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aud very natural. Insomuch so, that an early physiogno-mist, being introduced to Socrates , without knowing hisname, or being at all familiar with the virtues which distin-guished that god-like man, was asked to give the companyhis idea of the physiognomy of that philosopher. With asimplicity natural to the age, which was distinguished fortruth, he, without disguise, informed them that the personof whom his opinion was desired, was naturally addicted toevery vice which can he said to disgrace the human charac-ter, enumerating them at the same instant: on this thewhole company burst into derision on the absurdity of thepretended science; the witling laughed at its professor; butnot so the philosopher, who was the occasion of their presentexultation; he requested them to suspend their judgment;and then informed them, that “ he was, indeed, by natureinclined to those vices the physiognomist had mentioned;but that he had conquered these natural feelings, and sub-dued those affections by the practice of reason and philoso-phy.” This circumstance, to the best of our recollection,is mentioned by Xenophon , in the life of that philosopher,which precedes his Memorabilia; and although it must beunquestionably known to the opposers of the science underconsideration, they have industriously kept it hidden.
From this digression we return. Now, it is said, that byrepeated acts, or the frequent entertainment of any favouritepropensity, affection, or passion, impressed by natural tem-perament, or dragged by custom into the habits of an indi-vidual, the face is often put in a posture which attends suchaffections or actions, in consequence of a passage forced bythe animal spirits through the nerves, in which the essenceof a habit consists, as the religious Indians are said to dis-tort their limbs by long sitting or standing in any peculiar pos-ture; or, at least, it falls insensibly, and, as it were, mecha-nically, into some certain and settled position, directed bymental temperament, unless when under the influence of astronger aud contrary passion, or concealed by the flexibilityof disguise and design. Observation has frequently con-firmed this position; and we may here add, that so apparentare certain inclinations of the mind in various individuals,that we cannot well be mistaken in estimating character;indeed, in this respect, a (log has sagacity enough to dis-cover, not only the disposition of its master, but also toappreciate the character of certain strangers to a givenextent. Which we submit as an incontestible evidence ofthe existence of this index of the mind; because'with thesubtleties of human ingenuity, in the construction of systems,