28 
in the effects of the paffions, it fhews how 
much the ether features change, it caules 
‘the opening of the mouth to be perceived 
in cries of grief and terror, and in the 
difftrent funétions of this organ fo full of 
motion ;-it allo marks: the elevation and 
depreflion of the eye-brows ; in fhort, it 
concurs in Gefining all the movements pre- 
duced by joy, grief, fear, admiration, 
rage, &c. Itis well known, how much 
the lofs of the note disfisures a face, and 
this is another proof how much it ferves 
to beauty. During fleep, the eyes clofe, 
and become unexoreflive; they, as well 
as the mouth, may be deformed by grief ; 
but thefe different changes, which modify 
the face, do not deflroy its beauty; it 
lofes all its effect by the deftruction of the 
nofe; we cannot take pleafure in contem- 
plating a ftatue which is deprived of this 
part, whilit we admire it though its eyes 
be without pupil, and its lips colourle(s. 
By binding a hair fo that, without the 
means being apparent, it may fenfibly 
elevate cr deprefs the point of the nole, 
we may prove how much the alteration of 
- jts ferm caufes that of the face. 
The teeth, to be handfome, fhould be 
fmail, even, round, and, above all, white. 
The face receives a great charm from them; 
they embeliith the laugh, the {peech, the 
fweeteit fentiments of the neart. The 
teeth are the only bones of the body which 
are expofed ; they are, as 1t were, {peci- 
mens of the other bones, they ought, 
therefore, to indicate them healthy and 
"well-formed. 
‘The ear ought to beas long as the nofe, 
or fometimes a little longer, but its lower 
extremity fhould reft upon the bafal line ; 
that is to fay, to termiuate at the third part 
of the head ; its upper extremity at the fe- 
cond, or -a-little higher. ‘The whole ear 
is divided into three equal parts, of which 
the lobe occupies the loweft, and the cavi- 
ty the middle. It fhould be conftruéted 
on a Jine fomewhat inclining towards the 
mouth, and not parallel with the general 
form of the head. Zhe Greeks etteemed 
fmall ears; they are pretty ; but, it is 
faid, that large ones hear better. 
Tn faces all equally beautiful, it is only 
by almoft imperceptible fhades that their 
beauty varies, and caufes itfelf to be re- 
marked: the eye-brow more or lefs arch- 
ed, the nofe more or lefs rounded er pro- 
minent, the eyes more or lefs open, the 
oval more or lefs elongated ; in fhort, the 
flichteft ‘modification tufices to expres 
all the fhades of beauty, and to diftinguith 
faces which, to be beautiful, muft be regu- 
lar, and formed on the whole, and in the 
On Beauty of Countenance, by Cit. Neveu. 
[Feb. 3, 
details, according to the principles which 
we have laid down. 
From the flight fketches that we have 
traced in the large plate, it may be feen, 
that uglinefs augments in proportion as 
the face departs from the regular form. 
In another le€ture we fhall confider the 
manner in which the paffions announce 
themfelves ; and we fhall try to exprefs the 
lively and delicate fhades by which they 
manifeft their differences with fo much 
promptitude and precifion. This impor- 
tant part of painting is that which de- 
mands mott practice and ability in the art- 
ift; that which fuppofes the niceft obfer- 
vations, and gives the moft advantageous 
opinion of the fenfibility of his heart, and 
the delicacy of his mind. ~ 
It:emains forus to examine, why faces ir- 
regular, and even whimfical in their form, 
pleafe,however, more thanothers which are 
beautiful and well formed. Can uglinefs, 
then, ufurp the rights of beauty? Can this 
Jafi fometimes be powerlefs ? What, in this 
cafe, becomes of the principles which we 
have laid down, attributing to it rights fo 
extended, afcribing to it effeéts fo mighty? 
Our anfwer to this objection is naturally 
deduced from what we have before faid of 
man, and even ferves as a confirmation of 
it. If reafon places its glory in triumph- 
ing over the chagms of beauty, if the fage 
reiiits its empire, it is when he does not 
difcover among them intelligence and’ vir- 
tue, that alliance which ought to unite 
them. ‘Inferior to its companions, but 
more {peedy in its effect, beauty alone may 
well enchant the eyes, and furprife, the 
fenfes: but this enchantment is little laft~ 
‘ing; habit dettroys it, every day dimi- 
nifhes its power, and the mind, undeceiy- 
ed, foon breaks bonds too weak to reftrain 
it. On the contrary, the qualities of the 
underftanding and of the heart often fup- 
ply the place of beauty, and shew their 
power fo much the more, as they ftand in 
its ftead, and do without its affiftance. 
What is obtained without beauty is ob. > 
tained by a charm more powerful, the ef- 
fet of which time encreafes inftead of de- 
ftroying. It has even been obferved by - 
the experience of all ages, that the great- 
eft paflions have been infpired by women 
only moderately ‘handfome, becaule they 
then pleafe by qualities more eftimable and 
lefs frail than beauty. 
' ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
W)) ERHAPS, in the ardour for univerfa- 
lity, we have lately too often ne- 
glected the local, forgetting, that the object 
: ox 
