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the Beard, preferred that it should be of a cane colour,
which was the hue assigned by tradition to Abraham's.
One of the points of Persian heresy is preferring a black
Beard, and a particular cut; and about this hair-splitting
difference, they once waged a cruel war with the Uzbec
Tartars, in which they were accustomed to lay their enemies'
Beards as trophies at the feet of the Shah.
As instances of respect paid to the Beard, we may cite
the common Mahomedan oath " by the Beard of the Pro-
phet !" and the form of supplication, " by your Beard, or
the life of your Beard." The Turks will point to theirs
and say, " do you think this venerable Beard could Lie ? "
And a man's testimony used to be so much measured by
his Beard, that in hiring a witness, length of this append-
age was an indispensable qualification. To touch ano-
ther's Beard, unless to kiss it respectfully, is considered
by all these people a great insult. When two friends meet,
to kiss it, sometimes on both sides, answers to our shake
of the hand—how are you ? and " may God preserve your
Beard!" is a form of invoking a blessing on a friend. In
the bosoms of their families the Beard is treated as an
suffer it to grow till the Sultan has set them at liberty."—Burder's
Oriental Customs. Volney says, " At length Ihrahim Bey suffered
Ali his page to let his Beard grow, i.e, gave him his freedom, for
among the Turks to want the Beard is thought only fit for slaves
and women."
