THE HISTORICAL ENGRAVER ROYAL ON THE HUMAN FACE.* TILE moment
it becomes known there is such a man as the Historical Engraver Royal, and that he has opened his mouth, all physiognomists must run and sit at his feet. There is such a man, and he has spoken. It is Mr. Thomas Woolnoth, Lavater to Her Majesty the Queen, and we have run and are sit- ting at the feet of—his book. The only amiable quality, however, which is illustrated in his book is Amiability, and that is illustrated by a distant and somewhat diluted likeness of our beloved Queen.
All the other qualities typified are mostly vices. These, we sup- pose, represent her subjects. We will enumerate them. The list is curious, — Pride, Tyranuy, Obstinacy, Cunning, Cunning in the Imbecile, Deceit, Conceit (gay), Conceit (grave), Sagacity, Envy, Ill-Nature, Malignity, Spite, Inflexibility, Voluptuousness, Sensuality, Sauciness, Avarice, Affectation, Satire, Irritability, Amiability, and Vanity—not a very cheerful list. But we had overlooked Sagacity. There is, in fact, a sort of loving, patron- izing cloudiness of language in many parts of Mr. Woolnoth's revelations (for are not hints on the human face from the Historical gngraver Royal to be accepted as, after their kind, re- velations?)—revelations whichSuggest a sortof Royal condescension on the part of a Royal craftsman towards less experienced mortals, that is to say, mortals who know less of themselves. "It may not occur to you all," Mr. Woolnoth says, as we sit at his feet, " it may not occur to all, that in this shifting world of ours there is more traffic carried on by the face than the hands, and the tongue, which affects to be chief agent in the concern, is frequently taking a subordinate part, while the face is in reality marketing the whole." We have studied this utterance, and upon reflection it appears to us to mean that the tongue may be saying one thing when the face is saying another, and that the face sometimes says more than the tongue. In this plainer form our experience of mankind, though limited, inclines us to believe that the Engraver Royal, in the course of his services to the Crown in historical engraving, has in fact rediscovered a truth which was already known to civilized man, and expressed it in language which was not.
Of the importance of his book to all students of physiognomy we shall have said all we need say when we quote the following passages from the Engraver Royal's preface :—" Allowing (allowing) that as many changes may be wrought upon the countenance as may be rung upon eight bells [the mathematical value in this case of the figure 8 escapes us], and that every emotion of the mind has its corresponding sign, how necessary it is that the artist should be master of that art which furnishes the great distinction between the intellectual painter and the mere mechanic in the art, who misrepresents what appears on the surface of the subject from ignorance of the creature influences which lie underneath. It is quite unnecessary to insist upon its importance to the historic art, or of its equal use to the amateur as to the professor, in the mis- placed patronage it might prevent by interposing the judgment between those productions that are valueless or valuable, over- valued or overlooked. For want of this faculty many an elaborate piece of oratory has been wasted by being preferred to the pre- determined countenances of such as have no other view in listen- ing to a proposal than that of denying a request. [Upon reflection we do not understand this sentence. But it is not to be expected that those who sit at the feat of a master should understand all he says.] And many a sensitive mind might have had its feelings spared by a previous glance at those hard, official faces [which?] from whom,
if they are ever relieved, it will be from a weight of obligation, with the liberty of taking back the petition, with this alteration in the form,—' And your petitioner, as in duty un-bound, will n-ever pray." This is a sentence of which Mr. Woolnoth has a right to
be proud. He is. It is suggestive of the idea that whenever he has engraved an historical engraving royal of "hard, official faces," he has so taken care to penetrate himself with the true official style, that his studies have at last imparted a certain curious quality to his own, not entirely theirs, and not entirely his.
• The Study of the Manes Face. Illustrated by twenty-six full-page steel engrav-
ings. By Tho:nas Woolnoth, fristo.bial Engraver to the Qum,- London: Tweedis.
Not entirely theirs. Not by any means. Mr. Woolnoth's aphorisms are strikingly original. We will ask permission to quote a few. " All the features act as outlets, as well as inlets to the mind." How the mouth acts as an inlet to the mind," un- lessit be in—well, yes, in kisses—we do not see. Again, "It is no less remarkable than natural that the face can have but one expression at the same time." This is new, and, as it seems to us, not true. " Certain lines once contracted are never entirely obliterated." Possibly. Probably. " Right thoughts first sug- gest themselves, and must be got rid of before wrong ones are conceived." This is a very plain statement of Lord Palmerston's doctrine concerning the innocence of babies. It is only Prime Ministers and Historical Engraver Royals who dare avow such damnable doctrine in an orthodox country. But then, as we all know, one man may steal a horse while another may not look over a hedge. " One unguarded look from the chambers of the eye may be sufficient to bring into suspicion the most studied harangue." We should say, " Quite sufficient," judging by the " chambers " of the Engraver Royal's eye—a typical eye, which, as it seems, is chiefly pigeon-holed into pride, tyranny, obstinacy, cunning, cunning in the imbecile, deceit, conceit (gay), conceit (grave), envy, ill-nature, malignity, spite, inflexibility, voluptuous- ness, sensuality, sauciness, avarice, affectation, satire, irritability, and vanity. "Another advantage of cultivating good looks is that of reflecting them." Poor Caliban, when he wasn't drunk, would have appreciated the advantage keenly, looking at Miranda's but he mustehave looked a long time. Still there is some- thing in it. A man, whom some faces, for a time at least, do not change into a god, must be a brute indeed. But consider the following :—" Among other modern discoveries, there has been found an elasticity in the mind that may extend itself beyond its natural dimensions, with an aptitude for receiving anything that may be injected into it, —impressions may be made, and images raised upon it, which, by an educational winding-up, can be mechanically set in motion as the figures on a box-organ." If any fair soul aspires to the reputation combined for loftiness of language, curiosity.of diction, depth of thought, and originality of conception, we recommend her (there are one or two such women in London) to learn this sentence by heart, and practise the de- livery of it in private at luncheon, with a view to its delivery in public at dinner. She will certainly gain the reputation she aspires to. At all events her guests will open their mouths—an unmis- takeable sign of admiration.
Mr. Woolnoth's engravings are far the best part of his book. They are worth the money, and the explanatory remarks in small type judiciously placed face to face with the engravings are very fair indeed, straightforward, instructive, and to the point, and so true, that it is difficult to believe the same man who vapourizes through 200 odd pages of insufferable and stupid conceit, ex- pressed in ridiculous language, can have drawn such plates and described them so well and so simply. If Mr. Woolnoth will pon- der well over the plate in which he has stamped Affectation, one kind of it, an excellent plate, he will see in it the exact symbol of the style and thought of his own essays. And in saying this we are very far indeed from trying to say anything sharp or:epigram- matic. If Mr. Woolnoth will accept advice, he may if he chooses produce a book of real value. Let him enlarge his frame indefi- nitely, let him give us two or three hundred plates of the same kind, illustrating not generic pride merely, but its species, and the finer shades and more complex combinations of conflicting emotions, such as, for instance, pride and cowardice, or pride and love, or pride and shame. If we can judge by what he has done, he will be able to do this with more or less success. Let each plate be accompanied by aef,deacriptive analysis facing it, and all essays be discarded. We undertake to say that such a work, contain- ing two or three hundred plates, if those he added were in any degree as good as those he has published, would give Mr. Wool- noth a certain and we think a lasting reputation. If he will do this, the present reviewer will give him his fair revenge, and send him his photograph, with the express permission to make use of him as 0, typical illustration of the Devil sowing Tares among Wheat.
Previous page
