, to the Capuchins of the town of Ascoli, in the limits of Ancona, proves how much monkish vengeance is cruel: we read as follows in the Utrecht Gazette of that time. “Our reverend fathers, the Capuchins, have no longer any beards. One of their lay brethren, a cook in the monastery, having put a good dose of opium in their meat, unbearded all of them whilst they were asleep, and then forsook the order. The Capuchins are so ashamed of this droll adventure, that they no longer dare appear abroad.”[94]Is it not clear to every body that base jealousy was what prompted this wicked brother to commit this deed? And is it not easy to discern the vengeance of an Italian monk in this attack on so many respectable beards? After so many outrages, how is it possible that bearded chins can any longer stand their ground? Without the express order to wear long beards, which is in theBullariumof the brethren of that order, they would long ere this have abandoned the sad remains of the ancient majesty of the patriarchs.[95]They little thought formerly, that their long beards, which they looked upon as a respectable ornament, would one day become an object of public contempt; or that it would make part of their outward humility, which they formerly made consist solely in the colour and price of their clothes; but time perverts every thing.[96]
91.Several communities of Capuchins have been reproached with having concealed their beards on certain occasions. It is said, that those of Monpellier, about the beginning of Feb. 1731, played, in the great dining-hall of the monastery, the tragedy ofPolieucpe, and danced between the acts, to celebrate the arrival of the provincial; and that, in order to play the women’s parts, they put their beards in a parchment thing made like a chin-cloth, painted flesh colour. The Capuchins of the great monastery at Lyons, in 1757, likewise acted a play before their friends and their brethren of the second monastery; they played three days runningles Fourberies de Scapin: the reverend father, who played the part of Scapin, did it great justice. They add, that one of these reverend gentlemen danced a Harlequin dance with much grace and suppleness, and that, to remedy the inconvenience of long beards, they put them in pink taffety bags. The Capuchins at Grenoble and Vienne likewise acted a play, and covered their beards in the same manner. We relate these anecdotes, which were formerly printed by the enemies of the Capuchins, to show, that every opportunity has been taken to attack the beards of that religions order. These friars, at present, have no occasion to be afraid of similar reproaches; they act no plays, neither do they conceal their beards, and they make themselves equally respected by the gravity of their appearance and the extent of their learning.
91.Several communities of Capuchins have been reproached with having concealed their beards on certain occasions. It is said, that those of Monpellier, about the beginning of Feb. 1731, played, in the great dining-hall of the monastery, the tragedy ofPolieucpe, and danced between the acts, to celebrate the arrival of the provincial; and that, in order to play the women’s parts, they put their beards in a parchment thing made like a chin-cloth, painted flesh colour. The Capuchins of the great monastery at Lyons, in 1757, likewise acted a play before their friends and their brethren of the second monastery; they played three days runningles Fourberies de Scapin: the reverend father, who played the part of Scapin, did it great justice. They add, that one of these reverend gentlemen danced a Harlequin dance with much grace and suppleness, and that, to remedy the inconvenience of long beards, they put them in pink taffety bags. The Capuchins at Grenoble and Vienne likewise acted a play, and covered their beards in the same manner. We relate these anecdotes, which were formerly printed by the enemies of the Capuchins, to show, that every opportunity has been taken to attack the beards of that religions order. These friars, at present, have no occasion to be afraid of similar reproaches; they act no plays, neither do they conceal their beards, and they make themselves equally respected by the gravity of their appearance and the extent of their learning.
92.This is a small dialogue printed at Cologn in 1718, in 12mo.
92.This is a small dialogue printed at Cologn in 1718, in 12mo.
93.A scarce and curious work, but badly written, on the establishment of the Capuchins, printed at the Hague, in 1740, in 12mo.
93.A scarce and curious work, but badly written, on the establishment of the Capuchins, printed at the Hague, in 1740, in 12mo.
94.See the Utrecht Gazette of Friday 26th June, 1761; this adventure furnished the subject of a work intitledLes Capucins, sans barbe.
94.See the Utrecht Gazette of Friday 26th June, 1761; this adventure furnished the subject of a work intitledLes Capucins, sans barbe.
95.Ac tam illi, quam vos barbam deferre.§. vii, Bullarium Ordinis Fratrorum Minorum S. P. Francisci Capucinorum, tom i.
95.Ac tam illi, quam vos barbam deferre.§. vii, Bullarium Ordinis Fratrorum Minorum S. P. Francisci Capucinorum, tom i.
96.Quod vestimentorum vilitas attendatur in pretio pariter & colore.Bullariumidem, tom. i.
96.Quod vestimentorum vilitas attendatur in pretio pariter & colore.Bullariumidem, tom. i.
Whilst several sovereigns are taken up with the destruction of monasteries or the lessening of the number of monks, the Portuguese minister has just distinguished himself, not by destroying, but rendering them more respectable, by taking them from worldly practices, and restoring them all their ancient gravity: it was ordered, in 1784, that all the monks, of every order without distinction, should let their beards grow out entirely.[97]
97.Seele Mercure de France, nouvelle politiques de Lisbon, of the 29th January, 1784.
97.Seele Mercure de France, nouvelle politiques de Lisbon, of the 29th January, 1784.
Reason, the interest of religion (which particularly depends on the respect its ministers inspire), an express law of the Divinity, the example of the legislature of the Christians and most of the popes, a precept of the constitutions of the apostles, the general opinion of the primitive Church and of all the pontiffs, and the decision of two councils, are the grounds on which the obligation, which the Christian clergy are under of wearing long beards, is supported. What is there to oppose against so many respectable authorities? The fashion? A heathen emperor opposed, to those who reproached him with not shaving his chin, the austerity of his manners, and replied:I won’t cast sheep’s eyes around me, embellish my phyz by making my mind hideous, and, in order to become agreeable, cease to be a philosopher. Besides: fortunately, I neither like to give nor receive kisses.[98]
98.TheMysopogonof the emperor Julian.
98.TheMysopogonof the emperor Julian.