Half.
331
who actually formed a company called "The surgeons, which was the same in other re Surgeons of London. In 1540 by an act spects, was likewise to have a galley-pot passed under his most gracious majesty, and a red "rag, to note the peculiar nature of King Henry VIII., these rival companies their avocation. were united and named "The Masters, or In Rastell's Entries there is an interest Governors, of the Mystery and Commonalty ing precedent of a declaration in an action on of the Barbers and Surgeons of London. the case against a barber for having shaved The third section of this act provided that a beard "inartificial!}-: "R. S. nupcr de N. "no manner of person within the city of attach fuit in respondendum H. B. de plácito, London, suburbs of the same and one mile quod cum idem R. ad barbam ipsitis H. bene compass of said city of London, after the ct artitlcialiler cum novacida munda et Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord God then salubri rädere apud N. assumpsisset, prenext coming, using barbery or shaving within dichts R. barbam ipsins H. cum quadam the said city, etc., he nor they, nor none of nœ'actda immundi ct insalubri tarn ncgthem, to his, her, or their use, shall occupy ligenter et inartificialiter hasit, quod fa any surgery, letting of blood or any other des ipsius H. morbosa ct scabiosa detvnit ad thing belonging to surgery, drawing of dctmmim ¡psius H. 403 ut dicitur." teeth only excepted: and furthermore, in When the Portugese admiral, Juan de like manner, whosoever that useth the mys Castro borrowed a thousand pistoles from tery or craft of surgery, shall in no wise the city of Goa, he left in pledge one of occupy nor exercise the feat or craft of bar his whiskers, saying, "All the gold in the bery or shaving, neither by himself, nor world cannot equal this natural ornament by any other for him, to his or their use." of my valor." We are not told whether the In 1745 this union was dissolved. worthy captain ever returned to redeem his In Scotland at an early day the barbers! precious pledge, or how the city was satisfied and the chirurgeons were united and enjoyed with the security. many rights and privileges; in 1505 the The ministers of the Church of Scotland in crafts of "Surregeury and Barbouris were the seventeenth century used to enforce dis formed into a college or corporation by the cipline on the unruly sons of the church by town council of Edinburg and became one cutting the half of their hair or shaving their of the fourteen incorporated trades of the beards. city. In Ireland the "Fraternity of Barbers Lord Mansfield tried a man for assault, and Chirurgeons of the Guild of S. Mary he was convicted; the Court thought im Magdalene" was incorporated by Henry II. prisonment an unsuitable punishment under The style of the barber's pole was fixed the circumstances; an affidavit was produced by statute in the olden time and still re in which the offender stated he was wholly calls the days when barbers lawfully drew unable to pay a pecuniary fine. While this blood; the spiral ribbons representing the was being read the man stood proudly erect, two bandages used, the one twisted round the his face adorned with enormous whiskers arm before bleeding, the other for binding and mustaches, the pride of his heart, his afterwards. Lord Thurlow, speaking in the boast in his cups. Mr. Dunning, for the House of Lords in 1797, said that by a prosecution, suggested to the judge that statute then in force barbers and surgeons "as the prisoner had very fine moustachios were each to use a pole as a sign. The bar and whiskers, perhaps his lordship would bers were to have theirs blue and white, take the punishment out of these, and order him at once to be shaved." striped, with no other appendage; but the
