452 O F M A N H O O D. 



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and of other features, has no more connedion 

 with the natural dirpofition of any perfon, than 

 the ftature, or fize of the limbs, with the faculty 

 of thinking. Has a man more genius in pro- 

 portion as his nofe is well made ? Is the ability 

 of another more circumfcribed, becaufe his eyes 

 are fmall and his mouth large ? It muft, there- 

 fore, be acknowledged, that the divination of 

 phyfiognomifts is altogether chimerical, and de- 

 flitute of any foundation in nature. 



The ears, of all the parts of the head, contr 

 bute lead to the exprefTion of the face. They / 

 are placed at a fide, and commonly concealed "^ 

 under the hair. But, in quadrupeds-, the ears 

 are more apparent ; and by them we can difco- '\ 

 ver whether the creatures be in a ftate of vigour 

 or of imbecility ; their motions denote fentiment, 

 and correfpond to the internal feelings of the 

 animal. The human ears, though furnilhed 

 with mufcles, have hardly any motion, either 

 voluntary or involuntary. Small ears are faid 

 to be moft beautiful ; but large ones are better 

 calculated for hearing. Some nations greatly en- 

 large the lobs of their cars, by piercing them, and 

 placing in them pieces of wood or metal, which 

 they change fucceffively for others of greater 

 dimenfions, till tlie holes b:coine enormous; 

 and the lobes uniformly increafe in proportion 

 to the fize of the holes. I have feen thefe round 

 pieces cf w^ood, which had been brought from 

 India or fouth America, of more than an inch 



and 



