The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-09
TELL TALE DOUBLE CHlNS.
What They Are Said to Signify to the
Reader of Character.

The great justification Of the double
chin rests, of course, on its unrivaled
value as an index Of character-and
such a charactcrl 1t is really natures
patent Of nobility. This was long ago
discerned by the great master Of ply
siognomy. II is not difficult 10 define
what Lavater thought of a double chin.
He carefully points out that man diff
fers from the animals chiefly by his
chin, laying it down as an axiom that
the chin is the distinctive character
istic Of humanity; consequently. dOu-
ble chinned people are doubly diff
feronGaied, from the beasts that perish.
which is greatly TO their credit lie
expressly takes for his model Of the
thinker, full Of sagacity and penetra-
ton, a man with fash double chin.
coupled with a nose rounded at the
end The portrait he gives is even
better than the letter press, as the gen
tleman is limned with at least five
chins. so that his lower jaw is vista
Of magnificent distances, like Wash
ington.
This happy physiogonomy Of the
double chm, coupled with the round
ed nose. characterizcs. he tells us, the
mind which can rise TO heights and
which follows its designs with reflect
ing firmness. unaloycd by obstinacy.
Let. therefore, those with double chins
rejoice, whether they possess rounded
noses or not, and quote layater IN
gratitude. He gives again another
example of the double mention, and
the face so endowed, hc says cnthu-
siastically. is Reasons own image.
He quite rcvcls in this feature He
takes an example Of Raphael. with a
beautifully rounded double chin, and
in criticising it he acknowledges that
the profile is wanting in truth, har
mony and grace; but ther., asks he
how is it it so strongly takes captive
our sympathyf
Where lies the illusionl Merely in
the chin, he answers, and, as the chin
is double one the matter IS no longer
mystery. lie points triumphantly
to Ciccro's magnificent double chin.
and. IN q burst Of eloQucucc, says OF
Wrcns, that. if you can find % man
with among other things such chin
as that, without being gifted wilh
some extraordinary talent. he renoun
ces forever the science of physlog-
nomy. What LAvater has thus Land
down experience amply corroboratcs.
The double chinncd therefore should
hold their hcadsup higher ~ the con-
sciOusncss of modest merit, and give
free play and just prominence to their
certificates of character.
IL is as limited above. rather diff |
cult at present TO tell who is endowed !
and who is not Portrait painters are !
craven enough to dissimulate a double !
chin. they leave it to the caricaturist. |
who seems to think it great fun for a |
popular statesman or poet to have |
TO have two chins, whereas these ap-
are the secret of their sue |
cess Some of our more observant |
writers have got q glimpse of the |
truth. Mr. Willie Collins. for instance |
He very properly credits Count EOsco,
the man Of daring, resource and de
termination. with a double chin TO
which Foscos pet cockatoo calls pub
lie attention by rubbing his head
against It In the most appreciative
manner possible. But your ordinary
novelist would never have thought OF
that AS an Englishman, by the way,
one naturally turns to Shakespeare to
see whether his appearance corrobor-
ltes layaters views. Shakespeare un-
loubledly forcsaw the point, as he
forcsaw everything else, but he was
mtful TO wear Just enough |
beard 10 place it in eternal doubt
he had a double chin or not
Thus hc 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
Shakespeare has always been put to-
London Standard