606 



f.svatcr. 



it seems to have been very difficult to fix his mind upon 

 any particular study. As he was not permitted to join 

 his companions in any of their youthful sports, he 

 spent a great part of his time in modelling all kinds 

 of figures in wax. It is remarkable that, for a long 

 period, he was considered as totally destitute even 

 of the most ordinary talent of expressing his thoughts 

 by language, and especially of the power of reasoning 

 upon any subject; insomuch that he was often taunted 

 by his school-fellows on account of his apparent dulness 

 In the year 1753, he was seized with a dangerous 

 illness. During the progress of his recovery, which 

 was slow, he amused himself with optical experiments 

 and drawing ; and throughout the whole of his sub- 

 sequent life, he retained a fondness for these occupa- 

 tions. In other respects, this illness had a beneficial 

 influence upon his disposition. About this time, Wie- 

 land, the celebrated poet, came to Zurich, a circum- 

 stance which excited considerable sensation in the town 

 ven the boys at school talked with admiration of the 

 man who understood so many languages, whose attain- 

 ments in science were so great, and whose powers of 

 observation were so unrivalled. Lavater was so much 

 engrossed with this subject, that he could think of no- 

 thing but Wieland; and although he only saw him 



OTIC*** no 10 oo is 1 *j-i !-,,,.. P. *i 



L A VAT'E R. 



master of Zurich was his father-in-law. Lavater and 

 Btt tnend first addressed an anonymous letter to the 

 unjust magistrate, containing a list of his offences, and 

 threatening a public accusation, unless he give imme 

 ate satisfaction to those whom he had plundered No 

 ot,ce havmg been taken of this letter, the two friends 

 made their complaint public, in a pamphlet, entitled, 

 fhe Unjust Magistrate, or the Complaint of a Pa- 

 triot which was printed and introduced into the houses 

 t the principal members of the government. The 

 business was at length taken up by the council at Zu? 

 a rigorous inquiry was instituted; and the aiu 

 thors of the complamt were called upon to make them- 

 selves known. Lavater and Fuessli immediately step- 

 ped forward, and boldly avowed what they had written 

 1 he magistrate, however, did not choose to await the 

 issue of die inquiry; but thought it prudent to ab- 

 scond. The result of the investigation was such, as 

 did equal credit to the patriotic exertions of the com- 

 plainers, and to the impartial administration of iustice 

 by the council of Zurich. The unjustly acquired pro 

 perty was restored, and the guilty magistrate con- 

 demned to a suitable punishment. 



With a view to his improvement, Lavater now urt- 



ness for reading. He had recourse to his father's li- 

 brary, where he perused a variety of books on differ- 

 ent subjects, but in a desultory manner, and without 

 adhering to any regular plan. He had neither patience 

 nor resolution to read any work from beginning to end 

 whatever required laborious study or reflection disgust- 

 ed him. At a later period, he endeavoured, with great 

 lifficulty, to acquire a habit of steady and regular ap- 

 plication, and even made it an inflexible rule never to 

 3ay down a book which he had once begun, without 

 perusing it to the end, whatever exertion it might cost 

 him, and however small the entertainment or informa- 

 tion he might derive from it. 



Having finished his school education, he entered the 

 academical gymnasium, or humanity college, in the year 

 ! 758. Here he formed an intimate friendship with the 

 two brothers, Henry and Felix Hess, and Henry Fuess- 

 li, who were his fellow students of theology Bod- 

 mer and Breitinger, who were at that time the most 

 distinguished professors at the gymnasium, did not 

 /ail to perceive the characteristic excellencies of La- 

 vater's understanding; and they paid particular atten 



tlOfl to mm nnrl KIc l'i*inn,lr. T>. ,1 . . n 



tion to him and his friends. Bodmer especially devot- 

 ed much of his time to them ; a circumstance which is 

 supposed to have had considerable influence on the 

 poetical talents of Lavater. In the year 1759, he at- 

 tended the philosophical lectures; and towards the 

 end of that year, he was admitted into the theological 

 His attention was now almost exclusively de- 

 voted to the study of divinity. About this time, too, he 

 composed many devotional poems; some of which were 

 afterwards inserted in his Collection of Spiritual Songs. 

 In the year 1762, having completed his theological 

 ies, he entered into the ministry. About this time 

 :umstance occurred, which at once developed the 

 charactenstic energy of his mind, and laid the foun- 

 dation of that celebrity which he afterwards enjoyed. 



7nf Vh 1? t nd Henr y Fuessli ( the celebrated 

 painter \ had heard much of the acts of injustice com- 

 mitted by a ruling magistrate in one of the bailiwicks 

 of Zunch. But although the complaints of his con- 

 duct became daily louder, and his guilt more evident, 

 jet it seemed difficult to obtain redress, as the 



.*? j .iv*waj3 ui me iiiffnesi em i- 



nence in literature, and of making many observations 

 on the characters of men. After being absent about 

 a year, he returned to his native country in 1764 Al 

 though he had at this time no living in the church, yet 

 he preached often ; and the style and form of his ser- 

 mons, though new, were much admired. His delivery 

 was warm and energetic, and he possessed great clear- 

 i in the exposition of scriptural truths. In the 

 year 1766', he married Anna Schinz, the daughter of 

 a respectable merchant in Zurich. In 1769 he was 

 appointed pastor of the Orphan's Church ; actuation 

 winch gave him an opportunity, which he always 

 sought, of being useful, and of doing good. Here, too 

 he improved that talent for communicating instruction 

 to children, which he afterwards brought to such per- 

 fection. 



From an early period of his life, Lavater had been 

 accustomed to observe, with particular attention, the 

 varieties of form in the human countenance, and to 

 make drawings of such features as appeared to him to 

 indicate any peculiarity of character. The more he 

 observed, the more was he confirmed in his belief, that 

 the essential qualities of the mind of every man were 

 sensibly pourtrayed in the conformation of his whole 

 body, especially of his head and face. The result of 

 these observations induced him to think, that it might 

 be possible to discover some certain principles upon 

 this subject, which might be systematically arranged 

 in the form of a science. He both corresponded and 

 conversed upon this subject with his friend Dr.Zimmer- 

 mann; and in spite of his objections, and those of 

 other learned men, Lavater still continued to be per. 

 suaded of the truth of his favourite theory. The prin- 

 ciples from which he set out are to be found in a small 

 work, published by Zimmermann in [ 772, entitled, 

 " John Caspar Lavater on Physiognomy," being the 

 first publication which appeared upon the subject. 



The first volume of his great work on Physiognomy 

 was published in 1775, under the title of" Fragments," 

 which was soon followed by three other volumes. This 

 work, which contains a great many curious and inter- 

 esting observations, exhibits much delicate feeling, and 

 refined, though fanciful reasoning, was read with great 

 avidity; and the theory of Lavater, although now al. 



