The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-10-29
JUHGING FROM FACES.

JUAGlN6 FROM EACESs
Lavater's Science as Laid Down by
Himself.
One having time and taste for curious
and profitable speculations, says a cor
respondent of the Cincinnati CONNER
cial-possibIy, indeed, more curious
than notwithstanding leisure besides,
in these galloping times, to read three
thick volumes, can snap his fingers at
the world, the flesh and the devil, and
be happy for at least two days by sitting
down and carefully perus ing certaiJl
very queer old book, whicGt l have Just
read for the first time. 1'he name OF
the qseer, speculative old book Is this
Essay on PhysiOgnOmy for the pro-
motion of the knowledge and the love
of mankind. By John CaspAI Lavmer. u
It Is now nearly a hundred years since
the work was written, and no modern
edition, think, has been printed. AT
any rate, the library copy which I read
wns printed In London, 1889. and con.
tanned the funny, long SIS which were in
our great grandmOther's prayNer-bOoks.
Physiognomy," says hIF. LaNAter, "if
the science or knowledge of the CORES
| pondence between the external and in.
! ternal man."
Wise saws and sayings, and short
| sentences containing much in a little,
are scattered like grains of gold all
through this queer book. Here, for IL
| stance, are some of his sayings
I" Be what thou art, and become what
thou canst."
Each man is a man of genius in his
large or small sphere"
"When the father is considerably
stupid, the mother exceedingly the re-
verse, then will most of the children be
endued with extraordinary understand
ing"
''The wisest man, when languid, will
| look like a fool" From Zimmerman.
"Three things appear to me to be
| indispensable in traveler-health,
money and physiogDomy.
" The rarest of all gifts is the gift OF
critical, undivided attention"
In describing the physiognomy of Bal
thazar Becker, whatsoever that may be,
our author uses this tremendous Ian
guage:
ga countenance void of grace
formed, I may say, to terrEfy the devil. "
Further on we find some comfort for
| old people, in the shape of one of the
most beautiful thoughts ever penned
concerning old age:
Gage never deforms the countenance.
Wherever age is exceedingly defOrmed,
the same deformity would have been
visible in youth to an attentive OBJ
server"
l am sure it is true; Here again is
some comfort for editors, quoted by
our author from another writer
Few men of great understanding
write fine hand"
But what will interest everybody
most will be to Notwithstanding to Mr..
Lavater's glorious science of physiOg-
nomy, which he pronounces as infalli-
BILE as mathematics-what traits of
character certain given f. atures are the
signs of.
In the beginning, and on general prin-
| ciples, our author remarks that one OF
| the most favorable possible moments for
| Judging a mans physiognomy is that
| moment when he is in towering rage,
! and his burst of passion is suddenly
interrupted by the entrance of some
respectable person, and the irate per.
son tries instantly to conceal his rage
and iron out his cOuntenance and make
believe he wasn't angry at all. o.
course nice people, such as you and I
we're never caught in a pickle like that
Oh, dear me, no bue sure enough il
would be a most admirable moment tC
Judge other folks, wouldn't you think
"Physiognomy unites hearts," SAYS
Mr.. Lavater. When this infalliblC
science is properly understood and ap
preciated he thinks people will watcl
themselves in a mirror from time t.
time, to catch the signs of the spirit't
progress or degeneration, and find on
how good or bad they are getting.
The high priest of physiognOmy take
each feature of the face and Analyses it
and tells what it is the sign Of Dis
tent is visible in bolIowness of cheeks
says Mr.. Lavater. That must be a tru,
sign, should think, because 1 remem
Der whole families of hollow-cheeket
people, who were every one of them a,
discontented, restless aud unsatisfied a,
mortal man can be. The very manner o
holding ones teacup is an important in
dex to character, he continues.
"That is entirely true" remarks {
venerable, old. school lady for whom ]
have the highest respect, "because
whenever a person keeps his teaspoon
in his cup, and there holds it back by
putting his forefnger over the top edge
of the tea-cup, where his mouth goes,
it's sure sign the person wasn't brought
up a gentleman and doesn't know nol
care what belongs to good manners"
A pointing under lip denotes ostenta
ton and folly. Large ears betoker
folly; Unfortunately small ears appertair
to very weak, effeminate characters. Al
least that If what the great physiogno.
mist assures us. Fortunately we are
not obliged to believe him unless
we choose. A strong, heavy under
jaw denotes a strong desire of mas
tieation, LIKE beg your pardon, but
Mr.. IIavater says il. like-come 10
think, 1 won't offend strong iawed indi.
vidTais by writing it out plain, but like
a certain nameless brute which is the
repr sentative animal of Cincinnati.
A perfect forehead must equal the
nose in length. Big, bald foreheade
which form half sphere in shape. are
usually the most stupid. GA ret eating
forehead in general denotes superiority
of Imagination, and acuteness." Strange
to say, Mr.. Lavater considers a retreat
ing forehead superior to all the rest. l
don't know how he makes. il out, Tn
sure. He makes it a physiognomical
axiom that the resemblance between
two faces depends on the resemblance
! of the foreheads. Resembling fore
! heads, resembling countenances.
! Benevo!ence is sometimes visible only
in the teeth of people. How about
! false teeth, 1 wonder? I suppose we
! can't tell whether people are benevolent
| or not If they have "store teeth
/ "Long teeth are certain signs of weak
ness and pusillanimity. Melancholy
! persons seldom have well arranged,
white teeth. It's because they have
| dyspepsia, Mr.. Lavater, don't You
know? Finally, Whoever leaves his
teeth foul, and does not attempt to
clean them, certainly betrays much of
the negligence of his character, which
does him no honor" True as gospel I
hold the nose to be the foundation
or abutment of the brain, " says our au-
thor. A beautiful nose viii never be
found accompanying an ugly. co-ute-
nance. A hooked nose usually denotes