PHYSIOGNOMY. 
332 
the upper eye-lid ; perfons of acute and folid underftand- 
ings have a generous open eye, compofing a long and 
acute angle with the note; and, when the eye-lid forms a 
horizontal line over the pupil, it is a ftrong indication 
that he who poffelTes it is fubtle, able, and penetrating. 
Widely-opening lids, fhowing the white of the hall under 
the other colours, may be obferved in the phlegmatic and 
timid, as well as in the courageous and ralh ; but, upon 
comparing thefe marks in the different charadiers juft 
mentioned, a very perceptible difference is difcovbred in 
the charadleriftics of the eyes; the latter are lefs oblique, 
better fhaped, and more firm.” 
The eye-brows are effential in the expreflion of the eyes. 
In anger they are brought down and contracted; in all 
pleafant fenfations, and in affonifhment, they afl'ume a fine 
arch; in youth they are naturally and regularly arched; 
“ the horizontal and re&ilinear eye-brows belong to the 
mafculine bias of the foul; and the above defignations 
combined fhow the ftrength of underftanding, united 
with feminine kindnefs; thofe that are deranged in their 
appearance, and the hairs growing in various directions, 
demonftrate a wild and perplexed ftate of mind; but, if 
the hair is fine and foft, they fignify gentle ardour. The 
compreffed firm eye-brow, formed-of parallel hairs, is a 
certain proQf of profound wifdom, true perception, and a 
manly, firm, habit of thought.” There are eye-brows 
which meet acrofs the nofe ; this circumftance gives the 
perfon an air of ferocious gloom, which is admired by the 
Arabs; but the ancients, verfed in phyfiognomy, con¬ 
ceived fuch to be the charaCteriftic of cunning. Lavater, 
on the contrary, obferves, that he had difcovered them on 
the molt worthy and open countenances, admitting at 
the fame time that they may denote a heart ill at eafe. 
“ Thofe who think profoundly, and thofe equally prudent 
and firm in their conduft, never have high and weak eye¬ 
brows, in fome meafure equally dividing the forehead; 
they rather betray debility and apathy; and, though men 
of an oppofite character may be found with them, they 
invariably fignify a diminution of the powers of the mind. 
Thick angular eye-brows, interrupted in their lengths, 
fignify fpirit and aCfivity ; and, when they approach the 
eyes clofely, the more firm, vigorous, and decided, is the 
character; the reverfe lhows a volatile and lefs enterpri- 
fing difpofition ; when the extremes are remote from 
each other, the fenfations of the pofTeflbr are always vio¬ 
lent.” 
Ridiculous as all this is, yet the expreflion of the eye 
makes its way to the hearts of all. It is undoubtedly 
the molt eloquent feature of the face, and capable of the 
greateft variety of appearances. But it is in aftion only 
that thefe emotions are obfervable; and they are lo 
evanefcent and fo indefcribable, that it feems impofiible 
to impart our obfervations on them to others. 
Our notice of the foft parts of the face naturally leads 
us to confide” of what they are compofed. We find that 
thefirft ingredient in their compofition is acellular texture, 
more or lefs firm or loofe in different perfons, in which 
is imbedded an immenfe multitude of fmall blood-vefl'eis: 
thefe are fupplied with nerves to an extent greater than 
is obferved in moll other parts of the vafcular fyftem, and 
have the properties of contraction and dilatation to fo 
great a degree, that the phenomena of blufhingand turn¬ 
ing pale fucceed each other in a remarkable contrail, and 
often very quick. Ofcourfe, however influenced by the 
mind the complexion may be, (and it certainly is to a 
confiderable degree,) it is alfo amenable to the fame laws 
as other compages of veflels and nerves. The general 
ftate's of health or difeafe will alter the complexion, in¬ 
dependently of any mental impreflions. The fame re¬ 
mark applies alfo to the fmall mufcles, which, lituated 
alfo in the above-mentioned cellular texture, produce the 
various motions of the mouth, by pulling it in various 
directions. 
Thefe mufcles, together with fome large ones which 
perform the office of moving the jaws, conllitute all the 
remaining parts of the face; and it is to be obferved 
that, in the more violent emotions, the mafticating 
mufcles are highly expreffive. 
The movements of the face which exhibit mental 
emotions may be clafled under four divifions. Firllly, 
thofe which arife from aClivity of the nervous fyftem at¬ 
tended with pleafure; fecondly, thofe which arife from 
aClivity of the nervous fyftem attended with pain ; third¬ 
ly, thofe which arife from inaCtion of mind attended with 
pleafure; fourthly, thofe which arife from inaCtion of 
mind attended with pain. Under the firft head are com- 
prifed pride, anger, and contempt ; under the fecond, 
hate and defpair; under the third, joy, love, admiration ; 
under the fourth, fear. See Passions, vol. xviii. 
The phyfiognomifts, in Jnveftigating the expreflion of 
the foft parts of the face, proceeded under the influence 
of this axiom ; that habitual indulgence in certain paflions 
inuft render the face particularly prone to the movements 
which difplay them, and mull alfo develope the mufcles 
ufed for thofe movements to an unufual fize. But the 
known faCl, that fome perfons are capable of fuffering 
very ftrong emotions without any change in the counte¬ 
nance, and that the expreflion of long-continued paffion 
is not the fame as that of fudden paroxyfm, completely 
overturn the whole fabric of this doCtrine. We mull, 
however, give the obfervations of Lavater on this point, 
“ The character of the man is proclaimed in the lips. 
The more firm the latter, the more fixed the former; the 
weak and irrefolute man has weak lips, with rapidity in 
their motion. The vicious, cringing, mean, and bad, 
countenance, is never formed with lips well-defined, 
large, and juftly proportioned to the other parts of the 
face, and the line of which is equally ferpentine on each 
fide; fuch, though they may denote a tendency to fen- 
fuality, belong exclufively to a character deferving of ad¬ 
miration in moll relations of life, A mouth, the lips of 
which are fo thin as to prefent, at firft view, little more 
than a line, indicates apathy and quiet, but induftrious 
when roufed. When this defeription of mouth is raifed 
at the extremities, vanity or vain pretenfions, affeClation, 
and probably deliberate malice, diftinguilh thofe fo 
formed. The oppofite of this kind of lips, fwelled into 
confiderable fize, is a mark of indolence and fenfuality. 
The cut-throughJharp-drawn lip has to contend with ava¬ 
rice and anxiety. Lips clofed accurately, without ex¬ 
ertion, and handfome in their outline, belong to the ex- 
ercife of diferetion and firmnefs.” Lips with the latter 
advantage, and the upper projeCling, are generally appro¬ 
priated to the virtuous and benevolent, though there are, 
without doubt, nurnberlefs perfons of excellent charaCler 
whole under lips projeCl; but, in Lavater’s opinion, the 
laft peculiarity implies a well-meaning man, whofe good- 
nefs confifts rather of cold fidelity than ardentfriendlhip. 
The under lip, hollowed in the middle, denotes a fanciful 
charaCler. “ Let the moment be remarked when the con¬ 
ceit of the jocular man defeends to the lip, and it will be 
feen to be a little hollow in the middle.” The mouth 
remaining naturally clofed, invariably fignifies fortitude 
and courage. When the latter quality is in operation, 
the mouth clofes infenfibly; the naturally-open mouth 
makes a difpofition to complain; the clofed, on the con¬ 
trary, defignates endurance. “ Though phyfiognomifts,” 
adds Lavater,*“ have as yet but little noticed, yet much 
might be faid concerning the lips, improperly fo called, 
or the flefhy covering of the upper teeth, on which anato- 
milts have not, to my knowledge, yet bellowed any name, 
and which may be called the curtain, or pallium, extend¬ 
ing from the beginning of the nofe to the red upper lip 
proper. If the upper lip improper be long, the proper is 
always Ihort; if it be Ihort and hollow, the proper will be 
large and curved : another certain demonftration of the 
conformity of the human countenance. Hollow upper 
lips are much lefs common than flat and perpendicular; 
the character they denote is equally uncommon.” 
In doling this article, we think it requifite to caution 
our 
