Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-08
DUB NOSES.
Telling a Mans Character by His Ma
sal Organ.

n
Been a Prominent Feature.
The human nose is feature capable of
wonderful depth of expression. 1t may,
indeed, be called the gnOmon of the mental
dial in the human face, and indicates what
''time of day" it Is with the individual. 1t
is the handle by which one is enabled to
lay hold of his capacities and susceptible
ties, and particularly to estimate his cour-
age. 1t is the presiding seat Ofinstinct and
sagacity. 1t is here that nature has placed
the feelers of animals, from the gigantic
proboscis or trunk of the elephant TO the
delicate and diminutive antenne of the fly.
Experience has abundantly proved that a
good nasal development is good thing.
Unfortunately, it is not every man that can
boast Of this physiognomic desideratum.
Mankind may be divided into long noses
and short noses; but between these two ex-
tremes there is an infinite variety. There
are, indeed noses of every kind and degree,
and all clearly express some quality or con-
dition of the moral and intellectual man.
The difficulty now is to class; by so num-
erons collection. There is the cogitative
nose, the apprehensive nose, the
inquisitive nose, the combative
nose, the defensive nose, the aggressive
nose, the irritable nose, the secre-
tive nose, the confding nose, the acquisi-
tive nose, the economical nose, the toper's
nose, the pugilist's nose, the sentimental
nose, and the nose which can never look
sentimental under any provocation. Then
there is the tragedy nose and the low-eom-
edy nose, the burlesque nose, and even the
vegetable nose. There are noses hooked
and crooked, sharp and flat, round aud
square, noses which turn up and noses
which hang down. Some nose are merely
pimples, others are carbuncles, and while We
occasionally hear of double nose, some per-
Sous, unfortunately for them, have noses at
all. There are some noses one meets with
in the street which one cannot help envy
ing; they are so prying and pertinacious, so
prominent and important, that they appear
sure to make their way in the world.
Looking at this organ as sign of men
tai development, it might be said that the
Roman nose means executiveness, martial
courage; the Greek nose refinement; the
Jewish nose inquisitiveness; and the snub,
undevelopment. The men with snub noses
it has been remarked, are, however, rather
an amiable class of individuals. There is
a rich store of humor and drollery about no.
ses, which causes the wearers TO be much
sought after as boon companions. They
are often cunning shavers, "fellows of inf
mite jest and most excellent fancy"
Abstractly considered, nez retrousse is
not progressing. Looking at the nose it
self, we would not form high opinion of
the mental or moral qualities of the bearer
of such a nose; yet it is an undeniable fact
that many men who have been born into
the world with snub noses have risen to
great eminence, and in the race of life have
often left behind them men with far better
ones. Nay, we know instances in which
men with most ridiculous looking snub no
ses have contrived to step oEef the heads
of men with large, imposing, aristocratic-
looking Roman noses. AS rule, how ever,
the long nose carries the day.
a thin, pinched nose is universally ad-
mitted to be characteristic of sordid, self
notifying, and misery indiyiduals, and is
so employed by painsers, novelsts and dra-
matists. A sharp, hooked, flexible one ac-
companies propensity to scandal. The
cock-nosed men are busy, bustling race,
remarkable for their selfconceit, their cool
assurance and loquacitY-shs kind of men
that will not be "put down BY vulgar claim
or, sir" Persons gifted with nasal expan-
sion (vulgarly, horse-nosed) are generally
individuals of an enthusiastic tempera-
ment. A slight dlatation OF nostril, to ex-
press triumph, Is assigned to the Apollo
BelVedere. By the same rule, Fabulous and
breathing nostrils are given by sculptors
and painters to their evil demons and titans,
as the outward sign of arrogance and def
anee.
1t will be found that the most ext-aord-
mary men of every age have been distin-
guished by having extraordinary noses. Be-
ginning with the ancients, Scipio Nasica de-
rived bis name from the prominent share
of this feature possessed by him; SO did
Ovid, snrnamed Naso, on which account
Pope represents his fatterers persuading
him that he had ga nose like Ovid's;;"
Ciceros nose was distinguished by yeeth
(cicer); Sylla's by profusion of pimples.
This latter made a great figure in those
days, and the Athenians, while he was be-
sieging them. cut number of jokes on it.
They compared it to "a mulberry dredged
over with meal, as we read in eFlutarch's
Life of Sylla." This joke, as many other
jocose thiDgs often do, cost the inventors of
1t very dearly when the aVeDgeful dictator
put bis nose within the city gates. The
nose of Cromwell was well calculated to
vie with that of his Roman prototype, If we
may credit Cleveland, Birkehhead and 9TH
er contemporary writers. I'll,
tnCromwelI's face" says Birkenhead,
"wears q natural tiffany, and his chin may
furnish rusty cost OF mail. His nose Is a
comet in grain. Certainly it is no human