41 8 On Phyfiognomy. 



The ethic charadters of Theophraftus, the difci- 

 pie and fuccefifor of Ariftotle. deferve alfo to be 

 particularly noticed, as a diftinft treatife on a moft 

 important branch of the fcience in queftion, the 

 Phyfiognomy of Manners. This Angular and enter- 

 taining performance compofed by the author at the 

 age of ninety-nine, defcribes fynthetically, with 

 great jultice and accuracy, the moft remarkable 

 traits of behaviour which certain predominant cha- 

 racters, would refpedtively occafion. The tranf- 

 lations and imitations of La Bruyere, render it 

 unneceflary to give any examples of what other- 

 wife it would be unpardonable to omit : fufRce 

 it to obferve that this work of Theophraftus 

 evinces fuch a degree of accurate obfervation, 

 and lively defcription as will preferve it in the 

 rank of claflical performances fo long as, the 

 fcience of man, and the prominant features of 

 human fociety, (hall continue to be regarded 

 as objeds of attention. 



About this time Adamantius the Jophijl appears 

 to have written j whofe " Phyfiognomics" were 

 publifhed in feveral places about the middle of 

 the fixteenth century. Adamantius however 

 only trod in the fteps of Polemon the Athenian, 

 who had written before him, and whofe treatife 

 was republifhed in Greek and Latin much 

 about the time of the former.* So many au- 



• I was not aware till lately that the Greek writers on the 

 fubjeft of phyfiognomy were colleaed and publiftied toge- 

 ther, by Franzi us, " Phyfiognomiae veteres fcriptores Graeci. 

 Gr. &Lat. a Franzio. Altenb. 1780, 8vo." I have not 

 feen the book. thors 



