so essentially good, that no varnish can penetrate deep enough, if we are but careful in bringing it away not to injure the picture? Is this of no importance? You observe the smallest change of position in the polar star. Days are dedicated to examine how many ages shall elapse before it will arrive at the nearest point of approach. I do not despise your labours. But is it of no importance to you, to fathers, mothers, guardians, teachers, friends, and statesmen, to inquire what a man may become, or what must be expected from this or that youth, thus and thus formed and educated? Many foolish people are like excellent watches, which would go well, were the regulator but rectified.

Is the goodness of the mechanism of no consequence to you, although a skilful watchmaker should tell you, this was, and is, an excellent piece of workmanship, infinitely better than that which you see set with brilliants, which, I grant, will go well for a quarter of a year, but will then stop? Clean this, repair it, and straighten the teeth of this small wheel. Is this advice of no importance? Will you not be informed what it might have been, what it may yet probably be ? Will you not hear of a treasure that lies buried, and, while buried, I own useless; but will you content yourself with the trifling interest arising from this or that small sum?

Is your attention paid only to the fruit of the present year, and which is perhaps forced? And do you neglect the goodness of a tree, which, with

attention, may bring forth a thousand fold, though under certain circumstances it may have brought forth none? Have the hot blasts of the south parched up its black leaves, or has the storm blown down its half-ripened fruit, and will you therefore not inquire whether the root does not still flourish?

I find I grow weary, and perhaps weary others, especially as I am more and more convinced, that our pleasant author, at least hitherto, meant only to amuse himself. I shall therefore only produce two more contradictions, which ought not to have escaped the author, and scarcely can escape any thinking reader.

He very properly says, in one place, 66 Pathognomonical signs, often repeated, are not always entirely effaced, but leave physiognomonical impressions. Hence originate the lines of folly, ever gaping, ever admiring, nothing understanding; hence the traits of hypocrisy; hence the hollowed cheek, the wrinkles of obstinacy, and heaven knows how many other wrinkles. Pathognomonical distortion, which accompanies the practice of vice, will likewise, in consequence of the disease it produces, become more distorted and hateful. Thus may the pathognomonical expression of friendship, compassion, sincerity, piety, and other moral beauties, become bodily beauty to such as can perceive and admire these qualities. On this is founded the physiognomy of Gallert, which is the only true part of physiognomy. This is of infinite

advantage to virtue, and is comprehended in a few words, virtue beautifies, vice deforms."

The branch therefore hath effect, the root none; the fruit has physiognomy, the tree none; the laugh of self-sufficient vanity may, therefore, arise from the most humble of hearts, and the appearance of folly from the perfection of wisdom. The wrinkles of hypocrisy, therefore, are not the result of any internal power or weakness. The author will always fix our attention on the dialplate, and will never speak of the power of the watch itself. But take away the dial-plate, and still the hand will go. Take away those pathognomonical traits, which dissimulation sometimes can effect, and the internal power of impulse will remain. How contradictory therefore is it to say, the traits of folly are there, but not the character of folly; the drop of water is visible, but the fountain, the ocean, is not!

Again. It is certainly incongruous to say, "There is pathognomy, but this is as unnecessary (to be written) as an act of love. It chiefly consists in the motion of the muscles of the countenance and the eyes, and is learned by all men, To teach this would be like an attempt to number the sands of the sea!"

Yet the author, in the very next page, with great acuteness, begins to teach pathognomy, by explaining twelve of the countenances of Chodowiecki, in which how much is there included of the science of physiognomy!

Give me now leave, my worthy antagonist, yet

no longer antagonist, but friend, convinced by truth, and the love of truth, I say, give me leave to transcribe, in one continued quotation, some of your excellent thoughts and remarks, from your essay, and elucidations on the countenances of Chodowiecki, part of which have been already cited in this fragment, and part not. I am convinced they will be agreeable to my readers.

"Our judgment concerning countenances frequently acquires certainty, not from physiognomonical nor pathognomonical signs, but from the traces of recent actions, which men cannot shake off. Debauchery, avarice, beggary, have each their livery, by which they are as well known as the soldier by his uniform, or the chimney-sweeper by his sooty-jacket. The addition of a trifling expletive in discourse will betray the badness of education; and the manner of putting on the hat what is the company we keep, and what the degree of our folly."

Suffer me here to add, shall not then the whole form of man discover any thing of his talents and dispositions? Can the most milky candour here forget the straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel?

"Maniacs will often not be known to be disordered in their senses, if not in action. More will often be discovered, concerning what a man really is, by his dress, behaviour, and mode of paying his compliments, at his first visit and introduction, in a single quarter of an hour, than in all the time he shall remain. Cleanliness

and simplicity of manner will often conceal passions.

"No satisfactory conclusions can often be drawn from the countenances of the most dangerous men. Their thoughts are all concealed under an appearance of melancholy. Whoever has not remarked this, is unacquainted with mankind. The heart of the vicious man is always less easy to be read the better his education has been, the more ambition he has, and the better the company he has been accustomed to keep.

"Cowardice and vanity, governed by an inclination to pleasure and indolence, are not marked with strength equivalent to the mischief they occasion; while, on the contrary, fortitude in defence of justice, against all opponents whatever, be their rank and influence what it may, and the conscious feeling of real self-worth, often look very dangerous, especially when unaccompanied by a smiling mouth.

66 Specious as the objections brought by the sophistry of the sensual may be, it is notwithstanding certain, that there is no possible durable beauty without virtue, and the most hateful deformity may, by the aid of virtue, acquire irresistible charms. Examples of such perfection, among persons of both sexes, I own are uncommon, but not more so than heavenly sincerity, modest compliance, without self-degradation, universal philanthropy, without busy intrusion, a lover of order, without being minute,

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