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France, in my opinion, have the characteristic of their greatness generally in the nose: to prove which, examine the collection of portraits by Perrault and Morin.

Small nostrils are usually an indubitable sign of unenterprising timidity. The open, breathing nostril, is as certain a token of sensibility, which may easily degenerate into sensuality.

CHAP. X.

Of the Mouth and Lips.

THE contents of the mind are communicated to the mouth. How full of character is the mouth, whether at rest or speaking, by its infinite powers!

Whoever internally feels the worth of this member, so different from every other member, so inseparable, so not to be defined, so simple, yet so various; whoever, I say, knows and feels this worth, will speak and act with divine wisdom. Oh! wherefore can I only imperfectly and tremblingly declare all the honours of the mouth-the chief seat of wisdom and folly, power and debility, virtue and vice, beauty and deformity, of the human mind-the seat of all love, all hatred, all sincerity, all falsehood, all humility, all pride, all dissimulation, and all truth?

Oh! with what adoration would I speak, and

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be silent, were I a more perfect man! Oh! discordant, degraded humanity! Oh! mournful secret of my misinformed youth! When, Omniscience, shalt thou stand revealed! Unworthy as I am, yet do I adore. Yet worthy I shall be; worthy as the nature of man will permit: for he who created me, gave me a mouth to glorify him!

Painters and designers, what shall I say that may induce you to study this sacred organ, in all its beauteous expressions, all its harmony and proportion?

Take plaster impressions of characteristic mouths, of the living and the dead; draw after, pore over them; learn, observe, continue day after day to study one only; and, having per fectly studied that, you will have studied many, Oh! pardon me; my heart is oppressed. Among ten or twenty draughtsman, to whom for three years I have preached, whom I have instructed, have drawn examples for, not one have I found who felt as he ought to feel, saw what was to be seen, or could represent that which was evident. What can I hope?

Every thing may be expected from a collection of characteristic plaster impressions, which might so easily be made, were such a collection only once formed. But who can say whether such observations might not declare too much? The human machine may be incapable of suffering to be thus analysed. Man, perhaps, might not endure such close inspection; and, therefore,

having eyes, he sees not.-I speak it with tears; and why I weep, thou knowest, who with me inquirest into the worth of man. And you

weaker, yet candid, though on this occasion unfeeling readers, pardon me!

Observe the following rules: Distinguish in each mouth the upper lip singly; the under lip the same; the line formed by the union of both when tranquilly closed, if they can be closed without constraint; the middle of the upper lip, in particular, and of the under lip; the bottom of the middle line at each end; and, lastly, the extending of the middle line on both sides. For, unless you thus distinguish, you will not be able to delineate the mouth accurately.

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As are the lips, so is the character. Firm lips, firm character; weak lips, and quick in motion, weak and wavering character.

Well defined, large, and proportionate lips, the middle line of which is equally serpentine on both sides, and easy to be drawn, though they may denote an inclination to pleasure, are never seen in a bad, mean, common, false, crouching, vicious countenance.

A lipless mouth, resembling a single line, denotes coldness, industry, a love of order, precision, housewifery; and if it be drawn upwards at the two ends, affectation, pretension, vanity, and, which may ever be the production of cool vanity, malice.

Very fleshy lips must ever have to contend

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with sensuality and indolence: the cut-through, sharp-drawn lip, with anxiety and avarice.

Calm lips, well closed, without constraint, and well delineated, certainly betoken consideration, discretion, and firmness.

A mild overhanging upper lip generally signifies goodness. There are innumerable good persons also with projecting under lips; but the goodness of the latter is rather cold fidelity, and well-meaning, than warm active friendship.

The under lip hollowed in the middle, denotes a fanciful character. Let the moment 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.

A closed mouth, not sharpened, not affected, always denotes courage and fortitude; and the open mouth always closes where courage is indispensible. Openness of mouth speaks complaint; and closeness, endurance.

Though physiognomists have as yet but little noticed, yet much might be said concerning the lip 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-another certain demonstration of the conformity of the

human countenance. Hollow upper lips are much less common than flat and perpendicular : the character they denote is equally uncommon.

CHAP. XI.

Of the Teeth and Chin.

NOTHING is more striking, or continually visible, than the characteristics of the teeth, and the manner in which they display themselves. The following are the observations I have made thereon:

Small, short teeth, which have generally been held by the old physiognomists to denote weakness, I have remarked in adults of extraordinary strength; but they seldom were of a pure white.

Long teeth are certain signs of weakness and pusillanimity. White, clean, well-arranged teeth, visible as soon as the mouth opens, but not projecting, nor always entirely seen, I have never met with in adults, except in good, acute, honest, candid, faithful men.

I have also met foul, uneven, and ugly teeth, in persons of the above good character; but it was always either sickness, or some mental imperfection, which gave this deformity.

Whoever leaves his teeth foul, and does not attempt to clean them, certainly betrays much

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