1800. ] 
The eyes fheuld rather be large than 
fmall; they fhould neither be. funk too 
deep, which diminifhes their luftre, nor 
placed too forward, which injures the 
acutene{s and foftnels of the.look. Large 
eves, in certain pofitions, deform the oval 
of the head, and appear the effect of an 
illnefs or a blow. Round eyes are lefs 
beautiful than long ones, and than thofe 
which refemble the form of an almond. 
Round eyes, by difcovering too much 
white around the pupil, give to the expref- 
fion an air of aftonifhment, and trouble the 
peace of the countenance. It is faid, that 
the Turks are fond ef large and prominent 
eyes; but the Greeks preier the, other 
form; and in the Venus de Medicis, al- 
though the.eyes, including the eye-brows, 
occupy a great {pace in the oval, the 
globe, however, is not very large: it is, 
moreover, leflened by a flight motion of 
the lower eye iafh, which, by approaching 
- the upper one, gives a look more tender 
/ 
and attraStive. The eye-brow ought to 
be flender, laree, well arched ; and, what- 
ever be the colour of the eyes, itis hand- 
fomett of a brown hue, fince it then forms 
an agreeable contraft with the colour of 
the fkin, and is, befides, perceived at a 
greater diftance. The eyes more particu- 
larly exprefs intelligence; but it is the 
mouth, above all, which exprefles the fen- 
timents of the heart, in fuch a manner, 
however, that their effects unite and 
fortify each other. It is in women 
that this organ fhews itfelf with all its 
graces; it fhould indicate the fenfibility 
of their foul, and the foft affeétions by 
which it is characterized. Man, endued 
with {tronger intelligence, manifefts it by 
the fire of his glances; but his mouth is 
deprived of the graces which adorn that of 
woman. Being deftined by Nature to be 
veiled with a beard, its motions have not 
fo many charms, nor its colours fuch beau- 
tiful contrafis. The mouth ought to be 
fmall, oniy a little larger than the breadth 
of the noftrils; fmaller, its motions: are 
lefs free, it is lefs eloquent, lefs adapted to 
the tribune and the theatre. The lower 
lip is larger and fuller than the upper ; 
both are divided in the middle, by marks 
which diftinguifa the left fide from the 
right ; 2 diftinction which is remarked not 
only in the forehead, the nofe, and the 
chin, but upon the neck, between the cla- 
vicles, and in the whole frame of the body, 
by the ferzum, the linea alba, and all the 
mufcles which divide the body into two 
equal parts. Since it is round the mouth 
that the fweeteft aife€tions of the mind are 
manifefted, the moft beautiiul moutljs will 
On Beauty of Countenance, by Cit. Neveu. 
27 
be thofe on which this appearance is moft 
readily to be traced; but thick and pout- 
ing lips, like thofe of Negroes, giving to 
the face a grofs and difcontented air, can- 
not be a beautiful feature, fince this feature 
correfponds with a ftate of mind evidently 
bad. Befides, when thefe mouths exprels 
laughter, retaining always alittle of their 
former difpofition, the laugh is neither pro- 
duced fo quickly nor fo clearly; it has 
neither fweetnefs nor precifion, and be- 
comes a grimace, a difagreeable convul- 
fion. Thus a large mouth cannot bea 
beautiful feature ; it is only an advantage 
for receiving aliments in larger portions, for 
feizing prey, and holding it with the teeth ; 
for executing functions, in fhort, which, | 
being ftrangers to intelligence, eftablifh, 
with regard to man, a degrading fimilarity 
between him and the beafts, and give him 
an appearance of ferocity or gluttony. 
Tn the pictures which they have drawn 
of beauty, the poets have fucceeded better 
in defcribing the pertections of the eyes 
and mouth, than thofe of the nofe and chin, 
doubtiels becaule they did not know fuffi- 
ciently how to account to themfelves for 
the effect that they produce in the beauty 
or uglinefS of the countenance. But, if 
thefe two parts ferve little to expreffion, 
they are every thing to the perfection of 
the form, and the regularity of the features. 
The chin terminates and preferves the 
oval; to it the profile owes part of its beau- 
ty ; it is, befides, a feature charatteriftic 
of the human {pecies, fiace it is found in 
no other animal. As tothe nofe, although 
it be not formed to declare, like the eyes, 
the traits of intelligence, or, like the 
mouth, the affections of the heart; it is, 
perhaps, more iniportant than them to the 
beauty of the countenance; it is the moft 
ftriking feature of the face; on account of 
its prominent figure, it forms its moft di- 
tinct charaer; it is the fixed point 
around which the other parts of the face 
aflemble and form themfelves; it is, -in 
fome degree, their regulator, and many ce- 
lebrated artifis determine according to it 
all the proportions of their figures. To 
ferve for this pyrpofe, its form fhould be 
ftraight and fimple ; it ought.to make a 
prominent and well defined angle with its 
bafe: if it is feparated from the forehead 
by adeep cavity ; if it is broad, fhort, and 
diftant fromthe mouth; feck not elfewhere 
what makes the face appear vulgar and ig- 
noble. In paffionate defire, in anger and 
fury, the noftri!s {well and raife them- 
felves; this is the only motion of which 
the nofe is capable, but its upper part 
does not partake in it. By its fixednefs 
Ez in 
