Chapter 83

Drinking, pp. 20 to 29. iii. A short Persian Manuscript on Physiognomies, pp. 1 to 8.

The last consists of a preface and ten chapters. "These leaves," we are told, "are the compendium of a treatise written by the Ema'n Fakhr-al-din Al-Ra'zy--may God overwhelm him with forgiveness-- on the Science of Physiognomies." We are told how the abode influences character; when the character of a man corresponds with that of a beast; that "the index of the dominant passion is the face;" that "the male is among all animals stronger and more perfect than the female," and so on.

A short quotation must suffice:

"When does the character of a man correspond to that of a beast?"

"If a man has a long face, protuberant eyes, and the tip of his nose long, drawn out like the snout of a dog, because as we have explained above, external appearances and internal qualities are closely connected with each other, so that if a man happens to resemble some animal he will possess the nature of it also."

3. Translations from the Persian and Arabic, by the late E. Rehatsek. Persian.