AN APRIL SQUALL.

BREATHLESS is the deep blue sky;
Voiceless doth the blue sea lie;
And scarcely can my heart believe
'Neath such a sky, on such a wave,
That Heaven can frown and billows rave,
Or Beauty so divine deceive.

Softly sail we with the tide;
Silently our bark doth glide;
Above our heads no clouds appear:
Only in the West afar

A dark spot, like a baneful star,
Doth herald tempests dark and drear.

And now the wind is heard to sigh;
The waters heave unquietly;

The Heaven above is darkly scowling:
Down with the sail! They come, they come !
Loos'd from the depths of their wintry home
The wild fiends of the storm are howling.

Hold tight, and tug at the straining oar,
For the wind is rising more and more:
Row like a man through the dashing brine!
Row on! already the squall is past:
No more the sky is overcast;
Again the sun doth brightly shine.

Oh! higher far is the well-earn'd bliss
Of quiet after a storm like this

Than all the joys of selfish ease:

'Tis thus I would row o'er the sea of Life,

Thus force my way through the roar and strife,
And win repose by toils like these.

ARCULUS.

REMARKS ON PHYSIOGNOMY.

IT is a matter of regret that Physiognomy as a means of knowledge is so little developed, and has become neither a science nor an art of universal and certain application; for by it, in an advanced state, we should be able to recognise the minds of others as readily as we now do their faces. At present it is with most people little more than an instinct by which they are in the practice, consciously or unconsciously, of judging at first sight of their companions by their personal appearance. Still I think it will be admitted that, to a small extent at least, something is really known of the science of Physiognomy; namely, that it is within the powers of a few gradually to gain knowledge, in a general way, of implied temper and intelligence, by means of careful observation and comparison of outward form and expression. And though the majority of people cannot go beyond their limited instincts in this direction, while a minority, however small, can; still it is reasonable that the capacity of the few who can so discriminate is of more weight in favour of the science than the incapacity of the many is against it.

As a fundamental principle, comparative anatomy establishes the real characteristic of human form. Thus in the face the nearly vertical profile of man, effected by the extension of the forehead above and the addition of the chin below, is attained by no member of the brute creation; and therefore however beautiful, according to other ideas of beauty, the rest of the features be, if there be not a sufficiency of frontal elevation and advancement of chin, we must maintain that in this case beauty has declined to be fairly present.

The science of anatomy, in explaining the uses and connexions of the several parts of the body, is best fitted to explain the reasons for the laws of Physiognomy; but in many instances we must be content to proceed without such assistance, if only the laws themselves are otherwise estab

lished as generally true. A main object then is to collect and classify all the various forms of features in great numbers of instances, coupled with the known characters and conditions of the persons to whom they belonged, and from the comparison of the whole to derive general laws, stating how different conformations are usually symbolic of their appropriate qualities.

Of all parts of the body, the forehead has been considered the most important as manifesting mental power. It is essential that it should be sufficiently large, but not necessarily very high; indeed the ancients always preferred a low forehead with the hair growing down very low, and sometimes they even reduced by art the visible part of it, when nature in their opinion shewed too much face above the eyes. The wide forehead, well projecting in front over the eyes, and increasing at the temples, belongs to the best pattern of general shape, and exhibits capacity for conceiving a large stock of ideas and great analytical power. Very much depends on the elevations and prominences on the surface of the forehead, and especially on the enlarged bumps which lie just over the eyebrows, and which ought to be gently or plainly marked. The reason usually assigned for this is, that the brain ought to be as large as possible, and that the shape of the brain be, speaking roughly, a hemisphere resting on a horizontal base, this being the form of the solid which contains the greatest bulk for its extent of surface; for it has been supposed that mental activity is proportional to the magnitude and compactness of the brain. Probably all this is true, but of course it will be remembered, that these frontal eminences do not mark the boundary of the brain in front, for between the outer table of the frontal bone and its inner table which is the wall of the brain, there lie cavities which are larger or smaller according as these eminences of the outer table are larger or smaller; so that the cavities, which are called the frontal sinuses, do not determine the size of the brain. They contribute to effect the resonance of the voice, and to give attachment on their outer surfaces to some muscles, which aid in distinguishing man by those expressions of thought and sentiment which are peculiar to him. These sinuses are large in the elephant, and extend enormously in that animal over the top of his skull, giving him a fine and intelligent look, but at the same time detracting very much from the size of his brain. Some foreheads have their undulated surfaces elevated chiefly in the middle line, and therefore their contours are most easily

discernible in the profile; they are signs of a clear and sound understanding. Those foreheads which are quite smooth and present one uniform arch from the eyes to the hair, without any knotty protuberances or disturbed wrinkles, belong to vacant child-like and empty-headed simpletons who cannot become better than stupid and inoffensive members of society. On the other hand, the more the human skull possesses the features of the brute in angular abruptness of surface, the more does it symbolize degradation of mind. The same may be said of thick and bony skulls, for they fall far below the economical principle, which prevails so markedly in man, of fineness and lightness in all regions where strength and solidity are dispensable. Most large foreheads are favourable symbols, for with them are found associated large minds capable of comprehending a large compass of ideas and retaining them firmly in the memory; but next to insignificant and retreating foreheads, none are worse than those large and shapeless inane foreheads, which are plain proofs of stupidity.

Wrinkles on the forehead should be regular and not too deep; those which are oblique and parallel or circularly arched, do not augur well; often they are merely the grimaces of idleness, want of thought, and waste of time.

As well as the forehead, the mid-head or parietal portion of the head, and the hind-head or occipital portion have their peculiar indications; it is enough briefly to mention that in the middle of the head the feelings are supposed to reside, and the will in the back of the head.

The chin also is a principal characteristic of man, and so its development is essential to beauty; it generally occurs together with a large and prominent forehead, and balances it in the face. The bone which corresponds to the chin in the lower animals, is commonly much longer from back to front in proportion to its lateral breadth than in man, while at the same time it retreats backwards under the mouth.

The eye is said to be the feature which is least complimentary to man, for the human eye does not surpass in softness, delicacy, and brilliancy that of many brutes; the eye is the strong point in the face of the lower animals, indeed the chief privilege which man has reserved to himself is the squint. The eye is not on this account less suitable to distinguish and mark the beauty of one man as compared with that of another; we know the remarkable distinction of a fine and expressive eye, and in estimating the temporary feelings and temper, we regard it more than any other feature

of the face; it is not only the light of the countenance, it is also the interpretable index of the whole man's self as for the present time constituted, and reveals his inmost feelings; it seems to inform us of his animal nature and condition, as well as in a less degree of his intellectual qualities; in short, the eye is the expressed summit of animal beauty. One condition for the human excellence of the eyes is, that the distance between them must be neither much more nor much less than an inch; deviation from this limit on either side partakes of the brutal type; for instance, in the one case it looks like the monkey, in the other like the dog. A similar remark applies to the comparative size of the ball of the eye, which in man holds a middle place between those of brutes. Grey, greenish, hazel, black or very dark blue eyes, indicate severally hardiness and activity of mind, ardour and subtilty, a vigorous and profound mind, vivacity and strength of expression; while on the contrary, light blue eyes are feminine, and in a man suggest feebleness and inactivity of mind; however I have met with such eyes in clever and powerful men, but then always associated with other and better features and a well-formed head; still lightness of colour in the eye is of itself an unfavourable sign. Brilliancy of eye is generally preferred to dullness, because it indicates a lively mind and temper; brightness combined with quickness of motion and restlessness is a conclusive mark of nervousness. Dull and calm eyes are sometimes found in able and far-seeing persons; the present Emperor Napoleon is an instance of this.

The eyelids ought to cover about half of the pupil when open, and to be pretty thick and furnished with well-marked lashes; they should be also either horizontal in their contiguous edges, or slightly inclined downwards in the direction of the nose, and the opening should be long and narrow.

The eyebrows, corresponding to the lids, should be well defined and closely cover the eyes, not wandering upwards high on the forehead, but lying low on the projecting eyebones; faintly marked brows mean the same as light-coloured eyes, and unless accompanied by a good frontal development are very unsatisfactory.

The nose is an important index to character; it shews the capacity of mind, the degree of mental refinement, and the measure of sensibility and education: accordingly it is a feature which takes a long time in finishing its growth, and leaves us during this time in doubt about its final shape; so that it seems to change its mind very much, and very often surprises us with its varied resolves and ultimate form.