VIII.

OF THE GREAT SIGNIFICANCE OF SHADES.

Nor all, often very much, often but little, can be discovered, of the character of a man from his shade.

I mean to insert a number of shades, that I may thereby render intelligible what may be concluded from such mere outlines of the human countenance, sometimes with certainty, sometimes with probability.

The progress of human opinion is ever in the extreme: it is all affirmative, or all negative.

But not so. All cannot be seen in the shade, yet something may.-Not all; that is to say, not by man, bounded as are his faculties. I will not pretend to determine what might be the conclusions of a superior Being from the outline to the inward man; the figure, elasticity, fire, power, motion, life, in the nose, mouth, eye; or how perfectly such a Being might understand the whole character, with all its actual and pos

sible passions. I am far from thinking this must surpass HIS powers, since part of this may be attained by men of the commonest faculties. Proofs shall presently be given.

True it is that, with respect to many shades, we (I at least) cannot determine any thing, even when they happen to be the shades of extraordinary persons. But of all these extraordinary persons, whose characters are not distinct in shade, it may be remarked that

Seen only in shade they will neither appear foolish, when possessed of great wisdom, nor wicked, if highly virtuous. All that can be alledged is, we do not affirmatively read what they are. Either

What is extraordinary in the character is as little apparent as in the shade! or

It may be known to a few confidential friends, but is not prominent, not obvious; or again

By a thousand fortunate incidental circuinstances, a man, possessed of very moderate talents, may act, write, speak, or suffer, so as to appear extraordinary, although, in reality, he so is not; a case which often oc

curs, occasions much error, and is, or rather seems to be, very inimical to physiognomy as a science. Of this I could produce many examples: but examples might offend, and I should most unwillingly give offence, in a work the very purport of which is to promote philanthropy.

It is also possible that those traits which, in shade, might betoken the extraordinary qualities of the man, and which, in themselves, so nearly approach the overstrained, and the foolish, are either too inaccurately, or too prominently, drawn. There are countenances the shades of which, if but a hair-breadth more sharp, flat, or blunt, than nature, lose all they possess most marking, and acquire a false and foreign character. The most delicate, beautiful, angelic countenances generally lose, through the slightest neglect in taking their shades, that which in every judgment constitutes their supreme simplicity, their upright worth.Something is enlarged or something is diminished.

It is also possible that pock-marks, pimples, or other accidents, may so indent, swell, or distort a fine outline, that the true cha

racter of the countenance either cannot accurately or not at all be defined.

Yet is it undeniable, and shall be made evident by example to the lover of truth, that numberless countenances are so characterised, even by shades, that nothing can be more certain than the signification of these shades.

I pledge myself to produce two imaginary shades, the one of which shall excite general abhorrence, and the other confidence and love equally general.-Opposite as Christ and Belial.

But to the question.

What characters are most conspicuous in shade? What is most precisely and clearly shewn in shade?

A fragment of an answer.

Shades must necessarily mark the characters of the very angry and the

very mild the very obstinate, and the very pliable; of the profound or the superficial, that is to say, generally speaking, of extremes.

Pride and humility are more prominent, in shade, than vanity.

Natural benevolence, internal power,

flexibility, peculiar sensibility, and especially, infantine innocence, are expressive in shade.

Great understanding, rather than great stupidity; profound thought, much better than clearness of conception.

Creative powers, rather than acquired knowledge; especially in the outline of the forehead, and the eye-bones.

Let us now proceed to a few remarks on shades, and the manner in which they ought to be observed, which must necessarily be preceded by the classification of such lines as usually define and limit the human coun

tenance.

Perpendicular; the perpendicular expanded; compressed; projecting; retreating; straight lines; flexible; arched; contracted; waving; sections of circles; of parabolas; hyperbolas; concave; convex; broken; angular; compressed; extended; opposed; homogeneous; heterogeneous ; contrasted. How purely may all these be expressed by shades; and how various, certain, and precise, is their signification ?

We may observe in every shade nine principal horizontal sections,