off, denying him to be his Son.—­Also—­Having caused his Hair to be cut off a second Time, he put him in Prison at Cologne; from whence making his Escape, he fled to Narses, and suffer’d his Hair to grow again, &c.”  Which Story Gregory of Tours, lib. 6. cap. 24. likewise records.  Also cap. 44. where he speaks of King Theodorick.—­“The Franks (says he) rose up in Arms against him, and cast him out of the Kingdom, and cut off his Head of Hair by Force.”  But there is a very remarkable, or rather horrible Story related by Gregory of Tours, concerning Crotilda, the Queen Mother; who chose rather to have the Heads of her two Grandsons cut off than their Hair.  ’Tis in his 3d Book, cap. 18.—­“Our Mother (says the King to his Brother) has kept our Brother’s Sons with her, and intends to advance them to the Throne; we must concert what Measures ought to be taken in this Affair; whether we shall order their Hair to be cut off, and to reduce them to the State of common Subjects; or whether we shall cause them to be put to Death, and afterwards divide the Kingdom between us:  Then they sent Archadius with a Pair of Scissars in one Hand, and a naked Sword in t’other to the Queen; who approaching her, showed them both to her, and said, Your Sons, most Glorious Queen, have sent me to know your Pleasure, what Destiny you are pleased to allot to these two Youths; whether by suffering their Hair to be cut off, you will have them to live; or whether you had rather have both their Throats cut.  Whereupon She chose rather to see them both kill’d, than to have their Hair cut off.”  I further observe, that it was the Fashion when our Kings went to single Combat, to have their long Hair tied up in a large Knot a-top of their Helmets like a Crest; and that was their Cognizance or Mark in all their Fights.  Therefore Aimoinus, lib. 4. cap. 18. where he speaks of the dreadful Combat between King Dagobert and Bertoaldus, Duke of the Saxons: “The King (says he) having his Hair, together with a Part of his Helmet, cut off with a Blow of a Sword on his Head, sent them by his Esquire to his Father, desiring him to hasten to his Assistance.”

Now when I consider what might be the Reasons of this Institution, I can find none but this.  That since it had been the ancient Custom of the Gauls and Franks to wear their Hair long (as it was also of the Sicambri, and of most others in those Parts) our Ancestors thought fit to continue, and in Process of Time to appropriate this Ornament, and Mark of Distinction to the Regal Family.  No Person, tho’ but indifferently learn’d, needs any Proof that the Gauls wore their Hair long, especially when he calls to mind that of the Poet Claudian, ex lib. in Ruffin. 2.

  Inde truces flavo comitantur vertice Galli
  Quos Rhodanus velox, Araris quos tardior ambit,
  Et quos nascentes explorat gurgite Rhenus.