The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-06 00:00:00

PHYSIOGNOMY.

He said that one of the characteristics of the age
in which we live was its love of the mysterious and
marvellous. "I refer to the so-called science of
physiognomy, but more especially to the morbid
expansion of it called the physiognomy of the
human form which has been elaborated in
Germany, and is now likely to obtain pos-
session of the English mind. In want of
any other arguments, our physiognomists assert
that it is simply probable that the outer form
would be designed on purpose to • represent the
mental character, and on this ground they dogmati-
cally declare that the expressions of rage, or grief,
or fear have been divinely designed on purpose
that the inner mind may be known to those who
watch the outer man.' The persons who use such
arguments and have recourse to such assumptions
never propose to make an inductive comparison of a
certain number of well-measured forms with the
well-ascertained mental phases with which they are
associated. Were such experiments made, they
would yield no result. No two physiognomists,
acting separately, would agree in measuring and
characterising the forms and indications of the
head, the features, the hands, and the feet of the
patient; and no two individuals—neither the saga-
cious judge on the bench, nor the shrewd counsel at
the bar—could determine his real character were
they to conjure with all the events of his life. In
this new physiognomy, a head large in the mid-
region indicates a predominance of the feelings over
the other faculties. A proneness to superstition and
fanaticism is shown by a little increase in the ele-
vation ; and a head large behind evinces practical
ability, and, as Dr. Carus says, characterises a race
which will give birth to great historic names !
Small heads, however, are not to be despised. They
indicate talent, but not genius, while very small
ones belong, he says, to the excitable class, from
whom a great part of the misery of society arises.'
In the varying expressions of the human face, the
physiognomists find a better support for their views.
That the emotions of the past and the present leave
permanent traces on the hui3aan countenance is
doubtless true, and to this extent we are all physi-
ognomists, often very presumptuous ones, and, ex-
cepting accidental coincidences, always in the
wrong, when we infer from any external appear-
ance the character and disposition of our neighbour.
In every class of society we encounter faces which
we instinctively shun, and others to which we as in-
stinctively cling. But how frequently have we found
our estimates to be false ? The repulsive aspect has
proved to be the result of physical suffering, of
domestic disquiet, or of ruined fortunes; and un-
der the bland and smiling countenance, a heart de-
ceitful and vindictive, and desperately
wicked,'
has often been found concealed."

THE PATENT LAWS.
Later in his address he alluded to the patent laws,
and the recent attempts that have been made to pro-
cure their abolition. " You are all aware that the
author of any literary work, however small be its
dimensions, and however frivolous its subject, en-
joys by the laws of England the sole right of pub-
lishing it for 28 years, and during the rest of his
life. The only tax exacted by the law, and that
only for the benefit of the public, is the presentation
of five copies to the principal libraries of the king-
dom. The artist, the engineer, the draftsman, the
geographer, the hydrographer, and the sculptor
enjoy the same valuable right, and so complete is
the protee'ion afforded by the law that piracy is
almost unknown ; and works thus secured consti-
tute a property which can be as safely transferred
as land or money in the funds. It is otherwise,
however, with the inventor of new machines, new
instruments, and new processes in the fine and use-
ful arts. While the author can instantly dispose of
his work, or draw the profits which it may yield,
the inventor must devote himself to the deve-

lopment and practical application of his invention.
When his arrangements are complete he applies for
a patent, and he receives a right to use his invention
for 14 years by paying fees and expenses which half
a century ago amounted in many cases to £4OO or
£5OO. The right thus obtained was entirely
illusory. His parchment, indeed, bore the Great
Seal of England; but the patent could be reduced,
and the price of it forfeited, either from want of
complete originality in the invention, or from frivo-
lous defects in his own description of it. In this state

of the patent law, injurious to the interests of the
public, and ruinous to inventors, our distinguished
Chancellor, Lord Brougham, directed his attention
to the subject, and carried two bills through Parlia-
ment which reduced the price of patents, and re-
moved many of the more obnoxious provisions of
the former law. These improvements were generally
acceptable, and though inventors were still dissatis-
fied with the large sum of about £l5O or £2OO,
which they had to pay, and with the imperfect pro-
tection which their patent secured, they nevertheless
submitted to the operation of the law, in the hope
that future legislation might improve it. Under
these circumstances, men of science and inventors of
all classes were startled with a proposal made by a
distinguished engineer, that the patent law should
be repealed, and that there should be something
like free trade in inventions. In addressing an as-
sembly of civil engineers at Sheffield, Sir William
Armstrong said ' that the dauntless spirit which, in
matters of commerce, had led this country to cast off
the trammels of protection, had resulted in aug-
mented prosperity to the nation, showing the inju-
rious tendencies of class legislation when opposed to
; and he expressed a hope
general freedom of action
that the same bold and enlightened policy might
be extended, in some degree at least, to matters of
part, he was inclined to
invention.' For his own
think the prestige of successful invention would, as
a rule, bring
with it sufficient reward, and that pro •
tection might be entirely dispensed with. Under
the free trade of the present day, thus highly and
ijustly appreciated, we receive the corn and the wines
of one country in return for the iron and the coalof
another ; but it exceeds our comprehension bow