to that of an Ox, a Sheep, a Lion, an Hog, or any other Creature; he hath the fame Refemblance 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, discovers the Figures of these several 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 well pleafed to be told fo. In this Cafe therefore we may be fure, that he had in his Mind some general implicit Notion of this Art of Phyfiognomy which I have just 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 Lye to his Face, and to be an honest, juft, good-natured Man, in fpite of all thofe Marks and Signatures which Nature seem 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 intirely to the cultivating of their Minds, and getting thofe Beauties which are more lasting 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 Praise due to Virtue, when it is lodged in a Body 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.

SOCRA

SOCRATES was an extraordinary Inftance of this Nature. There chanced to be a great Phyfiognomist in his Time at Athens, who had made strange Discoveries of Mens Tempers and Inclinations by their outward Appearances. Socrates's Difciples, that they might put this Artist to the Trial, 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 Exami

nation of his Face, the Phyfiognomift pronounced him the moit lewd, libidinous, drunken old Fellow that he had ever met with in his whole Life. Upon which the Disciples 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 discovered in his Countenance, but that he had conquered the strong Difpofitions he was born with by the Dictates of Philofophy.

WE are indeed told by an ancient Author, that Søcrates very much resembled Silenus in his Face; which we find to have been very rightly observed 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 Appearance. It is an irreparable Injuftice we are guilty of towards one another, when we are prejudiced by the Looks and Features of those whom we do not know. How often do we conceive Hatred againít a Perfon of Worth, or fanfy a Man to be proud or ill-natured by his Afpect, whom we think we cannot esteem 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 fmaller Vices in Morality, and, if I remember, gives it the Name of a Profopolepfia.

B 2

L

Saturday,

N° 87.

Saturday, June 9.

Virg.

I

Nimiùm ne crede colori.

T has been the Purpofe of feveral of my Speculations to bring People to an unconcerned Behaviour, with relation to their Perfons, whether beautiful or defective. As the Secrets of the Ugly Club were exposed to the Publick, that Men might fee there were fome noble Spirits in the Age, who are not at all displeased 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 exceffively perplexed with the Particularities in their Behaviour, that, to be at Eafe, one would be apt to wish 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 Handfom 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 please; or Beauties who have Charms enough to do and fay what would be disobliging in any

but themfelves.

DIFFIDENCE and Prefumption, upon account of our Perfons, are equally Faults; and both arise 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 these little Confiderations and Coquetries could have the ill Confequence

as

as I find they have by the following Letters of my Correfpondents, where it seems Beauty is thrown into the Accompt, in Matters of Sale, to those who receive no Favour from the Charmers.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

June 4.

AFTER I have affured you I am in every refpect one of the handsomeft young Girls about TownI need be particular in nothing but the Make of my Face, which has the Misfortune to be exactly Oval. ← This I take to proceed from a Temper that naturally * inclines me both to speak and to hear.

WITH this Account you may wonder how I can ⚫ have the Vanity to offer my felf as a Candidate, which I now do, to a Society, where the SPECTATOR and • Hecatiffa have been admitted with fo much Applaufe. ⚫ I don't want to be put in mind how very defective I am in every Thing that is ugly: I am too fenfible of my own Unworthiness in this Particular, and therefore I only propofe my felf as a Foil to the Club.

YOU fee how honest I have been to confess all my Imperfections, which is a great deal to come from a • Woman, and what I hope you will encourage with the Favour of your Interest.

THERE can be no Objection made on the Side of ⚫ the matchless Hecatiffa, fince it is certain I fhall be in no Danger of giving her the leaft Occafion of Jealoufy : And then a Joint-Stool in the very loweft Place at ⚫ the Table, is all the Honour that is coveted by

Your moft Humble

and Obedient Servant,

ROSALINDA.

P. S. I have facrificed my Necklace to put into the Publick Lottery against the Common Enemy. And laft Saturday, about Three o' Clock in the Afternoon, I began to patch indifferently on both Sides of my Face.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

London, June 7, 1711.

U PON reading your late Differtation concerning Idols, I cannot but complain to you that there are, in fix or feven Places of this City, Coffee-houses kept by Perfons of that Sifterhood. Thefe Idols fit and receive all Day long the Adoration of the Youth within 'fuch and fuch Districts: I know in particular, Goods are not entered as they ought to be at the Custom-house, nor Law-Reports perufed at the Temple; by reason of one Beauty who detains the young Merchants too long near Change, and another Fair one who keeps the Students at her Houfe when they fhould be at Study. "It wou'd be worth your while to fee how the Idolaters alternately offer Incense to their Idols, and what Heart-burnings arife in thofe who wait for their Turn to receive kind Afpects from thofe little Thrones, which all the Company,but thefe Lovers, call the Bars. I faw a Gentleman turn as pale as Afhes, because an Idol turned the Sugar in a Tea-Dish for his Rival, and carelefly called the Boy to ferve him, with a Sirrah! Why don't you give the Gentleman the Box to please himfelf? Certain it is, that a very hopeful young Man was taken with Leads in his Pockets below Bridge, where he intended to drown himself, because his Idol would wash the Dish in which the had but juft drank Tea, before she would let him use it.

I am, Sir, a Perfon paft being Amorous, and do not give this Information out of Envy or Jealoufy, but I am a real Sufferer by it. Thefe Lovers take any thing for Tea and Coffee; I faw one Yesterday furfeit to make his Court; and all his Rivals, at the fame time, loud in the Commendation of Liquors that went against every Body in the Room that was not in Love. While these young Fellows refign their Stomachs with their Hearts, and drink at the Idol in this manner, we who come to do Bufiness, or talk Politicks, are utterly poifoned: They have alfo Drams for thofe who are more enamoured than ordinary; and it is very common for such as are too low in Conftitution to ogle the Idol upon the Strength of Tea, to flufter themselves with warmer Li⚫ quors :