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time is full of allusions to that feature which men still
honored and admired. Lear can find no more pathetic
outburst of insulted majesty, in addressing his vile
daughter Goneril, than the words—
" Art not ashamed to look upon this Beard?"
and when Kegan insults the faithful Gloster, the latter
exclaims—
" By the kind Gods! 'tis most ignobly dons
To pluck me "by the Beard!"
In a more mocking humour, Shakspeare makes Cressida
say of Troilus's chin, " alas poor chin! many a wart is
richer!" And Eosalind to Orlando, "I will pardon you
for not having a neglected Beard, for truly your having in
Beard is a younger brother's revenue."
Then as characteristics, we have the black, white, straw-
colored, orange-tawney, purple-in-grain, and perfect yel-
low. The soldier Bearded like a pard; the justice with
Beard of formal cut; the sexton's hungry Beard ; and the
Beard of the general's cut; and that fine passage, which
you will pardon my quoting, if only to supply an obvious
correction naturally lost sight of by Beardless commenta-
tors. If instead of the puerile conceit, stairs of sand, we
read layers of sand, we not only restore metaphorical
beauty but literal truth; for what is more deceitful than a
layer of sand, and the Beard is " a layer of hair."