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Notes and Queries, Number 06, December 8, 1849 by Various
page 15 of 63 (23%)
expect that any one individual could thoroughly accomplish such an
undertaking; and, by means of your excellent periodical, it will be easy
for literary men, who possess scarce or unique books, mentioned in the
Registers and in my quotations from them, to furnish such brief
descriptions as will be highly curious and very useful.

A tract of this description has just fallen in my way, and it relates to
the subsequent entry on p. 97. of vol. ii. of my _Extracts_: the date is
22nd September, 1579.

"H. Denham. Lycensed unto him, &c. A Paradox, provinge by reason
and example that baldnes is much better than bushie heare. vj'd"

When I wrote the comment on this registration I was only acquainted with
the clever MS. ballad in _Defence of a Bald Head_, which I quoted; but I
hardly supposed it to be the production intended. It turns out that it
was not, for I have that production now before me. My belief is that it
is entirely unique; and the only reason for a contrary opinion, that I
am acquainted with, is that there is an incorrect mention of it in
Warton, _H.E.P._ iv. 229.; but there is not a hint of its existence in
Ritson, although it ought to have found a place in his _Bibliographia
Poetica_; neither do I find it noticed in later authorities; if it be,
they have escaped my researches. You will not blame me, then, for
indulging my usual wish to quote the title-page at length, which exactly
agrees with the terms of the entry in the books of the Stationers'
Company. It runs _literatim_ thus:--

"A Paradoxe, proving by reason and example, that baldnesse is
much better than bushie haire, &c. Written by that excellent
philosopher Synesius, Bishop of Thebes, or (as some say) Cyren.
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