Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-17
HAVE YOU A DOUBLE CHIN,
If So, BE Proud of 1t, as 1t Is Said to In
dictate Strong Character.

The great justification of the double
chin rests, of course, on its unrivaled
value as an index of character-and such
a character! 1t is really natures patent
of nobility. This was long ago discerned
by the great master of physiognomy 1t
is not difficult to divine what Lavater
thought of double chin. lie carefully
points out that man differs from the ami
NAL chiefly by his chin, laying it down
as an axiom that the chin is the distinct
i've characteristic of humanity; conse-
Quently double chinned people are doub-
ly differentiated from the beasts that per-
ish, which is greatly to their credit. He
expressly takes for his model Of "the
thinker, full of sagacity and penetra-
ton" a man with fleshy double chin,
coupled with a nose rounded at the end.
The portrait he gives is even better than
the letter press, as the gentleman is
limned with at least five chins, so that his
lower jaw was a vista of magnificent dis
tanccs like Washington.
This happy physiognomy 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 firnness, un-
alloyed by obstinacy. Let, therefore,
those with double chins rejoice, whether
they possess 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
beautifully rounded double chin, and in
crticising 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 syppathy?
Where lies the illusion? Merely in the
chin, he answers, and, rs the chin is a
double one. the matter is no longer Il
mystery. He points triumphantly to
Cicero's magnificent double chin, and in
q burst OF cloquenCc says Of Wren's that,
if you can find a man with (amoug other
things) such a chin as that without
being gifted with some extraordinary
talent, he renounces forever the science
of physiognomy.
What Lavatcr has thus laid down ex-
perience amply corroborates. The double
chiuned, 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 1t is, as limited above, rather
difficult at present TO tell who is endowed
and who is not Portrait painters are
craven enough to dissimulate double
chin; they leave it to a caricaturist, who
seems to think it great fun for a popular
statesman or poet to have two Chins,
whereas those appendages are the secret
Of their success. Some of our more OBJ
servant writers have got a glimpse of
the truth; Williie Collins, for instance.
He very properly credits Count Fosco,
the man of daring, resource and deter
mination, with a double chin, to which
Fosco's pet cockatoo calls public atten-
ton by rubbing lis head against it in the
most apprcciative manner possible. But
your ordinary novelist would never have
thought OF that.
As an Eugiishman. by the way, one
naturally turns to Shakespeare to see
whether his appearance corroborates La
waters views Shakespeare undoubtedly
foresaw the point, as he foresaw every
thing else, Eut lie was sufficiently artful
to wear just enough beard to place it in
eternal doubt whether he had double
chin or not Thus he leaves it open to
all parties, singlc-chinned or double, to
quote him rs an instance Of anything
they like, which, after all, is the great
use which Shakespeare has always been
pu ,u.- London Standard.