C11A:\ II. J HOW TO DISCERN CIIAUACTER. 321 



Men may be known six different ways ; viz., — 1. by their 

 countenances; 2. their words; 3. their actions; 4. their 

 tempers; 5. their ends; and, 6. by the relation of others. 

 1. As to the countenance, there is no great matter in that 

 old proverb, "Fronti nulla fides ;"*i for although this maybe 

 said with some truth of the external and general composure 

 of the countenance and gesture, yet there lie concealed cer- 

 tain more subtile motions and actions of the eyes, face, looks, 

 and behaviour, by which the gate, as it were, of the mind is 

 unlocked and thrown open.^ Who was more close than Tibe- 

 rius 1 yet Tacitus observes a difference between his inward 

 thoughts and his language in eulogizing the exploits of 

 Drusus and Germanicus, — thus characterizing his panegyric 

 of the latter : "Magisin speciem verbis adonaatis quam ut peni- 

 tus sentire crederetur;" and then that of Drusus, — "Pau- 

 cioribus sed intentior, et fida oratione."' Again, Tacitus 

 sketches the manner of the emperor on other occasions when 

 he was less crafty, and sums up his remarks thus : " Quin 

 ipse compositus alias atque velut eluctantium verborum ; so- 

 lutius promptiusque loquebatur quoties subveniret."* And 

 indeed, it is hard to find so great and masterly a dissemblei", 

 or a countenance so well broke an i commanded, as to carrj 

 on an artful and counterfeit discourse without some way oi 

 other betraying it. 



2. The words of men are full of deceit ; but this is weU; 

 detected in two ways ; viz., either when words are spoken oa 

 the sudden, or in passion. So Tiberius, being suddenly sur 

 prised and hurried beyond himself, with a stinging speech 

 trom Agrippina, went a step out of his natural dissimula- 

 tion ; for, says Tacitus, she thus drew an uncommon expres- 

 sion from his secret breast, and he rebuked her as being 

 offended because she did not rule.'* "Whence the poet not 

 unjustly calls these perturbations tortures, mankind being 

 compelled by them to betray their own secrets. 

 " Vino tortus et ira."* 



1 Martial, i. Ep. 25, v. 4. ' Cicero, Petit. Consulatus, § 2. 



• Annals, i. 52. * Annals, iv. 31. »* Annals, iv. 52. 



* Hor. Ep. ii. 18, v. 38. It must be remembered that Augustus 

 had some intention Qf coftierring the empire upon her husbacd Oer- 

 cwnicus.— £(i, 



V 



