“What creature’s this, with his short hairs,
His little band, and huge long ears,
That a new faith has founded?”
Even such brave and noble-minded adherents as Colonel Hutchinson could not escape the censure of their own party for not conforming in all respects to the vulgar notions of orthodoxy. His long and beautiful hair was looked upon with suspicion as betraying a certain lukewarmness in their cause. The Puritans even forbade the women to wear braided hair. And some of them, more zealous than the rest, made a vow not to trim their beards till the parliament had subdued the king, as did Sir Hudibras.
’Twas to stand fast
As long as monarchy should last;
But when the state should hap to reel
’Twas to submit to fatal steel.
These vow-beards were also worn by some staunch old Jacobites, to mark their love for the house of Stuart, who hoped to see the king recalled to the throne. The beard of Sir Hudibras has acquired a sort of historical importance, and, to do it justice, must be pictured at full length:
“His tawny beard was th’ equal grace