SCOT AT THE COURT OF SICILY 39 



own observations. The arrangement of the whole 

 is certainly original, nor can we better conclude our 

 study of the Pkysionomia, than by giving a compre- 

 hensive view of its contents in their order. The 

 work is divided into three books, each having its 

 own introduction. The first expounds the mysteries 

 of generation and birth, and reaches, as we have 

 already remarked, even beyond humanity to a con- 

 siderable part of the animal world so much studied 

 by the Arabians. The second expounds the signs 

 of the different complexions, as these become visible 

 in any part of the body, or are discovered by 

 dreams. The third examines the human frame 

 member by member, explaining what signs of the 

 inward nature may be read hi each. The whole 

 forms a very complete and interesting compendium 

 of the art of physiognomy as then understood, and 

 must have seemed not unworthy of the author, nor 

 unsuitable as an offering to the young prince, who 

 by marriage was about to enter on the great world 

 of affairs, where knowledge of men would henceforth 

 be all-important to his success and happiness. The 

 book attained a wide popularity in manuscript, and 

 the invention of printing contributed to increase its 

 circulation in Europe r 1 no less than eighteen editions 



1 MSS. of the Physionomia : Oxford, Bibl. Bod. MSS. Canon. Misc. 555 

 (with the Liber Particularis) saec. xiv. ; Milan, Bibl. Ambros. L 92 sup. 

 (with the Liber Particularis) ; Padua, Bibl. Anton, xxiii. 616, chart, saec. 

 xvii; Vatican, Fondo della Regina 1151 perhaps saec. xvi. Printed 

 editions : 1477 perhaps double ; 1485 Louvain and Leipsic ; 1499 s. 1. 

 and five or six others of this century in 4to, s. 1. et a ; 1508 Cologne, 

 Venice, and Paris, the last in 8vo ; 1514 Venice Svo ; 1515 s. 1. ; 1519 

 Venice Svo ; 1584 Lyons 24mo along with the Abbreviatio Avicennae 

 and the De animalibus ad Caesarem under the general title of De 

 Secretis Naturae ; 1598 Lyons, De Secretis Naturae cum tractatu De 

 Secretis Mulierum Alberti Magni ; 1615 Frankfort Svo ; 1655 and 1660 

 Amsterdam 12mo. Editions of the Italian version appeared at Venice 

 in 1533, Svo, and 1537. During the sixteenth century an edition of the 

 Latin text in Svo appeared from the press of Pietro Gaudoul without date. 



