The hair of young men usually begins to grow down upon their chins at
fifteen years of age, and sometimes sooner. These hairs proceed from the
superfluity of heat, the fumes whereof ascend to their chin, like smoke
to the funnel of a chimney; and because it cannot find an open passage
by which it may ascend higher, it vents itself forth in the hairs which
are called the beard. There are very few, or almost no women at all,
that have hairs on their cheeks; and the reason is, that those humours
which cause hair to grow on the cheeks of a man are by a woman
evacuated in the monthly courses, which they have more or less,
according to the heat or coldness of their constitution, and the age and
motion of the moon, of which we have spoken at large in the first part
of this book. Yet sometimes women of a hot constitution have hair to be
seen on their cheeks, but more commonly on their lips, or near their
mouths, where the heat most aboundeth. And where this happens, such
women are much addicted to the company of men, and of a strong and manly
constitution. A woman who hath little hair on her cheeks, or about her
mouth and lips, is of a good complexion, weak constitution, shamefaced,
mild and obedient, whereas a woman of a more hot constitution is quite
otherwise. But in a man, a beard well composed and thick of hair,
signifies a man of good nature, honest, loving, sociable and full of
humanity; on the contrary, he that hath but a little beard, is for the
most part proud, pining, peevish and unsociable.
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