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some who possess the particular gift of discovering and inventing difficulties, without number or limits, on the most common and easy subjects. I shall be brief on the innumerable difficulties of physiognomy; because, it not being my intention to cite them all in this place, the most important will occasionally be noticed and answered in the course of the work. I have an additional motive to be brief, which is, that most of these difficulties are included in the indescribable minuteness of innumerable traits of character, or the impossibility of seizing, expressing, and analysing certain sensations and observations.

Nothing can be more certain than that the smallest shades, which are scarcely discernible to an unexperienced eye, frequently denote total opposition of character. How wonderfully may the expression of countenance and character be altered by a small inflexion or diminishing, lengthening or sharpening, even though but of a hair's breadth !

How difficult, how impossible, must this variety of the same countenance, even in the most accurate of the arts of imitation, render precision! How often does it happen, that the seat of character is so hidden, so enveloped, so masked, that it can only be caught in certain, and perhaps uncommon positions of the countenance; which will again be changed, and the signs all disappear, before they have made any durable impression! or, supposing the impression made,

these distinguishing traits may be so difficult to seize, that it shall be impossible to paint, much less to engrave, or describe them by language.

It is with physiognomy as with all other objects of taste, literal or figurative, of sense or of spirit. How many thousand accidents, great and small, physical and moral; how many secret incidents, alterations, passions; how often will dress, position, light and shade, and innumerable discordant circumstances, shew the countenance so disadvantageously, or, to speak more properly, betray the physiognomist into a false judgment on the true qualities of the countenance and character! How easily may these occasion him to overlook the essential traits of character, and form his judgment on what is wholly accidental! How surprisingly may the smallpox, during life, disfigure the countenance! How may it destroy, confuse, or render the most decisive traits imperceptible!

We will therefore grant the opposer of physiognomy all he can ask, although we do not live without hope, that many of the difficulties shall be resolved, which at first appeared to the reader and to the author inexplicable *.

It is highly incumbent upon me, that I should not lead my readers to expect more from me than I am able to perform. Whoever publishes a considerable work on physiognomy, gives his

* The following lines, to the end of the Introduction, contain M. Lavater's own remarks on himself.

readers apparently to understand, that he is much better acquainted with the subject than any of his cotemporaries. Should an error escape him, he exposes himself to the severest ridicule; he is contemned, at least by those who do not read him, for pretensions which probably they suppose him to make, but which in reality he does not make.

The God of truth, and all who know me, will. bear testimony, that from my whole soul I despise deceit, as I do all silly claims to superior wisdom and infallibility, which so many writers, by a thousand artifices, endeavour to make their readers imagine they possess.

First, therefore, I declare, what I have uniformly declared on all occasions, although the persons who speak of me and my works endeavour to conceal it from themselves and others, that I understand but little of physiognomy; that I have been, and continue daily to be, mistaken in my judgment: but these errors are the most natural and most certain means of correcting, confirming, and extending my knowledge.

It will probably not be disagreeable to many of my readers, to be informed, in part, of the progress of my mind in this study.

Before I reached the twenty-fifth year of my age, there was nothing I should have supposed more improbable, than that I should make the smallest inquiries concerning, much less that I should write a book on, physiognomy. I was neither inclined to read nor make the slightest

observations on the subject. The extreme sensibility of my nerves occasioned me, however, to feel certain emotions at beholding certain countenances. I sometimes instinctively formed a judgment according to these first impressions, and was laughed at, ashamed, and became cautious. Years passed away before I again dared, impelled by similar impressions, to venture similar opinions. In the meantime, I occasionally sketched the countenance of a friend, whom by chance I had lately been observing. I had, from my earliest youth, a propensity to drawing, and especially to drawing of portraits, although I had but little genius or perseverance. By this practice my latent feelings began partly to unfold themselves. The various proportions, similitudes, and varieties of the human countenance became more apparent. It has happened that, on two successive days, I have drawn two faces, the features of which had a remarkable resemblance. This awakened my attention; and my astonishment increased when I received certain proofs that these persons were as similar in character as in feature.

I was afterwards induced, by M. Zimmerman, physician to the court of Hanover, to write my thoughts on this subject. I met with many opponents; and this opposition obliged me to make deeper and more laborious researches, till at length the present work on physiognomy was produced.

Here I must repeat the full conviction I feel,

that my whole life would be insufficient to form any approach towards a perfect and consistent whole. It is a field too vast for me singly to till. I shall find various opportunities of confessing my deficiency in various branches of science, without which it is impossible to study physiognomy with that firmness and certainty which are requisite. I shall conclude by declaring, with unreserved candour, and wholly committing myself to the reader who is the friend of truth,

That I have heard, from the weakest men, remarks on the human countenance more acute than those I had made; remarks which made mine appear trifling.

That I believe, were various other people to sketch countenances, and write their observations, those I have hitherto made would soon become of little importance.

That I daily meet an hundred faces concerning which I am unable to pronounce any certain opinion.

That no man has any thing to fear from my inspection, as it is my endeavour to find good in man, nor are there any men in whom good is not to be found.

That since I have begun thus to observe mankind, my philanthropy is not diminished, but, I will venture to say, increased.

And that now (January 1783), after ten years' daily study, I am not more convinced of the certainty of my own existence, than of the truth