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The Museum Gazette 



a certain organisation of matter, and that after death he ceases 

 to be conscious till the resurrection. When 44 he married. 

 In the latter half of life he smoked excessively. 



He was of powerful and athletic build, with great breadth of 

 chest. According to Foster his countenance " was formed for 

 the most declared manifestation of power." Henderson 

 writes, "the forehead was high and sloping, with well arched 

 brows, beneath which his dark and brilliant eyes in his more 

 excited moments burned and glowed with thought and passion. 

 The lower part of his countenance indicated a vehement and 

 headstrong temperament under the control of an iron will — 

 doubtless powerfully reinforced by the strong moral sensi- 

 bility which gave a peculiar elevation and dignity to features 

 possessing no trace of grace or beauty." Foster referred to his 

 "stern, intense, somewhat formidable expression." 



GOETHE ON DANTE'S BUST. 



"Now," said Goethe, pointing to the bust, "Who is 

 this ? " 



" Apparently, a poet, and an Italian," I replied. 



" It is Dante," said he ; " it is well done ; a fine head, yet 

 not very pleasing. He seems old, bowed down, and peevish ; 

 the features are lax and drawn down, as if he had just come 

 from hell. I have a medal, which was struck during his 

 life, and there everything appears much better." 



He rose and brought the medal. " Do you see what power 

 there is in the nose and the swell of the upper lip, the energy 

 of the chin, and its fine blending with the cheek bone ? The 

 part about the eyes and the forehead are the same in this 

 bust, but all the rest is weaker and older. Yet I will not 

 find fault with the new work, which, on the whole, has great 

 merit." 



