confined must study such men physiognomonically; if he would learn wisdom, he must be able to compare and judge of the relation between their works, their fame, and their form. By this, only, may much be learned. By this may the stream be compared to the fountain; the quality of the waters examined; their course, their gentle murmurs, or more boisterous contention. The enquirer may ask what is the degree of originality of those men; what is borrowed; what is internal, what external? This forehead, and these eyebrows, will thus versify, thus translate, thus criticise; therefore, on this eye, depends the fate of the writer, the blockhead, or the man of genius. This nose thus estimates the mortal, and the immortal, in human performances. As are the features so will be the mind.-Yes, scholars of nature, you have much to learn from the countenances of famous men. In them you will read that the wasp will dare to alight on the nose of the hero. To me it will be pleasure when you have acquired this physiognomonical sensation; for without this you will but travel in the dark; you will but be led through a picture gallery, blindfold, only that you might say, I too have been in that gallery.

Could I travel unknown, I would, also,

visit artists, men of learning, and philoso phers; men famous in their respective countries; but it should either be my adieu, as the thing least important, or as a recreation on my arrival. Pardon me, men of renown, I have been credulous in your favour, but I shall daily become more circumspect. Far be it from me to depreciate your worth. I know many whose presence does not dimi

nish but increase fame. Yet will I be careful that rumour shall neither dazzle nor cloud my reason.

I would rather mix unknown with the multitude; visit churches, public walks, hospitals, orphan houses, and assemblies of ecclesiastics, and men of the law. I would, first, consider the general form of the inhabitants, their height, proportion, strength, weakness, motion, complexion, attitude, gesture and gait. I would observe them individually; see, compare, close my eyes, trace in imagination all I had seen, open them again, correct my memory, and close and open them alternately; would study for words, write, and draw, with a few determinate traits, the general form, so easy to be discovered. I would compare my drawings with the known general form of the people. How easily might a summary, an index, of the people be obtained! Having made these

familiar to me, I would descend to the particular; would search for the general form of the head; would ask, is it most inclined to the cylindrical, the spherical, the square, the convex, or the concave? Is the countenance open, is it writhed, is it free, or forked? I would next examine the forehead; then the eyebrows; the outline, and colour of the eyes; the nose; and especially the mouth, when it opens, and the teeth, with their appearance, to discover the national characteristic. Could I but define the line of the opening of the lips, in seven promiscuous countenances, I imagine I should have found the general physiognomonical character of the nation, or place. I almost dare establish it as an axiom that, what is common to six or seven persons of any place, taken promiscuously, is more or less common to the whole.

Exceptions there may be, but they will

be rare.

I next would plant myself in a public walk, or at the crossing of streets. There I would wait patiently for the unknown noble countenance, uncorrupted by fame and adulation, which, certainly, most certainly, I should find; for, in all countries on earth, wherever a hundred common men are assembled, one not common may be found;

and out of a thousand, ten; and I must have, indeed, little eye, little sensibility, for noble humanity, little faith in Providence, which seeks its adorers, if I did not find this one in a hundred, or, at least, in the ten among a thousand. He that seeketh shall find. I waited not in vain. He came; I found him; he passed by me. And what were the tokens by which I discovered him, in every town, every nation, under every cope of heaven, and among all people, kindreds, and tongues? By the general combination of the countenance, by the upper outline of the forehead, the eyebrows, the basis of the nose, and the mouth, so conformable to each other, so parallel, and horizontal, at the first glance. By the wrinkleless, compressed, yet open forehead; the powerful eyebrows; the easily discerned, easily delineated space between the eyebrows, which extends itself to the back of the nose, like the great street from the market-place to the chief gate of a city. By the shut, but freely breathing, mouth; the chin, neither haggard nor fleshy; the deep and shining attraction of the eye; which all, uncautiously, and unintentionally, betrayed themselves to my research. Or I discovered him, even in his foreign and distorted form, from which the arrogant, self

supposed handsome, would turn with contempt. I see through his disguise, as I should the hand of a great master through the smear of varnish. Be thou to me blessed, noble stranger. The things which are despised hath God chosen.

I draw near to the favourite of heaven. I question him concerning what I do, and what I do not, wish to know, that I may hear the voice of the soul, proceeding from the mouth; and, viewing him nearer, see all the obliquities of distortion vanish. I ask him concerning his occupation, his family, his place of residence. I enquire the road thither. I come unexpectedly upon him, into his house, into his workshop; he rises, I oblige him to be seated, to continue his labour; I see his children, his wife, and am delighted. He knows not what I want, nor do I know myself, yet am I pleased with him, and he with me. I purchase something, or nothing, as it happens. I enquire, particularly after his friends. "You have but few, but those few are faithful." He stands astonished, smiles, or weeps, in the innocence and goodness of his heart, which he wishes to conceal, but which is open as day. He gains my affection; our emotions are reciprocally expanded and strengthened; we separate reluctantly, and I know I