Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-22
THE DOUBLE CHIN.
Its Great Value as an Index of Char
acter.
From the London standard

From the London STANDARD
The great justification of the double chin
rests Of course. on its Unrivaled value as an in
dex Of character-and such a character. 1t is
really natures patent of nobility. This was
long ago discerned by the great master of ply
siogomy. It is not difficult to divine what Lava
ter thought of double chin. He carefully
points out that man differs from the animals
chiefly by his chin, laying it down as an axiom
that the chin is the distinctive characteristic OF
humanity consequently, double-chinned people
are doubly differentiated from the beasts that
perish. which is greatly TO their credit. He
expressly takes for his model of 1.-The thinker,
fun of sagacity and penetration" man with a
fieshy double chin. coupled with a nose round
ed at the end. The portrait he gives is even
better than the letterpress, as the gentleman
is linned with at least five chins, so that his
lower jaw is vista of magnificent distances.
like Washington. This happy physiog-
nomy of the double chin. coupled with
the rounded nose, characterizes. he tells US,
the mind which can rise to Heights and which
follows its designs with rejecting firmness. I'M
allOyed by obstinacy. Let therefore. those
with double chins rejoice, whether thev DOS
sess rounded noses or not and quote Lavater
in gratitude. He gives again another example
of the double mention. and the face so endowed.
he says enthusiastically. is Reasons own
image. He quite revels in this feature. He
takes an example of Raphael with a beauti-
fully-rOunded double chin. and in criticisinp il
he acknowledges that the profile is wanting in
truth, harmony, and grace; but then. asks he.
how Is 1t II so strongly takes captive our svm-
patty? Where lies the illusion? Merely in the
chin, he answers, and. as the chin is a double
one. the matter Is no longer mystery He
points triumphantly to Cicero's magnificent dou-
bic chin. and in a burst of eloQuence saws of
Wren that, if you can find a man with (among
-
gifted with some extraordinary talent. he re-
nOunces forever the science of physiognomy
What Lavater has thus laid down experience
amply corroborates. The double-chinned.
therefore. should hold their heads I'D higher.
in the consciousness of modest merit. and give
free play and just prominence to their certifi-
Gates OF character. 1t Is, as limited above,
rather difficult at present to tell who is en-
lowed and who Is not. POrtrait-painters are
craven enough to dissimulate double chin:
they leave IL to the caricaturists who seem to
think 1t great fun for a popular statesman or
poet to have two ehins. whereas those appen-
daSes are the secret of their success. Some
of our more obseryant writers have
got glimpse of the truth; Mr. Wilkie
Collins, for instance. He very properly
credits Count Fosco, the man of daring, re-
source, and determination, with n double chin.
to which FoscO's Pet cOckatOo calls public at
tentlon by rubbing his head against it in the
most appreciatlve manner possible. But your
ordinary novelist would never have thought of
that. As an Englishman, by the way. one nat
orally turns to Shakespeare. to see whether his
appearance corrObOrates Lavaters views.
Shakespeare undoubtedly foresaw the point,
as he foresaw everything else. but he was suffi-
clently artful to wear just enough beard to
place 1t IN eternal doubt. whether he had a
double chin or not. Thus he leaves it open to
all parties. single-chinned or double. to quote
him as an instance of anything they like,
which. after all. is the great use which Shake
sDeare has aiWayS been nut to