To bear the weight of wig at top."

We are told Dr Delmahoy's wig was particularly celebrated in a song
which commenced:--

"If you would see a noble wig,
And in that wig a man look big,
To Ludgate Hill repair, my boy,
And gaze on Dr Delmahoy."

In the middle of the last century so much importance was attached to
this portion of a medical man's costume, that Dr Brocklesby's barber was
in the habit of carrying a bandbox through the High Change, exclaiming:
"Make way for Dr Brocklesby's wig!"

Professional wigs are now confined to the Speaker in the House of
Commons, who, when in the chair, wears a full-bottomed one, and to
judges and barristers. Such wigs are made of horse-hair, cleaned and
curled with care, and woven on silk threads, and shaped to fit the head
with exactness. The cost of a barrister's wig of frizzed hair is from
five to six guineas.

An eminent counsel in years agone wished to make a motion before Judge
Cockburn, and in his hurry appeared without a wig. "I hear your voice,"
sternly said his Lordship, "but I cannot see you." The barrister had to
obtain the loan of a wig from a learned friend before the judge would
listen to him.

Lord Eldon suffered much from headache, and when he was raised to the
peerage he petitioned the king to allow him to dispense with the wig. He
was refused, his Majesty saying he could not permit such an innovation.
In vain did his lordship show that the wig was an innovation, as the old
judges did not wear them. "True," said the king; "the old judges wore
beards."

In more recent times we have particulars of several instances of both
bench and bar discarding the use of the wig. At the Summer Assizes at
Lancaster, in 1819, a barrister named Mr Scarlett hurried into court,
and was permitted to take part in a trial without his wig and gown. Next
day the whole of the members of the bar appeared without their
professional badges, but only on this occasion, although on the previous
day a hope had been expressed that the time was not far distant when the
mummeries of costume would be entirely discarded.

We learn from a report in the _Times_ of July 24th, 1868, that on
account of the unprecedented heat of the weather on the day before, in
the Court of Probate and Divorce the learned judge and bar appeared
without wigs.

On July 22nd, 1873, it is recorded that Dr Kenealy rose to open the case
for the defence in the Tichborne suit; he sought and obtaine