Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-14
HAVE YOU A DOUBLE CHIN?
IL So, Be Proud OF IL, As IL Indicates
Strong Character.
From the London Standard.

From the London Standard.
The great justification Of the double chin
rests. of course, on its unrivaled value as an
index Of character-and such a character! II
is really natures patent with nobility. This
was long ago discerned by the great master OF
physiognomy. II is not difficult TO divine what
Lavater thought Of a double chin. He care
fully points out that man differs from the ami
mails chiefly by his chin, laying il down as an
axiom that the chin is the distinctive charac-
teristic 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, full Of sagacity and penetra-
ton, man with a feshy double chin. coupled
with nose rounded at the end. The por-
trait he gives is even better than the letter
press. as the gentleman is limned with AZ least
hve chlns, so that his lower Jaw was a vista of
magnificent distances, like Washington This
HAPPY physiognomy OF the double chm, coupled
with the rounded nose, characterizes. he tells
US, the mind which can rise to heights and
which follows its designs with rejecting firm
ness, unalloyed by obstinacy. Let, therefore
those with double chins rejoice whether they
possess rounded noses or not, and quote Law
alter In gratitude. he gives again another ex-
ample of the double mention, and the face so
endowed. he says, enthusiastically. is reason s
own image. He quite revels in this feature
He takes an example of Raphael, with beau
tifully rounded double chin; and. in criticising
it, he acknowledges that the profile is wanting
in truth, harmony and grace; but then. asks
he, how is it it so strongly takes captive our
sympathy? Where lies the illusion! Merely
IN the chin, he answers; and as the chin is a
double one the matter is no longer n mys-
terry. He points triumphantly to Cicero's
magnificent double chin, and in burst of
eloquence saws of Wren's that. if you can find a
man with (among other things) such a chin as
that, without being gifted with some extraordi-
nary talent, he renounces forever the science
of physiognomy. What Lavater has thus laid
down experience amply corroborates The
double chinned, therefore, should hold their
heads up higher, in the consciousness of modest
merit, and give free play and just prominence
to their certificates of character. II is ms
limited above, rathor difficult at present TO tel
who is endowed and who is not. Portrait
painters are craven enough TO dissimulate q
double chin; they leave il to a caricaturist
who seems to think 1t great fun for a popular
statesman or poet to have two chins. whereas
| those appendages are the secret of their sue.
cess Some of our more observant writers
have got a glimpse of the truth wilkie
Collins for instance. He very properly credit:
Count Fosco, the man of daring resource and
determination, with double chin, to which
Fosco's pet cockatoo calls public attention by
rubbing its head against il in the most appreci
atlVe manner possible. But your ordinary nov
e!ist would never have thought of that As ar
Englishman. by the way, one naturally turns e
Shakespeare to see whether his appearance
corroborates Lavater's views. Shakespeare un
doubleday forsesaw the point, as he foresav
! everything else, but he was sufficiently artfu
to wear just enough beard to place it in eterna
| doubt whether he had double chin or not
Thus he leaves it open to all parties, singl,
chinned or double. to quote him as an instanc,
Of anything they like, which, after all, is tn,
great use which Shakespeare has always beer
put to.