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tour of the miserable wretch, when perhaps many of our friends, and even relatives, would suffer by a comparison, and yet had led uniformly innocent lives. On the other hand, it must be admitted, that vice generally stamps her votaries with marks which may be known at a glance; but this admission applies only to the confirmed enemies of virtue, those whose habits of living are so uniformly vicious, that very little propriety occurs in their conduct.

The following anecdote, related by Lavater, may serve as a partial illustration of the assertion, that the features are affected by the turn of the mind; or, perhaps, more correctly speaking, the muscles of the face. An innocent, amiable and virtuous young lady, of high birth, who had been educated in the retirement of the country, happened one evening to pass a mirror, immediately after having attended evening prayers, and with a candle in her band was depositing a bible on a table, when she observed her image reflected in the glass: affected with a sense of humility, and of extreme modesty, she averted her eyes and retired. A succeeding winter was passed in the amusements and dissipation of a city, where this lady had the misfortune to forget all her previously devout pursuits; but returning to the country, she once more passed the glass and the bible, and saw her features reflected, now deprived of those fascinating graces which belong alone to the serene and happy state of mind she had lost. Alarmed at the change, she fled from the spot, and retiring to a sofa, ejaculated sentences of penitence, and formed resolutions of future amendment.

Lavater begins his remarks on the human face with the forehead. According to this observer, the general form, proportion, the arch, obliquity, and position of the skull of the forehead, denotes the degree of thought, the sensibility, the mental vigour, and the propensities of man, and at the same time the skin of this part of the head explains, by its hue, ten-ion or wrinkles, the state of the mind at the moment of observation, and the passions which influence it, the bones affording the internal quantity, and the covering the application of power: however the latter may be affected, it is well known that the bones must remain unaltered, and yet they regulate the wrinkles by their variation of component form. Wrink es are produced by a certain degree of flatness; others arise from

arching, and those considered separately will give the form of the arch; and vice versa Some foreheads are furnished with wrinkles that are confined to horizontal, perpendicular, curved, and others confused and mixed lines; those least perplexed when in action are usually observed in foreheads without angles.

Lavater appears to have been the first who attended to the peculiar turns of the position and outline of the forehead, which he considered the most important part presented for the study of the physiognomist. This he divides into three classes, and those he termed the perpendicular, the projecting, and the retreating, each possessing a number of variations; the principal, however, are rectilinear, "half round, half rectilinear, flowing into each other; half round, half rectilinear, interrupted: curve-lined, simple; the curve-lined double and triple."

A long forehead denotes much capacity of comprehension, and less activity: a compressed, short and firm forehead, more compression, stability, and little volatility; severity and pertinacity belong to the rectilinear; and the more curved than angular portends flexibility and tenderness of character; deficiency of understanding is discoverable in those whose foreheads are perpendicular from the hair to the eye-brows; but the perfectly perpendicular, gently arched at the top, signifies that the possessor thinks coolly and profoundly. The projecting forehead indicates stupidity and mental weakness; the retreating, exactly the reverse; the circular and prominent above, with straight lines below, and nearly perpendicular, shews sensibility, ardour, and good understanding; the rectilinear, oblique forehead has the same properties; arched foreheads are considered as feminine; an union of curved and straight lines, happily disposed, with a similar position of the forehead, gives the character of consummate wisdom. "Right lines, considered as such, and curves, considered as such, are relaxed, as power and weakness, obstinacy and flexibility, understanding and sensation." When the bones surrounding the eye project and are sharp, the person thus formed possesses a powerful stimulus to exercise a strong mental energy, which is productive of excellent and well digested plans, and yet this doth not seem a peculiar mark of wisdom, as many wise men have been known without it: those thus circumstanced have more firmness, when the forehead rests perpendicularly upon

horizontal eye-brows, and is considerably rounded towards the temples. Perpendicular foreheads, which, however, project so as not to rest on the nose, and which are short, small, shine, and are full of wrinkles, give undoubted indications of a weakness of the thinking faculties: perseverance and oppressive, violent activity, united with vigour and harshness, belong to the forehead composed of various confused protuberances; and on the other hand, when the profile of this part of the head affords two well proportioned arches, the lowest projecting, it is a certain sign of a good temperament and a sound understanding. All great and excellent men have been found to have their eye bones firmly arched, and well defined; and circumspection, followed by stability, attends square foreheads, with spacious temples, and eyebones of the above description; when perpendicular natural wrinkles appear, they express power of mind and application; but horizontal, interrupted in the middle, or broken at the extremities, betray, in general, negligence, if not want of ability.

Deep indenting in the bones of the forehead, situated between the eye-brows, and extending in a perpendicular direction, mark the happy few who possess generous and noble minds, connected with excellence of understanding; besides, a blue vena frontalis, in the form of a Y, situated in an arched smooth forehead, is an indication of similar advantages. Lavater having given the above hints, describes the following characteristics, which he asserts, give "the indubitable signs of an excellent, a perfectly beautiful and significant, intelligent, and noble forehead." Such must be one-third of the face in length, or that of the nose, and from the nose to the chin; the upper part must be oval, in the manner of the great men of England, or nearly square; the skin must be smooth, and wrinkled only when the mind is roused to just indignation, or deeply immersed in thought, and during the paroxysms of pain; the upper part must recede, and the lower project; the eye-bones must be horizontal, and present a perfect curve upon being observed from above: an intersecting cavity should divide the forehead into four distinct parts, but with that slight effect as to be only visible with a clear descending light; and all the outlines should be composed of such, that if the section of one-third only is observed, it would be difficult to decide whether they were cir

cular or straight; to conclude this por-
trait of a transcendent forehead, the skin
must be more transparent, and of a finer
tint, than the remainder of the face.-
Should an infant, a relative or friend,
who possesses a forehead resembling the
above description, seriously err, the good
enthusiast entreats, that the corrector
may not despair of success, as in all hu-
man probability the latent seeds of virtue
may be roused into growth by perseve-
rance, and finally produce the desired
fruit.

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The eyes of mankind are composed of various shades of colour, the most common of which are grey mixed with white, grey tinged with blue, and shades of green, orange, and yellow. According to Buffon, the orange and blue are most predominant, and those colours often meet in the same eye; those generally supposed to be black are not really so, and may be found on attentive examination, and with a proper disposition of the light, to consist of yellow, a deep orange, or brown, which, being violently opposed to the clear white of the ball, assumes a darkness mistaken for black. The same naturalist observes, that shades of yellow, orange, blue, and grey, are visible in the same eye, and when blue, even of the lightest tint, appears, it is invariably the predominant colour, and may be found in rays dispersed throughout the iris: the orange is differently disposed, at a trifling distance from the pupil, is in flakes, and round; but the blue so far overpowers it, that the eye assumes the appearance of being wholly of that colour. The fire and vivacity emitted by the eye cannot be so powerful in those of the lighter tints; it is therefore in the dark ones alone that we look for the emotions of the soul; quiet and mildness, and a certain degree of archness, are the characteristics of the blue. Some eyes are remarkable for the absence of colour; iris is faintly shaded with blue or grey, and the tints of orange are so light that they are hardly observable: in eyes thus constituted, the black of the pupil appears too conspicuous, and it may be said that portion is alone visible at a little distance, which circumstance gives the person a ghastly and spiritless appearance.

the

There are eyes whose iris may be said to be almost green; but these are very

uncommon.

It would require the pen of an inspired writer to describe the astonishing variety of expression of which the eyes are capable: being situated near the supposed seat of the soul, every sensa

tion of that invisible spirit appears to rush in full vigour from those intelligent organs all the passions may be seen in them: we shrink from their indications of anger, we find pleasure with all her train of joys dancing in them, we feel their force in love, and melt into tears upon observing them suffused with the moisture of grief: in short their language is far more powerful than that of the tongue. The transitions are so rapid in the expression of the eyes, that it requires very close and attentive examination to catch and describe the emotions of the mind visible in them; admitting this fact, it will appear, that the physiognomist is liable to numerous and egregious errors in drawing his conclusion of propensities from them. Paracelsus, a man of strong genius, and, like Lavater, misguided in many instances by enthusiasm, and a kind of superstition allied to the study of this art or science, pronounced that those eyes generally termed black frequently denoted health, firmness, courage and honour; but the grey, deceit and instability. Thus far probability at least accompanies his remarks. It is, however, impossible to subscribe to his assertion, that short-sighted persons are deceitful and crafty, or that those who squint have similar propensities to evil, as it, is evident both the peculiarities alluded to are the consequences of injury, and are never found in people whose organs of vision are perfect: indeed, many instances might be cited of the actual and known causes of squinting and near sight, which frequently occur in adults from extreme anxiety and disease.

Small eyes, situated deep in the sockets, are said, by Paracelsus, to indicate active wickedness, with a mind calculated to oppose with vigour, and suffer with perseverance; and their opposites, or very large prominent eyes, he conceived, explained the avaricious, covetous propensities of their possessor; those in constant motion denote fear and care; winking is the mark of foresight, of an amorous disposition, and quickness in projecting; and the eye fearful of looking directly forward, decides upon innate modesty.

Lavater thought blue eyes, in general, signified effeminacy and weakness, and yet he acknowledged that many eminent men have had blue eyes; still he was convinced that strength and manhood more particularly belong to the brown: in opposition to this opinion, the Chinese, who are known to be an imbecile people, rarely have blue eyes; these contradic

tions, it must be confessed, weaken the reliance we are inclined to place on appearances during the quiescent state of the eyes, and the indications of their colour. Men intemperate in anger, and easily irritated, may be found with eyes of all the usual colours; when they incline to green, ardour, spirit, and courage, are constant attendants. People of a phlegmatic habit, but who may be roused to activity, have clear blue eyes, which never belong to those inclined to melancholy, and they rarely belong to the choleric. Benevolence, tenderness, timidity, and weakness, are exhibited by the perfectly semicircular arch formed by the under part of the upper eye-lid: persons of acute and solid understandings have a generous open eye, composing a long and acute angle with the nose; and when the eye-lid forms a horizontal line over the pupil, it is a strong indication that he who possesses it is subtle, able, and penetrating. Widely opening lids, shewing the white of the ball under the other colours, may be observed in the phlegmatic and timid, as well as in the courageous and rash; but upon comparing these marks in the different characters just mentioned, a very perceptible difference is discovered in the character

istics of the eyes; the latter are less oblique, better shaped, and more firm.

The eye-brows are essential in the expression of the eyes; in anger they are brought down and contracted; in all pleasant sensations, and in astonishment, they assume a fine arch; in youth they are naturally and regularly arched: the horizontal and rectilinear eye-brow belongs to the masculine bias of the soul; and the above designations combined, shew strength of understanding, united with feminine kindness: those that are deranged in their appearance, and the hairs growing in various directions, demonstrate a wild and perplexed state of mind; but if the hair is fine and soft, they signify gentle ardour. The compressed firm eye-brow, formed of parallel hairs, is a certain proof of profound wisdom, true perception, and a manly firm habit of thought. There are eye-brows which meet across the nose; this circumstance gives the person an air of ferocious gloom, which is admired by the Arabs, but the ancients versed in physiognomy, conceived such to be characteristic of cunning: Lavater, on the contrary, observes, that he had discovered them on the most worthy and open countenances, admitting at the same time that they may

denote a heart ill at ease. Those who think profoundly, and those equally prudent and firm in their conduct, never have high and weak eye-brows; in some measure equally dividing the forehead, they rather betray debility and apathy; and though men of an opposite character may be found with them, they invariably signify a diminution of the powers of the mind. Thick angular eye-brows, interrupted in their lengths, signify spirit and activity; and when they approach the eyes closely, the more firm, vigorous, and decided, is the character; the reverse shews a volatile and less enterprising disposition; when the extremes are remote from each other, the sensations of the possessor are sudden and violent. White eye-brows are demonstrative of weakness, in the same degree that the dark-brown are of firmness.

The good Lavater considered the nose as the abutment, or buttress, of the forehead, the seat of the brain, without which the whole face would present a miserable appearance; indeed an ugly or disagreeable set of features is never accompanied by a handsome nose: but there are thousands of fine and expressive eyes, where a perfectly formed nose is wanting; he describes this portion of the face as requiring the following peculiarities: "Its length should equal the length of the forehead; at the top should be a gentle indenting; viewed in front, the back should be broad, and nearly parallel, yet above the centre something broader; the bottom, or end of the nose, must be neither hard nor fleshy, and its under outline must be remarkably definite, well delineated, neither pointed nor very broad; the sides, seen in front, must be well defined, and the descending nostrils gently shortened; viewed in profile, the bottom of the nose should not have more than one-third of its length; the nostrils above must be pointed below, round, and have in general a gentle curve, and be divided into equal parts by the profile of the upper lip; the side, or arch of the nose, must be a kind of oval; above, it must close well with the arch of the eyebone, and near the eye must be at least half an inch in breadth. Such a nose is of more worth than a kingdom." Numbers of great and excellent men have flourished in all ages of the world, whose noses would suffer essentially by a comparison with Lavater's description of a nose, more valuable to the possessor than extensive empire; indeed, he is compelled to acknowledge this indisputable fact,

and observes that he has seen persons endowed with purity of mind, noble in their conceptions, and capable of exertion, whose noses were small, and the arches of their profiles inverted; and yet, true to his first principles, he discovered, or imagined he discovered, their worth to consist chiefly in the elegant effusions of their imaginations, their learning, or fortitude in suffering, and this is accom panied with a proviso, that the remainder of their form must be correctly organized.

Noses arched near the forehead belong to those who possess the energy to command, are capable of ruling, acting, overcoming, and destroying; others, rectilinear, are the medium between the extremes above noticed, and are appropriated by nature to persons who act and suffer with equal power and patience. Socrates, Lairasse, and Boerhaave, were great men, and had ill-shaped noses, and were distinguished for meekness and gentle

ness.

Were it possible to attribute a general prevalence of disposition to a general form of the nose, individuals of every nation would be found to resemble the Tartars, who have flat indented noses, the Negroes, who have broad, and the Jews, who have high arched noses, in their propensities; and it must follow, that whatever qualities the physiognomist may apply to those individuals, must also belong to the whole people whose noses bear a resemblance to them; were this particular accurately examined into, it would tend, in a great measure, to confirm the correctness or incorrectness of the science, as it has hitherto been practised.

The admirers of this study attribute great powers to the mouth, in expressing the emotions of the mind; and Lavater expatiates on it with enthusiastic fervour indeed: "Whoever," he exclaims, "internally feels the worth of this member, so different from every other member, so inseparable, so not to be defined, so simple, yet so various; whoever, I say, knows and feels this worth, will speak and act with divine wisdom." He then proceeds to call it "the chief seat of wisdom and folly, power and debility, virtue and vice, beauty and deformity, of the human mind; the seat of all love, all hatred, all sincerity, all falsehood, all humility, all pride, all dissimulation, and all truth." Granting the benevolent pastor full-assent to these observations on the mouth, it becomes the indispensable duty of all men to notice the physiognomy, or indications of that organ; in making those

observations, it will be necessary to examine the lips separately, and to ascertain when they are closed, during the moments of perfect tranquillity, whether that operation is performed without a forcible exertion of the muscles, particularly the middle of the upper and under lips, the bottom of the middle line at each end: and finally, the extending of the middle line on both sides.

The character of the man is proclaimed in the lips; the more firm the latter, the more fixed the former; the weak and irresolute man has weak lips, with rapidity in their motion. The vicious, cringing, mean, and bad countenance is never formed with hips well defined, large, and justly proportioned to the other parts of the face, and the line of which is equally serpentine on each side; such, though they may denote a tendency to sensuali ty, belong exclusively to a character deserving of admiration in most relations of life.

A mouth, the lips of which are so thin as to present, at first view, little more than a line, is said to indicate apathy and quiet, but industrious when roused. When this description of mouth is raised at the extremities, vanity or vain pretensions, affectation, and probably deliberate malice, distinguish those so formed. The opposite of this kind of lips, swelled into considerable size, is a mark of indolence and sensuality. The "cut through, sharp drawn lip," as Lavater terms some, has to contend with avarice and anxiety. Lips closed accurately, without exertion, and handsome in their outline, belong to the exercise of discretion and firmness. Lips with the latter advantage, and the upper projecting, are generally appropriated to the virtuous and benevolent, though there are, without doubt, numberiess persons of excellent characters whose under lips project, but in Lavater's opinion, the last peculiarity implies a well meaning man, whose goodness consists rather of cold fidelity than ardent friendship. The under lip, hollowed in the middle, denotes a fanciful character. Let the moment be remarked, when the conceit of the jocular man descends to the lip, and it will be seen to be a little hollow in the middle.

The mouth remaining naturally closed, invariably signifies fortitude and courage. When the latter quality is in operation, the mouth closes insensibly: the natuturally open mouth makes a disposition to complain; the closed, on the contrary, designates endurance. Though paysiognomists," adds Lavater, "have as yet

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but little noticed, yet much might be said concerning the lips improper, or the fleshy covering of the upper teeth, on which anatomists have not, to my knowledge, yet bestowed any name, and which may be called the curtain, or pallium, extending from the beginning of the nose to the red upper lip proper. If the upper lip improper be long, the proper is always short; if it be short and hollow, the proper will be large and curved; another certain demonstration of the conformity of the human countenance. Hollow upper lips are much less common than flat and perpendicular; the character they denote is equally uncom

mon."

The ancients, who studied the physiognomy of man, supposed that diminutive short teeth, betrayed the weakness of those who possessed them: more modern observers contradict this supposition, and declare that men of uncommon strength have such, but they are rarely of that pure white, so necessary to preserve the general beauty of the countenance. Teeth of unusual length, and narrow, are signs of weakness and cowardice; those justly proportioned to each other, white and transparent, which appear immediately upon opening of the mouth, though not projecting, and entirely exposed to view from the insertion in the gums to the opposite extremities, are seldom to be met with in the jaws of persons who possess unamiable propensities; when teeth of a different description are discovered belonging to amiable and worthy characters, inquiry will generally satisfy the physiognomist that his conclusions on this head were just, and that the blackness and derangement were occasioned by disease.

In one way the observer and admirer of this art cannot possibly be mistaken; for he that neglects his teeth, suffering them to decay through contempt of public opinion and indolence, may be safely pronounced an unhappy character, with many evil propensities.

The chin alone remains to be noticed in this slight survey of the human face, as connected with the internal operations of the soul or mind. The projecting chin is said to mark something decided, and the receding the reverse; and it has been asserted, that the presence or absence of strength is frequently demonstrated by the form of this part of the countenance; it has also been remarked, that sudden indentings in the midst of the chin are peculiar to men of excellent cool under

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