PHYSIOGNOMY. 
tendency to sensuality, belong exclusively 
to a character deserving of admiration in 
most relations of life. 
A mouth, the lips of which are so thin 
as to present, at first view, little more than 
a line, is said to indicate apathy and quiet, 
but industrious when roused. When this 
description of mouth is raised at the extre- 
mities, vanity or vain pretensions, affecta- 
tion, and probably deliberate malice, distin- 
guish those so formed. The opposite of this 
kind of lips, swelled into considerable size, is 
a mark of indolence and sensuality. The 
“ cut through, sharp drawn lip,” as Lava- 
ter Jerms some, has to contend with ava- 
rice and anxiety. Lips closed accurately, 
without exertion, and handsome in their 
outline, belongs to the exercise of discre- 
tion and firmness. Lips with the latter ad- 
vantage, and the upper projecting, is gene- 
rally appropriated to the virtuous and bene- 
volent, though there are, without doubt, 
numberless persons of excellent characters 
whose under lips project, but in Lavater’s 
opinion, the last peculiarity implies a well 
meaning man, whose goodness consists ra- 
ther of cold fidelity than ardent friendship. 
The under lip, hollowed in the middle, de- 
notes a fanciful character. Let the mo- 
ment be remarked, when the conceit of the 
jocular man descends to the lip, and it will 
be seen to be a little hollow in the middle. 
The mouth remaining naturally closed, 
invariably signifies fortitude and courage. 
AVhen the latter quality is in operation, the 
mouth closes insensibly ; the naturally open 
mouth makes a disposition to complain ; the 
closed, on the contrary, designates endur- 
ance. “ Though physiognomists,” adds 
Lavater, “ have as yet but little noticed, 
yet much might be said concerning the 
lips improper, or the fleshy covering of the 
upper teeth, on which anatomists have not, 
to my knowledge, yet bestowed any name, 
and which may be called the curtain, or 
pallium, extending from the beginning of 
the nose to the red upper lip proper. If 
the upper lip improper be long, the proper 
is always short ; if it be short and hollow, 
the proper will be large and curved. Ano- 
tlier certain demonstration of the confor- 
mity of the human countenance. Hollow 
upper lips are much less common than flat 
and perpendicular ; the character they de- 
note is equally uncommon.” 
The ancients who studied the physiogno- 
my of man, supposed that diminutive short 
teeth betrayed the weakness of those who 
possessed them; more modern observers 
contradict this supposition, and declare that 
men of uncommon strength have such, but 
they are rarely of that pure white so neces- 
sary to preserve the general beauty of the 
countenance. Teeth of unusual length, and 
narrow, are signs of weakness and coward- 
ice; those justly proportioned to each 
other, white and transparent, which appear 
immediately upon opening of the mouth, 
though not projecting, and intirely exposed 
to view from the insertion in the gums to 
the opposite extremities, are seldom to be 
met with in the jaws of persons who pos- 
sess unamiable propensities ; when teeth of 
a different description are discovered be- 
longing to amiable and worthy characters, 
enquiry will generally satisfy the physiog- 
nomist that his conclusions on this head 
were just, and that the blackness and de- 
rangement was occasioned by disease. 
In one way the observer and admirer of 
this art cannot possibly be mistaken, for he 
that neglects his teeth, suffering their, to 
decay through contempt of public opinion 
and indolence, may be safely pioaounced 
an unhappy character, with many evil pro- 
pensities. 
The chin alone remains to be noticed in 
this slight survey of the human face, as con- 
nected with the internal operations of the 
soul or mind. The projecting chin is said 
to mark something decided, and the reced- 
ing the reverse ; and it has been asserted 
that tlie presence or absence of strength is 
frequently demonstrated by the form of 
this part of the countenance , it has also 
been remarked, that sudden indentings in 
the midst of the chin are peculiar to men 
of excellent cool understandings, unless at- 
tended by marks of a contrary tendency. 
When the chin is pointed, those so formed 
are supposed to be penetrating and cun- 
ning, though it seems there are people with 
pointed chins who are different at least in 
the latter particular ; and here again the 
chin offers a certain criterion for the phy- 
siognomist, who may securely pronounce a 
large fat double chin an appendage of 
gluttony. “ Flatness of chin speaks the cold 
and dry; smallness, fear; and roundness, 
with a dimple, benevolence.” 
After all, it will be admitted, that this 
science, if such it can fairly be denominated, 
must be precarious, and, in some respects, 
delusive. It cannot, however, be doubted, 
that there is an apparent correspondence 
between the face and the mind : the fea- 
tures and lineaments of the one are di. 
reeled by the itjotions and affeotions of the 
