the male sex. In the middle ages, it was likewise made to uphold the feather worn in the hat of the man of affluence. Ben Jonson, in his "Poetaster," thus uses the word metaphorically: "Honour's a good broach to wear in a man's hat at all times;"-and John Halle, it may be observed, secured the feather in his hat by the use of a gold brooch. On reference to the plate of "Dethe and the Galante," it may be seen, that the latter has no brooch in his hat, but his feather is inserted within a gold twist; this was called a cable hat-band, and is alluded to in a subsequent period by Fastidio, in the Play of Every Man out of his Humour." At a later day, Sir Thomas More, in his " Utopia," takes occasion to deride this fashion. Speaking of the arrival of the Anemolian Ambassadors, he says, "Yea, you should have seen children also, that had cast away their pearls and precious stones, when they saw the like sticking upon the ambassadors caps-dig and push their mothers under their sides, saying thus to them: 'Look, mother, how great a lubber doth yet wear pearls and precious stones, as though he were a child again.' But the mother, yea, and that also in good earnest: Peace, son, (saith she,) I think he be one of the ambassadors fools.'" (5) This satire of Sir Thomas More had not the effect of setting aside the fashion, as we find at a still later day, that it was a favourite ornament with the spruce Sir Walter Raleigh. In an original portrait of him, on panel, in my pos. session, his hat is looped up with a silver brooch of the bear, and ragged staff, from which are pendant three large pear-shaped pearls. This beau of the sixteenth century often bore on his person the amount of a moderate fortune. It became eventually usual to verbalise this word broach, and to use it in a metaphorical sense for to spit, or to transpierce; thus, "I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point." TITUS ANDRONICUS. "He felled men as one would mow hay, and sometimes broached a great number of them upon his pike as one would carry little birds spitted on a stick." HAKEWELL ON PROVIDENCE. The word broach is also thus applied to the giving vent to an inclosed liquid; thus we sayto broach a cask of wine, or a barrel of ale. It is again likewise metaphorically applied to the entering on a new subject of discussion; and thus, gentle reader, having tired myself, and, I fear, (which is of far greater consequence) tired you, I will now e'en-broach a new, and much more personal subject, that of the Hair and Beard Of the veteran John Halle, for the dis cussion of which I may at first view incur the hazard of your displeasure; but, verily, I may not be so much to blame: you may say, "these are surely no part of the dress of John Halle." When, however, I remind you, that they have, in the form, and fashion, of the wear ing thereof, been subjected to perpetual variation in every age, and in every clime, I trust that I stand excused for thus adventuring on apparently a singular, certainly an unusual, topic. As, then, I esteem the hair and beard of John Halle (albeit they more strictly pertain to his person) to be a portion also of his dress, inasmuch as in them he followeth the fashion of his day, I shall, as usual, present their etymologies from Minshieu, yet you are at liberty to give heed to all, or any of these etymologies, e'en as you list. Thus, he saith: “Hair. Teutonic, Haar-Saxon, Haer-Belgic, Hayr. Haer ab Epos, i. e. lana.” ειρος, The hair, as the covering of the head, the most noble part of man, shielding it equally from the extremes of heat and cold, ornamental, as it also is, to the human face, has ever elicited the attention of the more civilised nations. In every age, and country, its length has been esteemed the ornament of the female sex, although the mode of wearing it has been ever subject to variation. Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed the feet of our Saviour," and wiped his feet with her hair;" and, St. Paul, whilst he discountenances the effeminacy of the Corinthians, vindicates the usage of the length of hair in the female: "Doth not" (says he) " even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? but, if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering." Henry says, "We hardly ever meet with a description of a fine woman, or beautiful man, in the Poems of Ossian, but their hair is mentioned, as one of their greatest beauties."* Herodotus tells us, that the Egyptians shaved their heads, and this we find exemplified by their figures on their tombs; but the Israelites permitted the growth of their hair, which they held in great estimation, as is proved in the Song of Solomon, v. 11. Indeed, Absalom, the son of David, nourished, and cherished, his hair with the greatest pride. The Greeks, and the Romans, on the other hand, wore it short. The ancient Britons, on the testimony of Cæsar, wore their hair long: "Capilloque sunt promisso," says he, and Diodorus Siculus confirms the same fact. Amongst the Anglo-Saxons, it was held in the highest estimation; it was worn in a lengthened state, not only by the female, but by the male sex; in this the latter yielded to the besetting sin of fashion, arising, probably, from the idea, that it was ornamental to them, and thus, for some centuries after their conversion to Christianity, the fashion bid defiance to the declamations of the Clergy, who, from the earlier denunciations of the Apostles, considered the wearing of long hair, as unmanly, and sinful. Many instances are recorded of that fondness of the pagan Danes of this ornament, in which all the northern nations delighted. "Harald Harfagre, (i. e. Fair-locks,) made a vow to his mistress to neglect his fine hair, till he had completed the conquest of Norway to gain her Henry's Hist. of Brit., Vol. 2, p. 352. + Cæsar, Lib. 5, ch. 14. Diod. Sic. Lib. 5. love."* In the Anglo-Saxon poem of Beowolf, mention is made of "The long-haired one, illustrious in battle, Therefore the arrival of the Danes in this country did not tend to set aside this already prevailing fashion, but rather to confirm it. It appears, that they were more attentive to dress than the Saxons-that they were great beaux, and-" constantly" (as says Strutt) "combing their hair, of which they were very fond." The Clergy were distinguished from the laity by the tonsure, to which they were enjoined by the canon laws; they were compelled to shave their heads; many submitted to this with reluctance, but those, amongst them, who affected superior sanctity, with bitter invectives against the fashion, besought the laity to shorten their hair. "The English" (says William of Malmesbury, in his Life of St. Wulstan) " were very vicious in their manners, and plunged in luxury through the long peace which they had enjoyed in the reign of Edward, the Confessor. The holy prelate, Wulstan, reproved the wicked of all ranks with great boldness; but he rebuked those with the greatest severity who were proud of their long hair. When any of those vain people bowed their heads before him to receive his blessing, before he gave it, he cut a loop of their hair with a little sharp knife, which he carried about him for that purpose, and commanded them by way of penance for their sins Strutt's Manners, Customs, &c., Vol. 1, p. 86. |