PHYSIOGNOMY AND CRANIOLOGY.
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metry are the best. As the most virtuous can best deter-mine on virtue, so can the most handsome countenances onthe goodness, beauty, and noble traits of the human counte-nance ; and, consequently, its defects and ignoble properties.The scarcity of human beauty, is the reason why physiog-nomy, so desirous to be known, linds so many opponents;no person, therefore, ought to enter the sanctuary of physi-ognomy, who has a debased mind, an ill-formed forehead,a blinking eye, or a distorted mouth.” '
“ The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thineeye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; but ifthine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness:if, therefore, the light that be in thee be darknesi, howgreat is that darkness!”
We have given large extracts from the copious and ex-pensive work of that author, J. C. Lavater , on physiognomy,in order to enable our readers to judge for themselves,
The science we believe to be founded in nature; butcannot, in justice to our own discrimination, sutler thoseextracts to escape us, without observing that we believewith much truth and sagacious remark there is mixed alsomuch extraneous matter; some, and particularly the lastremark, even below decency and mediocrity, even vergingupon childish puerility.
Craniology assumes its name from the object itexamines, and is the doctrine of Dr. Gall uptn thehuman cranium, or skull,—its mode of formation, struc-ture, and peculiarities. That gentleman thinks, from its con-nexion with the brain, to which it is a covering, it hasa decided influence upon the seat of thought, and even uponthoughts themselves, and the general disposition of themind ; and hence becomes susceptible of definition.
This doctrine being of much more recent daie than that ofphysiognomy, according to the usual undecided and uncertainstate of public opinion, it is yet in a state of suspense be-tween adoption and discredit, or reception and neglect. Withan intention to be serviceable to the interests of science,and at the same time to gratify the inquiring disposition ofthe public mind, we subjoin tlie following particulars.
The inventor is, we understand, a physician, of consider-able practice aud much esteem in Vienna: natural history,collecting various plants, animals, &c. we have been in-