and majesty, stir up the soul and give it a spring; the sight of objects
which have the appearance of weakness insensibly enervate and degrade
it. The soul appears in the face: the man, who beholds in another, only
the picture of effeminacy, soon learns to withdraw his esteem from him,
and to no longer respect him; pious veneration, sincere consideration,
and cordial friendship, are replaced by politeness and decorum, which
are only the gloss of interest and egotism; people no longer fulfill the
duties of society, nor do good for their own satisfaction; and if men’s
outward, effeminate appearance is not the sole cause of all these evils,
it greatly contributes towards them.
In the vast regions of the East, where long beards are highly esteemed,
hospitality, filial piety, and fidelity in engagements are the premier
virtues: men respect one another there. Let us take a people whom the
same law subjects nearly to the same morals as ours, the Greek or Latin
Christians who are under the Mahometan government: adultery, among them,
is almost unknown, and yet the women are not confined; but they respect
their husbands, and these husbands wear long beards.
Where is filial piety now-a-days? will the sad wrinkled faces of our old
men, which incite our disgust and contempt, prevail above the sweet
majesty of a long, white beard? Where is conjugal fidelity? was it ever
less observed than at the time, and in the countries where men appear
before a sex, that ought to be under their subjection, in an effeminate
dress? How many are there, in this shameful age, the sad victims of this
truth!
I repeat it; outward appearance is one of the great movers of a
monarchial state, especially among a superficial nation. Deprive
subjects of their popular notions of decorum, and of their customs, and
people in place of their ornaments, manner, plausibleness, and grave
imposing appearance: you will destroy most of the social virtues; there
will be no more energy nor spirit in the people; all their mental
faculties will become languid, if you cease to feed their imaginations
with this aliment.
An extravagant turn of mind has produced many a hero; reason, by
analysing every thing, has discouraged and slackened the course of our
actions, and luxury, &c. &c. have completed the work. But what a
generation is ours!
In times of yore, Diogenes, with a lantern in his hand, went through all
the streets of Athens in broad day to seek a man: what could he find now
in our great capital? breathing skeletons, women, children, horses, and
that multitude of wheel carriages, the incommodious use of which crushes
some to pieces and deprives others of the little strength they had left.
Would he find men among these reverend gentry, whose toilet is their
chief employment? Their chief merit is a mind fraught with borrowed
trifles. Look at this modern Chrysostom, powdered and close shaved,
repairing to an old coquet’s, a girl’s of the town, or the minister’s.
Every where he repeats the same flattering phrases. With the one, an
intriguer or base flatterer; with the other, an absolute libertine or a
ridiculous puppy, he becomes every where necessary animal; in short, a
downright plaything and piece of toilet furniture. Nothing gives this
charming fellow any uneasiness; he is any thing they will have him, and
will think just what they please: in a word, he performs the dapper
parson admirably.
Would our wise Athenian have found men among our Parisians? The children
are men, and the men, old men, and they persist in fleeing from nature,
which begins to be tired of pursuing them. By their weak, frivolous
minds, and pale effeminate looks, one would take them for women in
disguise. Cloyed with all sorts of enjoyments, they know no other virtue
than the talent of being agreeable, nor other vice than its reverse.
Would he at length find men in these delicate warriors who daily give
their subalterns the example of effeminacy?
But do you, French soldiers, the precious remains of patriotism and
national valour, always preserve the outward appearance of it; be
particularly attentive to keep in your countenances this sign of valour,
vigour, and intrepidity; retain those fierce looking whiskers which are
the attribute of heroes; and remember that they were the ornament of
Turenne, Condé, &c.
It would therefore be advantageous for those, who, by their situation or
dignity, are intended to command others, to instruct them, or to merit
their confidence, to let their beards grow out quite, whilst the soldier
should only wear whiskers, which give a man a martial, brisk look.
Should the example of some great men, or some political event, at length
revive the mode of long beards, our delicateness and urbanity might
again be reconciled with the majesty of man. Would it not be possible
for people of good taste to give the beard an agreeable form, in the
same manner as was done some centuries ago? This attention, employing
those who take a great deal of pains about adorning their pretty
persons, would divert them perhaps from a more dangerous luxury. Besides
the respect of one man to another, and of one sex to that which is its
superior; this custom would produce another advantage. The resemblance
of the two sexes seems to incline men to those shameful debaucheries
which formerly soiled the glory of Greece and Rome, debaucheries that
one hardly dares mention, and which a more particular distinction
between men and women would greatly contribute to destroy.
It can never be denied; a man should appear what nature made him: this
is the opinion of an illustrious philosopher and profound moralist.[102]
I cannot better conclude than with his own words. “A perfect man and a
perfect woman should no more be alike in mind than in face: these silly
imitations of sex are the height of folly; they make the wise man laugh
and the lover run away.... In short, I take it, that, unless one be five
feet six inches high, have a firm, tenor voice, and a beard on his chin,
he should not pretend to be a man.”
Footnote 102:
John James Rousseau.
_THE END._
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● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ The changes listed in the ERRATA have been applied to this book.
○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
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