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THE POCKET LAVATER, OR, THE SCIENCE OF PHYSIOGNOMY: TO WHICH IS ADDED, AN INQUIRY INTO THE ANALOGY EXISTING BETWEEN BRUTE AND HUMAN PHYSIOGNOMY, FROM THE ITALIAN OF PORTA.

Embellished with 44 Copperplate heads.

_NEW-YORK_: Published by Van Winkle & Wiley. 1817.

_Southern District of New-York, ss._

BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the first day of May, in the forty-first year of the Independence of the United States of America, VAN WINKLE & WILEY, of the said district, have deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words and figures following, to wit:

“The Pocket Lavater, or, the Science of Physiognomy. To which is added, An Inquiry into the Analogy existing between Brute and Human Physiognomy, from the Italian of Porta. Embellished with 14 Copperplate heads.”

IN CONFORMITY to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled, “An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned,” and also, to an act entitled, “An act, supplementary to an act, entitled, an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints.”

THERON RUDD.

Clerk of the Southern District of New-York.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The public are here presented with a translation from the French of the “Pocket Lavater,” a work which has become highly popular in France, and which has run through successive and repeated editions.

The attention which the French have, of late, paid to Physiognomy, may be ascribed not only to the infatuating nature, and intrinsic excellence of that science, but, also, to adventitious circumstances. France, or, more properly, its metropolis, has, within a few years, become, as it were, the immense stage on which all the varieties of human aspect and action have been exhibited. Their painters, at present, employ the pencil, not on pieces of ancient history or mythological fiction, but in designating the various national physiognomies, costumes, and conformation of body, which Paris now presents, assembled from all Europe, and from some parts of Asia. The Physiognomist has there an ample scope for the study and enlargement of his Science: the Briton melancholy amidst success--the Frenchman happy amidst adversity--the phlegmatic German, the choleric Russian, the proud Spaniard, the vain Pole, and the grave and jealous Turk; these parading her streets and gardens, or thronging her Caffées, must present a group, whose motley and various character mocks both narrative and description. All of these are distinguished from each other by a difference of countenance, language, dress, habits, customs, and manners; yet the philosopher observes in all these but one being under different modifications.

This edition is enriched by an ingenious inquiry into the existing analogy between brute and human physiognomy, from the Italian of Porta, whose observations on national character, although written three centuries ago, are found correct at the present day.

The plates which accompany this work, are designed, and faithfully executed, after those which accompany the Paris edition.

The Publishers, in submitting this work to the public, will be influenced by its success to the publication of the “Female Lavater,” a work of established merit, and which forms a counterpart to the present volume.

PREFACE.

Nothing is more common than to hear the study of physiognomy condemned as being calculated to mislead men in their judgments of each other, and the impossibility of its being reduced to a science; yet, nothing is more universally prevalent, in all classes of society, than forming judgments from the appearances of the face. How often do we hear these observations--“He has an open countenance”--“His countenance is forbidding”--“That man has an honest face”--“His looks are enough for me”--“Rogue is depicted in his countenance,” “That bewitching eye”--“That stupid face,” and many other expressions of the kind. This proves that, although differences of opinion may be entertained respecting physiognomy, all men are, in the true signification of the term, physiognomists. We shall here proceed to point out some of its advantages.

Whether a more certain, more accurate, more extensive, and thereby, a more perfect knowledge of man, be, or be not profitable; whether it be, or be not, advantageous to gain a knowledge of internal qualities from external form and feature, is certainly a question deserving of inquiry.

It may be asked, Is knowledge, its extension and increase, of consequence to man? This question, it is presumed, can receive but one answer from all unprejudiced persons: for, as certainly as man is possessed of corporeal strength, so certain is it that to exercise strength is necessary. As certainly as he has the faculties, power, and will, to love, so certain is it that it is necessary he should love. Equally certain is it, that if man has the faculties, power, and will, to obtain wisdom, that he should exercise those faculties for the attainment of wisdom.

Mutual intercourse is the thing of most consequence to mankind, who are destined to live in society. The knowledge of man is the soul of this intercourse--that which imparts to it animation, pleasure, and profit. This knowledge is, in some degree, inseparable from, because necessary to, all men. And how shall we, with greater ease and certainty, acquire this knowledge than by the aid of physiognomy, understood in its most extensive sense, since, in so many of his actions, man is incomprehensible?

Physiognomy unites hearts, and forms the most durable, the most divine friendships; nor can friendship discover a more solid foundation than in the fair outlines and noble features of certain countenances.

Physiognomy is the very soul of wisdom, since it elevates the mutual pleasures of intercourse, and whispers to the heart when it is necessary to speak--when to be silent; when to forewarn--when to excite; when to console--when to reprehend.

But to enumerate all the advantages that are derived from the study of physiognomy would require a volume. We shall, therefore, conclude these prefatory remarks by adding testimonies, from the highest authorities, in favour of that science, which Lavater, in his essay, introduces in the following manner:

“To support the feeble among my readers, and to furnish the strong with such arguments as are most convenient to their disputes with the feeble, I shall produce witnesses, of more or less importance among the learned and wise, in the company of whom I shall deem it an honour to be despised. They will be few, and not conclusive; but, however, may to many appear of consequence, and be unexpected:

“The countenance of the wise sheweth wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.”--PROV. xvii. 24.

“Though the wicked man constrain his countenance, the wise can distinctly discern his purpose.”--PROV. xxi. 29.

“The heart of man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil; and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.”--ECCL. xiii. 25.

“A man may be known by his look; and one that hath understanding, by his countenance, when thou meetest him.”--ECCL. xix. 29.

“We know that nothing passes in the soul which does not produce some change in the body; and particularly, that no desire, no act of willing, is exerted by the soul without some corresponding motion, at the same time, taking place in the body. All changes of the soul originate in the soul’s essence, and all changes in the body in the body’s essence. The body’s essence consists in the conformation of its members; therefore, the conformation of the body, according to its form, and the form of its constituent members, must correspond with the essence of the soul. In like manner must the varieties of the mind be displayed in the varieties of the body. Hence, the body must contain something in itself, and in its form, as well as in the form of its parts, by which an opinion may be deduced concerning the native qualities of the mind. I repeat, native qualities; for the question here does not concern those qualities derived from education, or by instructive conversation. Thus considered, the art of judging man by the form of his members, and of his whole body, usually called physiognomy, is well founded.

“The lines of the countenance constitute its expression; which expression is always true when the mind is free from constraint: these lines, therefore, must discover what the natural inclinations are, when seen in their true and native position.”--WOLF.

“What is the fairest countenance, disfigured by the hateful vices of lust, anger, falsehood, envy, avarice, pride, and discontent? What can external marks of decorum effect when an ignoble and insignificant mind is depicted in the countenance? The most certain means of rendering the face beautiful, is to beautify the mind, and to purify it from vice. He who would make his countenance intelligent must so first make his mind. He who would impart to the face its most fascinating charms, must store the mind with religion and virtue, which will diffuse over it every expression of sublime content.”--GILLERT.

“Where is the hand that shall grasp that which resides beneath the skull of man? Who shall approach the surface of that now tranquil, now tempestuous, abyss! Like as the Deity has ever been adored in sacred groves, so is the Lebanon, the Olympus of man, that seat of the secret power of the divinity, overshadowed. We shudder at contemplating the powers contained in so small a circumference, by which a world may be enlightened, or a world destroyed.

“Through those two inlets of soul, the eye and ear, how wonderful are the worlds of light and sound, the words and images that find entrance!

“How significant are the descending locks that shade this mountain, this seat of the gods! their luxuriance, their partition, their intermingling!

“The head is elevated upon the neck. Olympus resting upon an eminence in which are united freedom and strength, compression and elasticity, descriptive of the present and the future. The neck it is that expresses, not what man was originally, but what he is, by habit or accident, become; whether erect in defence of freedom, stretched forth and curbed in token of patient suffering, rising a Herculean pillar of fortitude, or sinking between the shoulders, the image of degradation; still it is incontestably expressive of character, action, and truth.

“Let us proceed to the countenance, in which shine forth mind and divinity.

“On the front appear light and gloom, joy and anxiety, stupidity, ignorance, and vice. On this brazen table are deeply engraved every combination of sense and soul. I can conceive no spectator to whom the forehead can appear uninteresting. Here all the graces revel, or all the Cyclops thunder! Nature has left it bare, that, by it, the countenance may be enlightened or darkened.

“At its lowest extremities, thought appears to be changed into act. The mind here collects the powers of resistance. Here reside the _cornua addita pauperi_. Here headlong obstinacy and wise perseverance take up their fixed abode.

“Beneath the forehead are its beauteous confines the eyebrows; a rainbow of promise, when benignant; and the bent bow of discord, when enraged; alike descriptive, in each case, of interior feeling.

“I know not any thing which can give more pleasure, to an accurate observer, than a distinct and perfectly arched eyebrow.

“The nose imparts solidity and unity to the whole countenance. It is the mountain that shelters the fair vales beneath. How descriptive of mind and character are its various parts; the insertion, the ridge, the cartilage, the nostrils, through which life is inhaled!

“The eyes, considered only as tangible objects, are by their form the windows of the soul, the fountains of light and life. Mere feeling would discover that their size and globular shape are not unmeaning. The eye-bone, whether gradually sunken, or boldly prominent, equally is worthy of attention; as likewise are the temples, whether hollow or smooth. That region of the face which includes the eyebrows, eye, and nose, also includes the chief signs of soul; that is, of will, or mind, in action.

“The occult, the noble, the sublime, sense of hearing, has nature placed sideways, and half concealed. Man ought not to listen entirely from motives of complaisance to others, but of information to himself; and, however perfect this organ of sensation may be, it is devoid of ornament; or, rather, delicacy, depth, and expansion, are its only ornaments.

“I now come to the inferior part of the face, on which nature bestowed a mask for the male; and, in my opinion, not without reason. Here are displayed those marks of sensuality which ought to be hidden. All know how much the upper lip betokens the sensations of taste, desire, appetite, and the enjoyments of love; how much it is curved by pride and anger, drawn thin by cunning, smoothed by benevolence, made flaccid by effeminacy; how love and desire, sighs and kisses, cling to it, by indescribable traits. The under lip is little more than its supporter, the rosy cushion on which the crown of majesty reposes. If the parts of any two bodies can be pronounced to be exactly adapted to each other, such are the lips of man, when the mouth is closed.

“It is exceedingly necessary to observe the arrangement of the teeth, and the circular conformation of the cheeks. The chaste and delicate mouth is, perhaps, one of the first recommendations to be met with in the common intercourse of life. Words are the pictures of the mind. We judge of the host by the portal. He holds the flaggon of truth, of love, and endearing friendship.

“The chin is formed by the under lip, and the termination of the jaw-bones. If I may speak figuratively, it is the picture of sensuality, in man, according as it is more or less flexible, smooth, or carbuncled: it discovers what his rank is among his fellows. The chin forms the oval of the countenance; and when, as in the antique statues of the Greeks, it is neither pointed nor indented, but smooth, and gradually diminishes, it is then the key-stone of the super-structure. A deformity in the chin is indeed much to be dreaded.”--HERDER.

THE POCKET LAVATER.

The various thoughts which arise in the mind, the different passions which agitate the soul of man, are respectively connected with his features and the external parts of his frame; and so intimate is their correspondence, that the expression of the countenance, more rapid than speech, betrays his sentiments and emotions, and gives to his utterance energy and animation. The one was designed as a mirror in which we might behold the other reflected; but the vicious study dissimulation; they endeavour to lock their passions and vices within their own breasts, and, by a virtuous exterior, to conceal the characteristic expression of villany. In vain, however, does hypocrisy tender them her aid: the outward figure and form of the man are forced to a resemblance of the internal model, and the dispositions of the heart are almost invariably depicted on the countenance. These facts were observed and verified, and such was the origin of physiognomy.

Most persons are daily in the practice of this art, without a knowledge of the principles upon which it is founded, but according to such crude and uncertain notions as are supplied by custom and general opinion. A man’s face displeases them: this is often a sufficient ground for aversion. Prejudices of this nature ought to be exploded, and it behooves the man of science and real philanthropy to remove them. Such was the great design of Lavater, whose profound researches, guided by the desire of being useful to his species, displayed to him the nature of man, and taught him how far the moral character is capable of being traced upon the visage. He has created a new art--he has traversed an unbeaten path. Has he not, however, gone too far in attempting to determine the character of a man by the form of his hands, ears, &c.--in assigning to these parts an expression of which they are not susceptible? His opinions are sometimes rash, especially when resting upon such foundations; but these are venial faults, and the inquirer after truth will always adopt Lavater as his guide.

This subject has already been handled by celebrated men of antiquity, such as Galen, Aristotle, Polemo, Adamantius, and many others; but their systems were bottomed upon very weak grounds; and they assumed as the basis of their opinions, the shape of the limbs, and other vague criteria. Their whole doctrine was like those old empirical recipes, in which were absurdly compounded a thousand drugs, each destroying the effect of the other: it would be just as safe to rely upon such remedies for the cure of a patient, as to trust to the remarks of those authors; at whose erroneous ideas we may justly be surprised, since they were generally endowed with a spirit of observation.

The ancient physiological system has been superseded by another scheme, no less ridiculous and visionary, which rests its decisions upon certain projections and cavities of the cranium, invisible to every eye, and existing nowhere but in the brain of the inventor of this whimsical doctrine.

But let us return from this digression to a subject of greater utility.

We shall now proceed to an analysis of the various parts which compose the human visage, and shall endeavour to lay down such positions only as are supported by reasons deduced from physical science: there are, however, physiological phenomena which are inexplicable; yet, having been confirmed by a cautious and scrutinizing observation, they could not be passed over in silence, without subjecting ourselves to the reproach of skepticism.

ANALYSIS.

OF THE HEAD.

A large head, with a small triangular forehead, denotes a total want of understanding.

If the skull be loaded with fat and flesh, this is usually an indication of a shallow mind: much more if, at the same time, it be small and round; it then denotes stupidity.

Where the occiput, that is, the back part of the skull, is compressed, or, rather, where it exhibits a cavity, it is a sign of a weak mind, sometimes stubborn, and always contracted. (See _pl. V_.)

OF THE FOREHEAD.

It is by the shape and size of the forehead that we are to judge of the extent of a man’s understanding.

A gently arched forehead, without a single angle, evinces a mild disposition; and often, that the mind is destitute of energy. (See _pl. XXIV_.)

A smooth, open forehead, indicates peace of mind; when it is wrinkled and furrowed, it announces stormy passions, perturbation of mind, and old age: but in the latter instance, the wrinkles are more regular, less broken, and do not approach so near the eyes.

The upper part of the forehead only being wrinkled, gives to the visage a look of amazement, which sometimes approaches to folly.

Perpendicular wrinkles on the forehead give promise of great energy and application; but the contrary when they are cut transversely by others.

A forehead full of irregular protuberances is characteristic of a choleric temperament. (See _pl. XXII_.)

When we meet with horizontal lines at the junction of the nose and forehead, we may expect a harsh and unfeeling disposition. (See _pl. VIII_.)

Deep perpendicular incisions between the eyebrows, are evidence of strength of mind, provided they be not counterbalanced by other indications of a positively contrary import.

When the frontal vein appears distinctly in the midst of a forehead, open, uniform, and regularly arched, it announces extraordinary talent.

When the forehead is perfectly perpendicular, from the hair to the eyebrows, it denotes an utter deficiency of understanding. (See _pl. V_.)

But if it be, at the same time, arched toward the summit, it furnishes an indication of a profound, reflecting, cool mind. (See _pl. XV_.)

When the forehead is rounded and projecting, as is the case with the generality of infants, it evinces a weak mind; if it project very much, then it betrays the utmost degree of stupidity.

If it is rounding toward the summit, with a slight projection, and then descending in a straight line, it shows great judgment, an irritable disposition, but a heart of ice; a forehead of this description is frequently characteristic of melancholy.

A narrow forehead is usually the sign of a froward disposition.

If it incline backward, we may then anticipate rashness and want of reflection, especially if there be no very remarkable jutting of the bones of the eyes. (See _pl. XXV_.)

A high forehead is a mark of capriciousness.

Should the bone of the eye be projecting and plainly marked, this designates aptness for mental exertion.

OF THE EYEBROWS.

Small eyebrows always accompany a phlegmatic temperament. (See _pl. XIII_.)

If horizontal, they betoken a masculine and vigorous character. (See _pl. VII_.)

When they are partly horizontal, and partly curved, they denote energy and ingenuity.

If situated very high, they almost always evince a person incapable of reflection.

A wide space between the two eyebrows, designates a quick apprehension, a calm and tranquil soul.

The nearer they approach the eyes, the stronger is the assurance they give of solidity and reflection.

Angular, discontinuous eyebrows, mark an inventive genius.

When uneven and disordered, they are proofs of great vivacity.

Full, compact, well-disposed, and symmetrical eyebrows, are almost always indicative of solidity of judgment, and of clear sound sense.

OF THE EYES.

It is peculiarly the province of the eyes to declare the emotions of the soul, and to exhibit the workings of sentiment and passion.

Blue eyes are frequently found in persons of phlegmatic character; they are often indications of feebleness and effeminacy.

Black eyes portend energy.

If gray, they often mark a choleric disposition; in such case, the lids are red, drawn back, and sunken. (See _pl. XXII_.)

Hazel, or brown eyes, indicate vivacity and affability.

When the extremity near the nose is acute, it denotes cunning and finesse.

If the upper eyelid cross diametrically the ball of the eye, it is a sign of subtlety and cunning.

OF THE NOSE.

The nose is not a feature capable of conveying much expression; yet its form and relative position, in respect of other parts of the face, furnish some characteristics.

An aquiline nose designates an imperious temper, and ardent passions. (See _pl. XXV_.)

A nose, the ridge of which is large, denotes a mind endowed with qualities of a high order. (See _pl. VII_.)