Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-04-07
Written Tor the Herald

Hcmths OF Ue lAltcr pan OF the last century.
received them by will from an aged aunt,
who, with laudable zeal, had preserved them
inviolaie, to the DAY Of her death She had
always looked upon their author almost as a
being OF superior rank on account of his lear.
ming and strange habits and her own respect
for him was strengthened by the vcncra,ion o {
the good people OF the hamlet where he resi-
ded, somewhere. ! believe, among the Green
Mountains OF NcrmonD who regarded him with
great awe. His singularity was generally
supposed TO have been caused bv Ill success
in an affair of love- Chat destructive passion,)
and was nothing less than a slight shade ofin-
sanity but some thought that his oddiy was
only pretended--t.;is, however, was far from
entering the minds Of his worthy neightors
they would nave considered il impicty. BE
this as IT may, he certainly INDUCED in very
strange ideas AID notions, and they were some
times quite original and humgIous.
] have spcn, much tine in examining these
p .pers since ! received them, partly for am
usemen, and partly for instruction. He was
remarkably fond of using obsolete words and
phrases, and on account Of these, his me auiac
is sometimes rather ambiguous; but sfe(b l
take so much pleasure in coming them---so
unique in sentiment, so unlahored in style
that am much pleased when ] can obtain a
! stray hour to muse over these modern and yet
antiquated, ancient and yet fresh relics of my
| departed ancestor.
The following chapter on Nosxs struck me
as quite curious, and by dint of substituting
many modern expressions for those older,
think have rendered it perfectly ineligible.
If the reader finds it less interesting than
have, shall claim his pardon for faulty
judgment, or the plea rof affinity between the
author and myself, and my consequent preju-
dice in his favor
If this is well received, and find others
worthy of publication, will give them to your
readers, under the title of
| Re les OF Defunct Gentleman at Large.
] sing the nose. / who lately sanp-no.
stop Il am thinking of Cowper; shall find
myself both initiating another, and writing po-
etry, il am not careful which of all things
| especially Decentralization because it is
so contemplate in itself, and poetizing because
,, it is at the present day so generally, and at
! the same time so poorly conducted. Every
schoolboy now writes, and none but school
boys read it. Poetics, as an art | respect, but
its followers scorn.
barely write in plain prose the praises and
ascribc the significance of that Justly celebra-
ted organ, vulgarly called the nose, more ele-
gantly the organ Of olfaction which nature
face, had rendered the most distinguished or
nament. think the nose is the index of the
man. and more significant of his natural and
| acquired abilities tlan the eye, forehead or
any other feature. This-with due respect to
the latter mentioned personages, and recollect
ing their renowned advocates, Shakespeare,
Addison, DC. give as my opinion, founded
on observation and experience; yes, expert |
encc, bctause thanks to nature and good ed. |
uca,ion-l think ! may modesty affirm, that
my frontispcce is decorated with as elegant n |
proboscis rs ever graced Roman Senator
and all my acquaintance will bear abundant
testimony that have been esteemed genius
from my youth, especially by INV parents.
Whether Education can have any effect on
the formation of the nasal organ may be doubt |
ed by some, but all cavaliers will be silenced
10y little observation. have seen, upon
childs face, most symmetrical nose, changed
by bad associations and injudcious treatment.
into the most odious looking object that ever
disgrace the human "countenance sublime. ~
And, on the other hand, ] have known posi-
lively intellectual olfactory to be produced by
Slow transpostion under scientific instructors.
from one that in infancy seemed incorrpible.
MS, however, must be accomplished early,
ior when tn character becomes stamped upon
the iineaments Of the face, its impressions are
'cit 10 nc cfdulCHeQ.
Inc scientific Lava,er fully appreciated the
worth and important hearing of well formed
nose. by this, it is said. he always formed
his opinion OF the merit and qualities ofhis ac-
quainianrcs, and took the dimensions of this |
organ, by measurement, before receiving them
among his friends. lie used his own, in COM
parson, as the standard of perfection, which !
was oil enormous dimensions. | think, how
ever, that Lavafer considered the size 6f too |
much importance: for in my humble opinion,
unless its length is propor,onate 10 its breadth
and elevation, unless The angles are finely 4
rounded, and the whole contour elegant in fig /
ure, It is by no means a perfect ard finished
nose
Al church, last Sabbath instead Of obsery-
ina the preacher, as Ought, employed my
self IN examining the various noses within the
range oil my optics. II was a motley group
most assuredly an interesting company.-l
Comparing them with the image IN ,ny miad
oil certain representations of noses, to each of
which description Of corresponding char
actcr was attached (Which | recollect to
nave seen IN very Interesting work on this
subject, written by Peter Vienzois Scalinanq
gor' German, land by the way, most cru
diie mani ! imagllei | could almost write
history OF their several possessors, with no
other data. was sure that | could at least,
very clearly delineaie their qualities. Direct
ly before me was one Of the most demnre and
harmless looking noses that could be conceiv.
ed. This, was sure, could belong to no 9th
er than very inferior person. This was in
very happy contradislinction with one directly
sdJoining-a very dgni6ed promoniory, in
deed-and which, either naturally, artiicially
or spiritually, was very red. ihoughl-pee-
haps n was mere fancy-that | could sac sbie