On Phyjiognomy. 435 



Baptifta Porta* of illuftrating his remarks, by 

 engravings, extremely numerous, oftentimes 

 cxprefllve, and upon the whole, tolerably exe- 

 cuted even for the tafte of modern times. 



Nor are thefe variations from the generality 

 of the authors who have gone before hinn 

 in the fame track, the only particulars which 

 juftly entitle M. Lavater's work to a pre- 

 eminence among the books on this fubjeft. 

 His opinions are more evidently the refulc 

 of aftual obfervation than thofe of preceding 

 phyfiognomifts. He appears alfo to have made 

 the fcience more peculiarly his ttudy than any 

 other perfon ; and (excepting indeed his pro- 

 feflion as a divine) it feems to have been the 

 grand purfuit of his life. His attention more- 

 over to ojfeal phyfiognomy, and the efFed of 

 profiles and contours, evince a comprehenfion of 

 the fubjeft, much fuperior to what appears 

 in thofe who have treated it heretofore. And 

 in addition to thefe, his ftile, though fome- 

 what declamatory and digreflive, yec forcible 

 and lively j his expreflions, frequently precifc 

 and chara6teriftic ; and the fpirit of piety and 

 benevolence which pervades the whole of his 

 performance, contribute not a little to render 

 it highly interefting. 



* The Italian edition of Baptifta Porta's Phyfiognomy, 

 : faid to have the beft cuts. 



F f 2 With 



