HYSIOGNOMONICABY

T.

LOVEDAY

AND

E. S.

FORSTER

OXFORD AT THE CLARENDON PRESS1913

PREFACETHIS work, as \ve have it, is evidently a compilation of two treatises, the second beginning with Chapter IV.Neitheris

Aristotle s

:

both

may

be Peripatetic.

Prantl

s

text (Teubner, 1881) has been used, but a great many emendations have been taken from Forster s text and

very

notes in his Scriptores Physiognomonici (1893), vol. i. On J. B. Forster s excellent work we have chiefly relied has also proved Porta s De humana physiognomonia (1650) useful. We have, as before, to thank Mr. W. D. Ross;

for his kind advice

and suggestions.

After some hesitation

we decided,

to use the less,

clumsythe.

forms

more accurate

physiognomic Physiognomy physiognomonic Physiognomony,

in place of

T. L.

E. S. F.

CONTENTSCHAP. 1. Methods.2. 3.

Sources of signs. Signs of different characters.

4.5.

Body and

soul.

Method

again.

Typical animals.Inferences, chiefly from animals.

6.

PHYSIOGNOMONICAI

not independent of and unaffected 805* but is conditioned by the state of by bodily processes, and contrariwise the body is sympathetically the body influenced by affections of the soul. 1 The former of these propositions is well exemplified by drunkenness and sick ness, where altered bodily conditions produce obvious 5 mental modifications, and the second by the emotions ofcharacteris;

MENTAL

love and fear, and by states of pleasure and pain. 2 still better instances of the fundamental connexion of

Butbody10

and soul and their very extensive interaction may be found normal products of nature. 3 There never was an animal w ith the form of one kind and the mental character of another the soul and body appropriate to the same kind always go together, and this shows that a specific body involves a specific mental character. Moreover, experts on the lower animals are always able to judge of character it is thus that a horseman chooses his by bodily formin ther: :

15

horse or a sportsman his dogs.to

be true (and

it

always

is

true),

Now, supposing all this physiognomy must be

practicable.

Three methods have been essayed in the past, each having had its special adherents. i. The first method took as the basis for physiognomicinferences the various genera of animals, positing for each

20

genus a peculiar animal form, and consequently upon this a peculiar mental character, and then assuming that if a man resembles such and such a genus in form he willresemble1

it

also in soul. 4

8o5*&>5

a

2, 3.

a805"

*

8o5xav

a

(})vfjLovovov

oia fnerui rca rotouro) o-co/ucm, eiYa TOV Sfiowvii

TOTUVT(Ts. Read TO o-co/ua (Tvirovov, ev TOIS Kivrjcrecriv owe ira/io?. F.cra>/j.aTOS

Soytender

PHYSIOGNOMONICAflesh, not exactly firm nor yet extremely fat by leanness of the shoulders, neck, face, and neighbouring regions; by shoulder-blades closely knit and the parts;

i

?

below slack

a somewhat gaunt back by supple sides a small a thin skin a clear pinkish hue over the body and of hair, neither very coarse nor very black growth1; ; ;

;

;

;

20

Dullness of sense is indicated when the back of the neck and the legs are fleshy and stiffly the shoulderthe hip-joint round fitted and knittedmoist, gleaming eyes.;;

blades high-set

25

the the forehead big, round, and fleshy and vacant the legs thick and fleshy and round eyes pale at the ankles; the jaws big and fleshy; loins fleshy;; ; ;

legs long

;

neck thick-setof

;

the face fleshy and rather long.

The mannerof the dull

movement, gesture, and facial expression 2 man, you may take it, are analogous to his

character.

jo

Impudence is signified by small, bright, wide-open eyes, with heavy blood-shot lids slightly bulging 3 high shouldera carriage of the body not erect, but crouched blades;

;

slightly forwards

over the body

;

a reddish hue quickness of movement with a sanguine complexion, a round face,;

;

and high35

chest.;

Signs

of

Good Moral Character are

a slow gait

a slow;

and weak

4

voice

speaking with a breath-like small eyes, black but not lustrous, not

way

of

open and staring, nor yet mere8o8 a movement of thelids

slits

;

with a slow, blinking

for rapid blinking signifies either

cowardice or a hot temperament.

Good Spirits are indicated by a good-sized forehead, fleshy a rather the region of the eyes rather low and smooth;

;

5

drowsy-looking countenance, neither keen nor reflective. The gait, we may suppose, will be slow and languid, the and facial expression those of a good but notgesture a quick man.;

brows18c>7

lean and wrinkled Signs of Low Spirits are enfeebled eyes (but you should notice that weak

2:!

4

8o7 b 8o7 3O. b 8o7 35.

b i6. b 28.

Read uvfipiva. Schneider. Read ava\a^ave (F.) on evidence of Barth. Mess. Read Traced, p.iKpbv eyKvpra. Read d

CHAPTERthe femalein

5Further,

and do whatever our temper impels us to do.

is, my opinion, more mischievous than the h Every one can 8og male, and (though feebler) more reckless. see that this is so in women and in domesticated animals, and according to the unanimous evidence of herdsmen and

huntersit is

it is

no

less true of

the beasts of the

field.

Moreover,5

of the beyond dispute that in every genus the head female is smaller than that of the male, her visage narrower, her neck thinner, her chest weaker, her sides of smaller

build,

and

that, whilst her hips

and thighs are:

fuller,

she

inclines to be knock-kneed, the lower parts of her legs are in short, less stout, and her feet more delicately made l rather than to the eye the build of her body is pleasing

ic

imposing, and she of moister tissue.hisis is

comparison feeble and tender, and 2 The male is the opposite of all this the braver and more upright nature, whilst the femaleis

in

:

the more timid and less upright. This being so, the lion manifestly exhibits the male type He has a good-sized mouth his in its most perfect form.:

15

level with visage is square and not too bony, the upper jaw his nose you would call, the lower and not protruding his gleaming eyes are deep-set, if anything, rather thick and neither absolutely round nor unduly long, and of 20::

moderate size 3 his brow is of the right size, his forehead square and slightly hollowed from the centre, and over its lower part, towards the eyebrows and nose, there hangs a sort of cloud, and from the top of his forehead down to 4 his his nose there runs a ridge of hairs sloping outwards head is of moderate size his neck of due length and broad in proportion, with a tawny mane upon it, which is neither: : :

stiff

and

bristly nor yet too closely curled.

About the:

25

his supple and not too tightly articulated shoulders are stalwart, his chest powerful, his trunk broad, there is no superfluity of with sides and back to matchclavicles

he

is

:

flesh1

on his haunches or thighs10.

:

his legs arc powerful

and

30

80928s

F.

Like Porta

gallos consuluimus

cum eiusmodi nasum

F. reads Trpos TO utranrov and suggests Karn^epf} for Porta translates Tifpifapr), But this does not much improve the sense. incavus nasus ante frontem, rotundus, et supereminens [i.e. the comb] rotundum which, as his illustration shows, gives a sense not far from the actual appearance, if it could be got from the text. Either the text is corrupt, or the author had not kept poultry.

ignoraremus.

,

b8"

PHYSIOGNOMONICATheif

5

face,

when

fleshy,

indicates laziness, as in cattle

:

10

1 gaunt, assiduity, and if bony, cowardice, on the analogy of asses and deer. A small face marks a small soul, as in the cat and the ape: a large face means lethargy, as in asses and cattle. So the face must be neither nor

large

little

:

an intermediate size

is

therefore best.

A

mean-

15

looking face signifies by congruity an illiberal spirit. As to the eyes, when the lower lids are pendulous and baggy, you may know a bibulous fellow, for heavy drink

20

produces bagginess below the eyes but when the upper lids arc baggy and hang over the eyes, 3 that signifies somnolence, for on first waking from sleep our upper lids hang heavily. Small eyes mean a small soul, by congruity and on the evidence of the ape asing:

2

in cattle.

In a

man

of

large eyes, lethargy, good natural parts, therefore, the:

Hollow eyes eyes will be neither large nor small. as in the ape villainy, protruding eyes,:

imbecility,

mean by con-

25

gruity and as in the ass. The eyes, therefore, must neither recede nor protrude an intermediate position is best.:

When

the eyes are slightly deep-set, they signify a proud

soul, as in lions:

and when a

little

deeper

4still,

gentleness,

as in cattle.30

A small forehead means stupidity, as in swine too large a forehead, lethargy, as in cattle. A round forehead means dullness of sense, as in the ass a somewhat long and flat::

forehead,35

quickness

of sense, 5 as in

the dog.

A

square

8i2 a

and well-proportioned forehead 6 is a sign of a proud soul, as in the lion. A cloudy brow signifies self-will, as in the lion and the bull a taut brow is taken from observation to mark the flatterer, and you may notice how a dog s brow smooths out when he fawns upon you. 7 So, a cloudy brow indicating self-will and a smooth brow obsequiousness,: 1

2 3

Sii ;. 8li b l5.8l I b l6.

1

Read as F. suggests (cp. Ps. Pol. 179). Read e juTreTTttKoou. Schneider. Read Kva-nBff. (ot? 8e ra eVi TO IS o^daX/jinls olovo

.

M

CHAPTERA

6

s

8i3

slow to begin, but long and slow step indicates a mind when started, for the length of the stride shows persistent A short determination, but its slowness procrastination. tardiness without persistence, for shortness slow step means and slowness do not indicate determination. A long quickstep means enterprise indicates enterprise andIdentical1

5

and

persistence,

for

its

speedshort

its

2 length determination.

A

without persistence. quick step signifies enterprisereferences3

are

made abouts

10 gesture of hand,stiff4

elbow, and arm.

To hold one:

shoulders straight and

as one walks signifies a vainglorious spirit, on 5 the analogy of the horse but to roll the shoulders if one a little forwards means a proud soul, as in the lion.

and

roll

them

stoops

To walk withbending7

feet

andis

legs

bent out means effeminacy,

15

as being a characteristic of

women.

To keep

turning and

a sign of obsequiousness, for that To walk with a stoop to the is the gesture of the flatterer. held to argue a pathic. right is by congruity of appearance

the

body

Mobile eyes signify keenness and rapacity, as in hawks the eyes. blinking eyes, cowardice, for flight begins with:

20

of Sidelong leering glances are held to be characteristic a fop, 8 and so are drooping movements of one lid half over a motionless eye, and an upward roll of the eyes under the upper lids 9 10 with a tender gaze and drooping>

25

eyelids,

and in general all tender melting glances we argue these partly from congruity, partly from the fact that of the A slow movement looks are common in women. eyes which allows a tinge of white to show all the time, so;

that they look stationary,1 2

11

indicates a reflective character

;

34

6 7

8

a Si3 7. Omit OVK. Willich. a 8i3 8. Read eVitfmKoj for TeXeo-TiKoi and omit OIK. F. a 8l3 IO, II. Read dt/ares (Hemsterhuis), or KaTiXXuimu,

Ib>pa(0rai

9

a

(pap