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most consigned to oblivion, became a fashionable study, 

 among the learned and the unlearned, throughout the 

 whole of Europe. It was soon discovered, however, 

 that this theory wanted consistency, and that it wu 

 founded on no just or certain principles. Lavater him- 

 self, who was more remarkable for the liveliness of his 

 imagination, than for depth of reflection or soundness 

 of reasoning, seem* to have totally overlooked those 

 uicusnaUncM which were most calculated to give his 

 theory even the appearance of systematic science. He 

 ought the indications of character chiefly in the .'olid 

 parts, especially the forehead and the nose ; and from 

 these he drew conclusions with regard to the original 

 diapmilinm of men. He neglected the soft and more 

 moveable feature*, such as the eye, and particularly 

 the lines about the mouth and nose ; from which he 

 might have been, perhaps, better warranted in form- 

 ing conclusion* respecting the acquired dispositions, 

 the feelings, and the passions of the individual. But 

 alUMiaali this work must be considered as the produc- 

 tion of a fanciful, rather than of a scientific mind, it 

 taniaina IMMloabtmlly many ingenious and interesting 

 observations, which shew, that the author possessed 

 much delicate knowledge of the human heart. There is 

 in it, however, as in almost all the productions of Lava- 

 tor, too great a parade of language, many elegant and 

 sententious passsgfs, not greatly overburthened with 

 meaning. Many will eteein the work as valuable, 

 chiefly on account of the engravings ; a number of 

 which, exhibiting the heads of men and animals, arc 

 exquisitely finished, and singularly expressive. It may 

 be proper to observe, that the French translation of 

 Lavater'* Pkwtiegmomy, from which the English ver- 

 sion was made, was not a mere translation from the ori- 

 gjaal German work, but, in many respects, a new trea- 

 tise, translated under the eye, and revised by Lavater 

 hasBsetf. An abridgment of the work, in four volumes 

 Svo. was published by Armbruster (1 783- 1 7X6), which, 

 according to Lavater, contains, in a less expensive form, 

 the whole essence of the large edition. 



In the year 1778, Lavater was appointed dean of 

 8t Peter's church, which considerably enlarged his 

 <phere of exertion. From this period he continued 

 to publish numerous works, which were calculated to 

 promote the knowledge, and advance the interets of 

 religion. Having translated Honnet's /ir/ry into the 

 Kridrncr; luutity, he had the imprudence to 



dedicate the book to the celebrated Jewish philosopher, 

 Most* Mendelssohn, with a challenge, either to refute 

 i.licly. or to profess hi< r..nvirtion of the truth of 

 gumrnts. by embracing the Christian faith. Men. 

 ered in a style at once modest and man- 



mil 1 jvaier aftansards repented of the step he 

 uken, and acknowledged in public, that his aeal 

 had led him beyond the bounds of discretion. 



At the commencement of the French Revolution, La- 

 vatcr, who had always been distinguished for his ar- 

 dent love of genuine freedom, wa naturally led to re- 

 gard that event with a favourable eye ; but alt.-r it had 

 assumed a character of atrocity, mid threatened <lr- 

 ttraction to the sacred and falutary principles of reli- 

 gion, of morals, and of social order, he- loudly pro- 

 his abhorrence of the enormities which it (te- 

 nd strove to avert the calnmitirt which im- 

 over his native country. During the revolu- 

 tionary scenes which ensued in Swit/.crland, he pre- 

 MT*sa the cfcsraatw of a sincere and zealous pa- 

 triot He endeavoured to infuse a spirit of moderation 

 into -all partia*, and never ceased to raise his voice, 

 freely and boldly, against all manner of oppression and 

 injustice. His conduct, indeed, gave umbrage to the 



members of the Helvetic Directory, and he became a Lavoisier. 

 victim to that system of deportation, by which the re- 'T"""' 

 volutionary faction endeavoured to rid themselves of 

 all those who ventured to call their measures in ques- 

 tion. The sentence against him, however, was after- 

 wards recalled, and he was set at liberty. At the 

 storming of the city of Zurich by the French army un- 

 der Massena, in 1799, Lavater had the misfortune to 

 receive a wound in the breast. The wound was not 

 considered dangerous, although he was obliged to con- 

 fine himself to bed, and suffered great pain. Having 

 exerted himself, however, beyond his strength, in re- 

 ligious and charitable duties, before his wound was 

 completely cured, he brought on a train of dangerous 

 symptoms, which at length terminated his life, on the 

 2d of January, 1801, in the sixtieth year of his age. 



The character of Lavater was in the highest degree 

 amiable ; he was a zealous and upright patriot an ac- 

 tive and conscientious minister of religion and a man 

 of the most genuine benevolence. His moral conduct 

 was, upon every occasion, most exemplary; and his 

 whole life was spent in unwearied efforts to promote 

 the happiness of mankind. His virtues, indeed, seem 

 to have contributed more than his talents towards ele- 

 vating him to that height in the scale of celebrity which 

 lie held during his life. So great was his popularity at 

 /urich, that, in his walks, the people frequently flock- 

 ed around him, and kissed his hand in token of their 

 res|>ect. 



We have already alluded to some of the works of 

 Lavater. Among these, his physiognomical publica- 

 tions enjoyed a very extensive, though ephemeral cele- 

 brity. His other works, chiefly on religious subjects, 

 art- very numerous ; and some of them were extremely 

 popular in their day, though now little read. Hi? 

 learning was not very extensive his powers of rea- 

 soning by no means remarkable and, in all his pro- 

 ductions, he seems to give full scope to the play of his 

 ami to revel in the regions of enthusiasm. His 

 pulpit eloquence, however, was much admired ; for his 

 genius seemed l>tttT calculated to influence the feel- 

 ings of an audience, than to display itself in writings, 

 which were destined to be perused and coolly analysed 

 in the closet. His Aphorisms on Man have been consi- 

 dered as one of the best of his miscellaneous publica- 

 tions ; and his Sclmeitzcrtieder, (Songs of the Swiss,) 

 and some of his devotional effusions, are still read and 

 admired by his countrymen. See Leonard Mcister's 

 B'riihmtr Nfrfa/kfr, and Beruhmte Manner Helvetians. 

 1782; K. L. von Haller, Dentmal tier Wahrheil mif 

 J. K. Lavalrr; J. K. Lavatcr's Lebensbetckreibtntg voit 

 teincm Toc/ilermnnnt Georg Gessner, 1802, 1803 ; 

 Meiner's Brirfe ubcr die fichnirils, 2d edit. Berlin, 1788; 

 and Jorden's lexicon Deutscher Dichler und Prosais- 

 ts. (:) 



LAVOISIER, ANTHONV LAWRENCE, the celebrated 

 French chemist, was born at Paris, on the 26th of Au- 

 gust, 17+3. His father, being in opulent circumstan- 

 ces, gave his son every advantage which a liberal 

 education could bestow ; and the genius of Lavoisier 

 was directed, at an early period, to the study of the 

 physical sciences, which he cultivated with great zeal 

 and success. In the year 1764, he drew up a memoir, 

 in answer to a question proposed by the French go- 

 vernment, on the best and most economical means of 

 lighting the streets of a great city, which obtained for 

 him the prize of a gold medal, and was printed at the 

 expence of the Academy of Sciences, of which he was 

 elected a member on the 13th of May, 1768. During . 

 this period, he distinguished himself as the author of 

 several valuable treatises on philosophical subjects, which 



