AXIMAL3. 313 



at a disdainful distance. His arms are not given him, as to 

 other creatures, for pillars of support ; nor does he lo?e, by ren- 

 dering them callous against the ground, that delicacy of touch 

 which furnishes him with so many of his enjoyments. His hands 

 are made for very dWerent purposes ; to second every intention 

 o f his will, and to perfect the gifts of Nature. 



AVhen the soul is at rest, all the features of the visage seem 

 settled in a state of profound tranquillity. Their proportion, 

 their union, and their harmony, seem to mark the sweet serenity 

 of the mind, and give a true information of what passes within. 

 But when the soul is excited, the human visage becomes a liv- 

 ing picture ; where the passions are expressed with as much deli- 

 cacy as energy, where every motion is designed by some corre- 

 spondent feature, where every impression anticipates the will, 

 and betrays those hidden agitations, that he would often wish to 

 conceal. 



It is particularly in the eyes that the passions are painted ; 

 and in which we may most readily discover their beginning. The 

 eye seems to belong to the soul more than any other organ ; it 

 seems to participate of all its emotions ; as well the most soft 

 and tender as the most tumultuous and forceful. It not only 

 receives, but transmits them by sympathy ; the observing eye of 

 one catches the secret fire from another ; and the passion thus 

 often becomes general. 



Such persons as are short-sighted, labour under a particular 

 disadvantage in this respect. They are, in a manner, entirely 

 cut off from the language of the eyes ; and this gives an air of 

 stupidity to the face, which often produces very unfavourable 

 prepossessions. However intelligent we find such persons to 

 be, we can scarcely be brought back from our first prejudice, and 

 often continue in the first erroneous opinion. In this manner 

 we are too much induced to judge of men by their physiognomy ; 

 and having perhaps, at first, caught up our judgments prema- 

 turely, they mechanically influence us all our lives after. This 

 extends even to the very colour or the cut of people's clothes -, 

 and we should for this reason be careful, even in such trifling 

 [larticulars, since they go to make up a part of the total judg- 

 ment which those we converse with m;iy form to our advantage. 



The vivacity, or the languid motion of the eyes, give the 

 strongest marks of phvsiognomy ; and their colour contri- 



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