which man is capable, cannot be described. For this reason, the worst countenance has a well founded claim to the notice, esteem, and hope of all good men. Again, in every human countenance, however debased, humanity is still visible, that is, the image of the Deity.

I have seen the worst of men, in their worst of moments, yet could not all their vice, blasphemy, and oppression of guilt, extinguish the light of good that shone in their countenances, the spirit of humanity, the ineffaceable traits of internal, external perfectibility. The sinner we would exterminate, the man we must embrace. O physiognomy, what a pledge art thou of the everlasting clemency of God towards man! O man, rejoice with whatever rejoices in its exist ence, and contemn no being whom God doth not contemn!

CHAP. VII.

Of the Forehead.

I SHALL appropriate this and some of the following chapters to remarks on certain individual parts of the human body. The following are my own remarks on foreheads.

The form, height, arching, proportion, obliquity, and position of the scull, or bone of the forehead, shew the propensity, degree of power,

thought, and sensibility of man. The covering or skin of the forehead, its position, colour, wrinkles, and tension, denote the passions and present state of the mind. The bones give the internal quantity, and their covering the application of power.

Though the skin be wrinked, the forehead bones remain unaltered; but this wrinkling varies according to the various forms of the bones. A certain degree of flatness produces certain wrinkles; a certain arching is attended by certain other wrinkles; so that the wrinkles, separately considered, will give the arching; and this, vice versa, will give the wrinkles. Certain foreheads can only have perpendicular, others horizontal, others curved, and others mixed and confused wrinkles. Cup-formed (smooth) cornerless foreheads, when they are in motion, commonly have the simplest and least perplexed wrinkles.

I consider the peculiar delineation of the outline and position of the forehead, which has been left unattempted by ancient and modern physiognomists, to be the most important of all the things presented to physiognomonical observation. We may divide foreheads, considered in profile, into three principal classes, the retreating, the perpendicular, and the projecting. Each of these classes has a multitude of variations, which may easily again be classed, and the chief of which are rectilinear; half round, half recti

linear, flowing into each other; half round, half rectilinear, interrupted; curve lined, simple; the curve lined, double and triple.

I shall add some more particular remarks, which I apprehend will not be unacceptable to my readers:

1. The longer the forehead, the more comprehension, and less activity.

2. The more compressed, short, and firm the forehead, the more compression, firmness, and less volatility in the man.

3. The more curved and cornerless the outline, the more tender and flexible the character; the more rectilinear, the more pertinacity and severity.

4. Perfect perpendicularity, from the hair o the eyebrows, want of understanding.

5. Perfect perpendicularity, gently arched at the top, denotes excellent propensities of cold, tranquil, profound thinking.

6. Projecting-imbecility, immaturity, weakness, stupidity.

7. Retreating, in general, denotes superiority of imagination, wit, and acuteness.

8. The round and prominent forehead above, straight lined below, and on the whole perpendicular, shews much understanding, life, sensibility, ardour, and icy coldness.

9. The oblique, rectilinear forehead, is also very ardent and vigorous.

10. Arched foreheads appear properly to be feminine.

11. A happy union of straight and curved lines, with a happy position of the forehead, express the most perfect character of wisdom. By happy union, I mean, when the lines insensibly flow into each other; and by happy position, when the forehead is neither too perpendicular, nor too retreating.

12. I might almost establish it as an axiom, that right lines, considered as such, and curves, considered as such, are related as power and weakness, obstinacy and flexibility, understanding and sensation.

13. I have hitherto seen no man with sharp projecting eye-bones, who had not great propensity to an acute exercise of the understanding, and to wise plans.

14. Yet there are many excellent heads which have not this sharpness, and which have the more solidity, if the forehead, like a perpendicular wall, sink upon the horizontal eye-brows, and be greatly rounded on each side towards the temples.

15. Perpendicular foreheads, projecting so as not immediately to rest upon the nose, which are small, wrinkly, short, and shining, are certain signs of weakness, little understanding, little imagination, little sensation.

16. Foreheads with many angular, knotty protuberances, ever denote much vigorous, firm, harsh, oppressive, ardent activity, and perse

verance.

17. It is a sure sign of a clear, sound under

standing, and a good temperament, when the profile of the forehead has two proportionate arches, the lower of which projects.

18. Eyebones with defined, marking, easily delineated, firm arches, I never saw but in noble and in great men. All the ideal antiques have

these arches.

19. Square foreheads, that is to say, with extensive temples and firm eyebones, shews circumspection and certainty of character.

20. Perpendicular wrinkles, if natural to the forehead, denote application and power; horizontal wrinkles, and those broken in the middle, or at the extremities, in general negligence, or want of power.

21. Perpendicular, deep indentings, in the bones of the forehead, between the eyebrows, I never met with but in men of sound understanding, and free and noble minds, unless there were some positively contradictory feature.

22. A blue vena frontalis, in the form of a Y, when in an open, smooth, well arched forehead, I have only found in men of extraordinary talents, and of an ardent and generous character.

23. The following are the most indubitable signs of an excellent, a perfectly beautiful and significant, intelligent, and noble forehead.

An exact proportion to the other parts of the countenance. It must equal the nose or the under part of the face in length, that is, onethird.

In breadth, it must either be oval at the top