The image contains the following text:
the approach of manhood, the lines combining with those
of the mouth become more harsh, angular, and decided ;
in middle age, various ugly markings establish themselves
about both, which in age are rendered not only deeper,
but increased in number by the loss of the teeth and the
falling in of the lips, which of course distorts all the
muscles connected with the mouth. Such, however, is the
force of prejudice founded on custom, that people who
sink themselves to the ears in deep shirt collars, and to
the chin in starched cravat and stiffened stock, muffle
themselves in comforters till their necks are as big as their
waists; nay do not demur some of them to be seen in
that abomination of ugliness—that huge black patch of
deformity—a respirator, have still sufficient face left to
tell us that the expression of the countenance would be
injured by restoring the Beard !
A word, therefore, on the expression of Bearded faces.
The works of the Greeks,* the paintings of the old
Masters, but above all the productions of the pencil of
Eaphael, justly styled "the Painter of Expression," is a
sufficient general answer to this ill-considered charge. It
* Ehnes says, " The Beard in Art has an ideal character as an
attribute, and distinguished hy its undulating curl the Beard of
Jupiter Olympius from that of Jupiter Serapis (who has a longer
and straighter Beard) the lank Beard of Neptune and the river
Gods, from the short and frizzly Beards of Hercules, Ajax, Dio-
mede, Ulysses, &c."
