1901.) 
ftantly furrounded him, the ftudy of thefe 
languages which he himfelf had neyleted. 
His own fpiritual and well-digefted writings 
of this clafs, his View of Immortality, his 
Mefliah, his Pontius Pilate, his Obfervations, 
On important pafiages in the Evangelifts, and 
- his Pocket Bible, evince a prodiguous know- 
Jedge of mankind, and deep penetration into 
the human heart. He was accidentally led 
to turn his attention to the expreffion of hu- 
man fentiment and charaéter in the varied 
conformation of the countenance, head, and 
other parts of the frame, in the complexion, 
in the habitual motions and -attitudes, in the 
temperament of health, &c. He perceived, 
that in all thefe not only tranfient paffion, 
but even the more permanent qualities of 
character, are often very diftinétly expreffed. 
He carried his obfervations, in his way, much 
farther than any other perfon had before ad- 
vanced. Succefs inflamed his imagination ; 
and he became an enthufiaft in the ftudy of 
phyfiognomy. The opinions relative to it, 
which he propagated, were a medley of acute 
obfervation, ingenious conjecture, and wild 
reverie. 
verfation, and in a multitude of fragments, 
which he and his difciples foon aflembled into 
wolumes. Novelty, myftery, and the dreams 
of enthufiafm, have inexpreffible charms for 
- the multitude: every one was eager to learn 
to read his neighbour’s heart in his face. 
Switzerland, in Germany, in France, even in 
Britain, all the world became paffionate ad- 
mirers of the phyfiognomical fcience of La- 
vater, . His books, publithed in the German 
language, were multiplied by many editions. 
In the enthufafm with which they were 
tudied and admired, they weré thought as ne- 
effary in every family as even the bible itfelf, 
The fame fyftem was eagerly tranflated into 
the French language: and, as the infight in- 
to chara&er and fecret intention which it 
promifed was infinitely grateful to female 
curiolity, all the pretenders to wit, tafte, and 
fafhion, among the lively women of France, 
foon became: diftraétedly fond of it. It was 
talked of asa fcience fufceptible of mathe- 
matical certainty ; and was applauded as ca- 
pable of endowing man with the power of 
omnifcient intuition into the hearts and in- 
tentions of his fellows. Two well-executed 
tranflations naturalized the fame books of 
‘Lavater in the Englith language. The mul- 
titude run ever in extremes: and, notwith- 
ftanding the labours of Dr. Hunter and Mr, 
Holcroft, the writings of Lavater have been 
fince treated, in England, with a difregard 
that does injuftice to their genuine merits. 
But, even after the firft charm had been dif- 
fulved, Lavater ftill retained many difciples. 
He continued to cultivate phyfiognomy, and 
was {till eagerly vifited by travellers pailing 
near the place of his refidence. His private 
jife was fimple, and even devoutly pious. 
His wife had become, as well as himfelf, a 
| Breat phyGognomiit. He was always aneatly 
| Account of Yohn Cafpar Lavaters 
They were divulged by him in’con= 
In 
285 
rifer, and ufed never to take his breakfaft tild 
he had, in his own mind, earned it by the 
performance of fome literary taik. His cha- 
rater has recently been drawn by the Gere 
man Profeflor Meiners, in his letters on 
Switzerland. . ** Lavater,” fays Profeffor 
Meiners, *¢ is one of the few men whom [I 
have been acquainted with, who is little fo- 
licitous to hide his faults, and {till lefs anxi- 
ous to make his merits known. With regard 
to his moral’ charaéter, it is impoflible to 
{peak too highly of it, as his very opponents, 
 thofe at leaft with whom Iam acquainted, 
allow that his life and manners are blamelefs, 
A warm defire to advance the honour of God, 
and the good of his fellow creatures, is, 
without a doubt, the principal feature in his 
chara€ter, and the leading motive of all he 
does. “Next to thefe, his charaCterittic vir. 
tues are an indefatigable placability, and an 
inexbauftible love for his enemies. I have 
often heard him talk of the talents, merits, 
and good qualities of his opponents with the 
fame warmth as if he had been talking of the 
virtues of his greateft friends. Nay, I have 
been a witnefs to his excufing his enemies, 
and uttering withes for their welfare in fach 
a Manner, as to’me, and I am perfuaded to 
every unprejudiced perfon, carried not the 
imalleft mark of affe€tation along with ir. 
I am perfuaded, too, that thefe fentiments 
coft him very little, but are more the fruit 
of his nature than of any troublefome exer- 
tion. Not a blameable word of any kind, 
not a fingle exprefiion of impatience of the 
numberlefs afflictions he has ttruggled, and. 
fill has to ftruggle with, ever efcaped him 
in my prefence. On the contrary; he is 
perfuaded that all thefe trials are for his good, 
and will terminate in his happinefs. OF his 
talents and meritsof all kinds he thinks much 
more modeftly than his ridiculous admirers, 
He freely confeffes that his want of the know- 
ledge of ancient languages, and feveral other 
ufeful branches of knowledge, has been a 
great hinderance to him, for which reafon no 
perfon more warmly recommends the ftudy of 
them. In all my converfations with him, 
I found fo few fymptoms of the fecret vanity 
of which he is accufed, and of which I my- 
felf fufpeéted him, that I could not help 
blaming myfelf for my fufpicion. I was ftill 
more furprifed not to fee, either in his perfon 
er converfation, any of that affeted unétion 
which is common to weak minds, Every 
part of him befpeaks the man of genius, but 
not of that fiery and uncontroulable genius 
which has often led him to advance extraor= 
dinary and indefenfible opinions in his works. 
The abufe which has been thrown upon him 
for giving young men a greater opinion of 
their talents than thofe talents would juttify, 
and by that means leading them into abfur- 
dities, has made him change his condu& to 
‘wards them. He is fhy of admitting them 
into his fociety, and when he does it is rather 
referved and cold than over communicative, 
ds He 
