or neatness without foppery, which are the virtues that produce such irresistible charms.

"Vice, in like manner, in persons yielding to its influence, may highly deform; especially when, in consequence of bad education, and want of knowledge of the traits of moral beauty, or of will to assume them, the vicious may find no day, no hour, in which to repair the depredations of vice.

"Where is the person who will not listen to the mouth, in which no trait, no shade of falsehood is discoverable? Let it preach the experience of what wisdom, what science it may, comfort will ever be the harbinger of such a physician, and confidence hasten to welcome his approach.

"One of the most hateful objects in the creation, says a certain writer, is a vicious and deformed old woman. We may also say, that the virtuous matron, in whose countenance goodness and the ardour of benevolence are conspicuous, is an object most worthy our reverence. Age never deforms the countenance, when the mind dares appear unmasked; it only wears off the fresh varnish, under which coquetry, vanity, and vice were concealed. Wherever age is exceedingly deformed, the same deformity would have been visible in youth, to the attentive observer.

"This is no difficult matter, and were men to act from conviction, instead of flattering themselves with the hope of fortunate accidents, happy marriages would be more frequent; and, as

Shakspeare says, the bonds which should unite hearts would not so often strangle temporal happiness.'

This certainly is the language of the heart. Oh! that I could have written my fragments in company with such an observer! Who could have rendered greater services to physiognomy than the man who, with the genius of a mathematician, possesses so accurate a spirit of observation?

CHAP. XXXII.

Description of Plate V.

Number 1.

WILLIAM HONDIUS, a Dutch engraver, after Vandyck. We here see mild, languid, slow industry, with enterprizing, daring, conscious heroism. This forehead is rounded, not indeed common nor ignoble. The eyebrows are curved, the eyes languid and sinking, and the whole countenance oval, ductile, and maidenly.

Number 2.

This head, if not stupid, is at least common; if not rude, clumsy. I grant it as a caricature, yet, however, there is something sharp and fine in the eye and mouth, which a connoisseur will discover.

Number 3.

This is manifestly a Turk, by the arching and

position of the forehead, the hind part of the head, the eyebrows, and particularly the nose. The aspect is that of observation, with a degree of curiosity. The open mouth denotes remarking, with some reflection.

Number 4.

It must be a depraved taste which can call this graceful, and therefore it must be far from majestic. I should neither wish a wife, mother, sister, friend, relation, or goddess, to possess a countenance so cold, insipid, affected, stony, unimpassioned, or so perfectly a statue.

Number 5.

The strong grimace of an impotent madman, who distorts himself without meaning. In the eye is neither attention, fury, littleness, nor greatness.

Number 6.

The eyes in this head are benevolently stupid. Wherever so much white is seen as in the left eye, if in company with such a mouth, there is seldom much wisdom.

IT

CHAP. XXXIII.

General Remarks on Women.

may be necessary for me to say, that I am but little acquainted with the female part of the hu

man race. Any man of the world must know more of them than I can pretend to know. My opportunities of seeing them at the theatre, at balls, or at the card-table, where they best may be studied, have been exceedingly few. In my youth, I almost avoided women, and was never in love.

Perhaps I ought, for this very reason, to have left this very important part of physiognomy to one much better informed, having myself so little knowledge of the fair sex. Yet might not such neglect have been dangerous? Might another have treated the subject in the manner which I could wish? or, would he have said the little I have to say, and which, though little, I esteem to be necessary and important?

I cannot help shuddering when I think how excessively, how contrary to my intention, the study of physiognomy may be abused, when applied to women. Physiognomy will perhaps fare no better than philosophy, poetry, physic, or whatever may be termed art or science. little philosophy leads to atheism, and much to Christianity. Thus must it be with physiognomy; but I will not be discouraged; the half precedes the whole. We learn to walk by falling, and shall we forbear to walk lest we should fall?

A

I can with certainty say, that true pure physiognomonical sensation, in respect to the female sex, best can season and improve life, and is the most effectual preservative against the depredation of ourselves and others.

Best can season and improve human life.What better can temper manly rudeness, or strengthen and support the weakness of man, what so soon can assuage the rapid blaze of wrath, what more charm masculine power, what so quickly dissipate peevishness and ill temper, what so well can wile away the insipid tedious hours of life, as the near and affectionate look of a noble, beautiful woman? What is so strong as her soft delicate hand? What so persuasive as her tears restrained? Who but beholding her must cease to sin? How can the spirit of God aet more omnipotently upon the heart, than by the extending and increasing physiognomonical sensation for such an eloquent countenance? What so well can season daily insipidity? I scarcely can conceive a gift of more paternal and divine benevolence!

This has sweetened every bitter of my life, this alone has supported me under the most corroding cares, when the sorrows of a bursting heart wanted vent. My eyes swam in tears, and my spirit groaned with anguish. Then when men have daily asked, "where is now thy God?" when they rejected the sympathy, the affection of my soul, with rude contemptuous scorn; when acts of honest simplicity were calumniated, and the sacred impulse of conscious truth was ridiculed, hissed at, and despised; in those burning moments, when the world afforded no comfort, even then did the Almighty open mine eyes, even then did he give me an unfailing