BOOK XI. cxii. 271-CXIV. 275 



tinction between human beings themselves that is as 

 wide as that which separates them from the lower 

 animals. 



CXIII. When animals are born with extra Umbs ^onstrosi- 

 these are useless, as is always the case when a human 

 being is born with a sixth finger. In Egypt it was 

 decided to rear a monstrosity, a human being ^vith 

 another pair of eyes at the back of the head, though 

 he could not see with these. 



CXIV. For my own part I am surprised that ^'■"^- . 

 Aristotle not only beUeved but also pubUshed his beUef /rom 

 that our bodies contain premonitory signs of our career. ^onfcnma-''^^ 

 But aUhough I think this view unfounded, and not tim. 

 proper to be brought forward without hesitation 

 lest everybody should anxiously seek to find these 

 auguries in himself, nevertheless I will touch upon it, 

 because so great a master of the sciences as Aristotle 

 has not despised it. Well then, he puts down as signs 

 of a short Ufe few teeth, very long fingers, a leaden 

 complexion and an exceptional number of broken 

 creases in the hand ; and on the other side he says 

 that those people are long-Uved who have sloping 

 shoulders, one or two long creases in the hand, more 

 than thirty-two teeth, and large ears. Yet he does 

 not, I imagine, note all these attributes present in 

 one person, but separately, trifling things, as I 

 consider them, though nevertheless commonly 

 talked about. In a similar manner among our- 

 selves Trogus, himself also one of the most critical 

 authorities, has added some outward signs of char- 

 acter which I will append in his own words : ' When 

 the forehead is large it indicates that the mind 

 beneath it is sluggish ; people with a small fore- 

 head have a nimble mind, those with a round fore- 



605 



