through the town,"
says the account, "it was observed that most of the wig-makers, who
wanted other people to wear them, wore no wigs themselves; and this
striking the London mob as something monstrously unfair and
inconsistent, they seized the petitioners, and cut off all their hair
per force."

Horace Walpole alludes to this ludicrous petition in one of his letters.
"Should we wonder," he writes, "if carpenters were to remonstrate that
since the Peace there is no demand for wooden legs?" The wags of the
period could not allow the opportunity to pass without attempting to
provoke more mirth out of the matter, and a petition was published
purporting to come from the body-carpenters imploring his Majesty to
wear a wooden leg, and to enjoin his servants to appear in his royal
presence with the same graceful decoration.

THE MOUSTACHE MOVEMENT

At the present time, when moustaches are general, it is difficult to
realise the opposition raised against them in this country half a
century ago. Few outside the military had the courage to follow a
fashion which has become general. In the first year of the reign of
Queen Victoria, we gather from the police court proceedings at
Marlborough Street, London, how unpopular at that period was the
moustache. The following Report is drawn from the _Times_ of September
21st, 1837: "Yesterday, a young man, 'bearded like the pard,' who said
he was a carpenter employed on the London and Birmingham Railroad,
applied to Mr Rawlinson, the sitting magistrate, for an assault warrant,
under the following ludicrous circumstances.

"Mr Rawlinson: What do you want a warrant for?

"Applicant: I'll tell your worship, and you'll say it's the most
haggrawating, and provoking thing as ever was heard on. Vell then, I
goes to my vork, as usual, this 'ere morning, ven one of my shopmates
said to me, 'Bill, you arn't shaved your hupper lip lately,' says I.
'Vy,' says he 'Cos,' I replied, 'I intends vearing mustachios to look
like a gentleman,' 'Vell, then,' says he, 'as you intends to become a
fashionable gentleman, p'raps you'll have no objection to forfeit
half-a-gallon of ale, as it's the rule here that every workman vot
sports mustachios, to have them vetted a bit.' Vell, has I refused to
have my mustachios christened, they made game of them, and said they
weren't half fledged; and, more nor all that, they hustled me about, and
stole my dinner out of the pot, and treated me shameful, and so