of his Age, had a numerous Collection of old English Ballads, and took a particular Pleasure in the Reading of them. I can affirm the fame of Mr. Dryden, and know feveral of the most refined Writers of our present Age who are of the fame Humour. I might likewife refer my Reader to Moliere's Thoughts on this Subject, as he has expreffed them in the Charater of the Mifanthrope; but those only who are endowed with a true Greatness or Soul and Genius can divest themselves of the little Images of Ridicule, and admire Nature in her Simplicity and Nakednefs. As for the little conceited Wits of the Age, who can only fhew their Judgment by finding Fault, they cannot be supposed to admire thefe Productions which have nothing to recommend them but the Beauties of Nature, when they do not know how to relifh even thofe Compofitions that, with all the Beauties of Nature, have also the additional Advantages of Art, L N° 86. Friday, June 8. Heu quam difficile eft crimen non prodere vultu! Ovid. T HERE are feveral Arts which all Men are in fome measure Mafters of, without having been at the Pains of learning them. Every one that fpeaks or reasons is a Grammarian and a Logician, tho' he may be wholly unacquainted with the Rules of Grammar or Logick, as they are delivered in Books and Systems. In the fame manner, every one is in fome Degree a Master of that Art which is generally diftinguilhed by the Name of Phifiognomy; and naturally forms to himself the Character or Fortune of a Stranger, from the Features and Lineaments of his Face. We are no fooner prefented to any one we never faw before, but we are immediately ftruck with the Idea of a proud, a reserved, an affable, or a good-natured Man; and upon our first going into a Company of Strangers, our Benevolence or Averfion, Awe or Contempt, rifes na turally turally towards feveral particular Perfons, before we have heard them fpeak a fingle Word, or fo much as know who they are. EVERY Paffion gives a particular Caft to the Coun. tenance, and is apt to difcover it felf in fome Feature or other. I have feen an Eye curfe for half an Hour together, and an Eye-brow call a Man Scoundrel. Nothing is more common than for Lovers to complain, refent, languish, defpair, and die, in dumb Show. For my own Part, I am fo apt to frame a Notion of every Man's Humour or Circumftances by his Looks, that I have fometimes employed my felf from Charing-Crofs to the RoyalExchange in drawing the Character of thofe who have paffed by me. When I fee a Man with a four rivell'd Face, I cannot forbear pitying his Wife; and when I meet with an open ingenuous Countenance, think on the Happiness of his Friends, his Family, and Relations. I cannot recollect the Author of a famous Saying to a Stranger who stood filent in his Company, Speak that I may Jee thee: But, with Submiffion, I think we may be better known by our Looks than by our Words, and that a Man's Speech is much more eafily difguifed than his Countenance. In this Cafe, however, I think the Air of the whole Face is much more expreffive than the Lines of it: The Truth of it is, the Air is generally nothing elfe but the inward Difpofition of the Mind made vifible. THOSE who have established Phyfiognomy into an Art, and laid down Rules of judging Mens Tempers by their Faces, have regarded the Features much more than the Air. Martial has a pretty Epigram on this Subject. Crine ruber, niger ore, brevis pede, lumine lafus, Thy Beard and Head are of a different Die; I have feen a very ingenious Author on this Subject who founds his Speculations on the Suppofition, That as a Man hath in the Mould of his Face a remote Likeness VOL. II. B to to that of an Ox, a Sheep, a Lion, an Hog, or any other Creature; he hath the fame Resemblance in the Frame of his Mind, and is fubject to those Paffions which are predominant in the Creature that appears in his Countenance. Accordingly he gives the Prints of feveral Faces that are of a different Mould, and by a little overcharging the Likeness, difcovers the Figures of these feveral Kinds of brutal Faces in human Features. I remember in the Life of the famous Prince of Conde the Writer obferves, the Face of that Prince was like the Face of an Eagle, and that the Prince was very wellpleafed to be told fo. In this Cafe therefore we may be fure, that he had in his Mind fome general implicit Notion of this Art of Phifiognomy which I have juft now mentioned; and that when his Courtiers told him his Face was made like an Eagle's, he understood them in the fame manner as if they had told him, there was fomething in his Looks which fhewed him to be strong, active, piercing, and of a royal Descent. Whether or no the different Motions of the animal Spirits in different Paffions, may have any Effect on the Mould of the Face when the Lineaments are pliable and tender, or whether the fame kind of Souls require the fame kind of Habitations, I fhall leave to the Confideration of the Curious. In the mean Time I think nothing can be more glorious than for a Man to give the Lie to his Face, and to be an honest, juft, good-natured Man, in fpite of all thofe Marks and Signatures which Nature feems to have fet upon him for the Contrary. This very often happens among thofe, who inftead of being exafperated by their own Looks, or envying the Looks of others, apply themfelves entirely to the cultivating of their Minds, and getting thofe Beauties which are most lafting and more ornamental. I have feen many an amiable Piece of Deformity; and have observed a certain Chearfulness in as bad a Syftem of Features as ever was clapped together, which hath appeared more lovely than all the blooming Charms of an infolent Beauty. There is a double Praife due to Virtue, when it is lodged in a B: dy that feems to have been prepared for the Reception of Vice; in many fuch Cafes the Soul and the Body do not feem to be Fellows. 4 SOCRA SOCRATES was an extraordinary Inftance of this Nature. There chanced to be a great Phyfiognomist in his Time at Athens, who had made ftrange Difcoveries of Mens Tempers and Inclinations by their outward Appearances. Socrates's Difciples, that they might put this Artift to the Tryal, carried him to their Master, whom he had never feen before, and did not know he was then in Company with him. After a fhort Examination of his Face, the Phyfiognomift pronounced him the most lewd, libidinous, drunken old Fellow that he had ever met with in his whole Life. Upon which the Difciples all burft out a laughing, as thinking they had detected the Falfhood and Vanity of his Art. But Socrates told them, that the Principles of his Art might be very true, notwithstanding his prefent Mistake; for that he himself was naturally inclined to thofe particular Vices which the Phyfiognomist had difcovered in his Countenance, but that he had conquered the ftrong Difpofitions he was born with by the Dictates of Philofophy. WE are indeed told by an ancient Author, that Socrates very much refembled Silenus in his Face; which we find to have been very rightly obferved from the Statues and Bufts of both, that are ftill extant; as well as on feveral antique Seals and precious Stones, which are frequently enough to be met with in the Cabinets of the Curious. But however Obfervations of this Nature may fometimes hold, a wife Man fhould be particularly cautious how he gives Credit to a Man's outward Ap pearance. It is an irreparable Injuftice we are guilty of towards one another, when we are prejudiced by the Looks and Features of thofe whom we do not know. How often do we conceive Hatred against a Perfon of Worth, or fancy a Man to be proud or ill-natured by his Afpect, whom we think we cannot efteem too much when we are acquainted with his real Character? Dr. Moore, in his admirable Syftem of Ethicks, reckons this particular Inclination to take a Prejudice against a Man for his Looks, among the finaller Vices in Morality, and if I remember, gives it the Name of a Profopolepfia. L N° 87. T has been the Purpose of feveral of my Speculations to bring People to an unconcerned Behaviour, with relation to their Perfons, whether beautiful or defe&ive. As the Secrets of the Ugly Club were expofed to the Publick, that Men might fee there were fome noble Spirits in the Age, who were not at all difpleased with themselves upon Confiderations which they had no Choice in, fo the Difcourfe concerning Idols tended to leffen the Value People put upon themselves from perfonal Advantages and Gifts of Nature. As to the latter Species of Mankind, the Beauties, whether Male or Female, they are generally the most untractable People of all others. You are fo exceflively perplexed with the Particularities in their Behaviour, that, to be at Eafe, one would be apt to wifh there were no fuch Creatures, They expect fo great Allowances, and give fo little to others, that they who have to do with them find in the main, a Man with a better Perfon than ordinary, and a beautiful Woman, might be very happily changed for fuch to whom Nature has been lefs liberal. The Handfome Fellow is ufually fo much a Gentleman, and the fine Woman has fomething fo becoming, that there is no enduring either of them. It has therefore been generally my Choice to mix with chearful ugly Creatures, rather than Gentlemen who are graceful enough to omit or do what they pleafe; or Beauties who have Charms enough to do and fay what would be difobliging in any but themselves. DIFFIDENCE and Prefumption, upon account of our Perfons, are equally Faults; and both arife from the Want of knowing, or rather endeavouring to know, our felves, and for what we ought to be valued or neglected. But indeed, I did not imagine thefe little Confiderations and Coquetries could have the ill Confequence as |