Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CCXXXIV. Of the Moles and Marks appearing in the Face. (Book 234)

AS the Face is the highest part of the Body, as to scitua∣tion, and the most delicate, as being the mansion of the external Senses, which cannot act without the assistance of the Spirits, whereby that delicacy is imprinted in it; so does it ac∣cordingly lie more expos'd to as well internal as external injuries, then the other parts, which are not so much in sight, nor of so exquisite a complexion. And as the least flaw in a Diamond, or

a fair Looking-glass is soon perceiv'd by such as look attentively on them, so these Marks are so much the more observable in the Face, then in any other part of the body, the more susceptible it is thereof, by reason of its clearness and delicacy. I may add to this a thing which would be very improbable, if we had not the assurance of experience for it; to wit, that there is not any mark though ever so little, in the face, but doth denote some other, which though not apparent, it is nevertheless easie for such as are expert to conjecture whereabout it is, by the inspecti∣on of those that are manifest. Thus if there be a mark in the midst of the Fore-head, it shews that there is such another in the midst of the breast; but it will be towards one side or other of this latter, inclining towards one of the arms, if the mark in the Forehead be not exactly in the middle of it, that is, incline any thing to the right or left side: as it must be on the brisket or lower part of the breast, if it appear at the extremity of the fore∣head towards the root of the nose, between which and the parts devoted to generation, there is such a correspondence, that the simplest sort of people draw consequences of their good or bad disposition, from the length or figure of the nose. But the more intelligent, not contenting themselves with this conjecture, affirm, that, according to the different scituations of those marks, there are the like correspondent to them in those parts, as well of the Man as of the Woman; for whether those on the former be in the middle, on the right side or the left, those on the other parts are exactly answerable to them. The several observations which have been made of these correspondences of marks in the Wo∣men we shall leave to the examination of the Female Physio∣gnomists, so far as the parts before-mentioned are under conside∣ration, and confine our selves to the Men. In these, the mark which is apparent on the highest part of the nose towards the root, as we call'd it before, where the space is between both eyes, always denotes another at the bottom of the Yard, near the Testicles; between which and the Ey-lids there is so great a correspondence, that those little specks or warts which are many times to be seen on the latter, are the significators of the like in the former; even with that observance of proportion, that if it be on the upper-lid, those marks will be on that part of the Cods which is nearest the Yard; if it be on the lower, they shall be on that part which is nearest the Fundament. Moreover, from the appearance of one of these marks upon one of the Ey-brows, it is concluded, that there is as much on the shoulder on the same side, which is at a greater or lesser distance from the Back-bone, the nearer to or further off the other is from the space which is between both the eys. There is the like correspondence between the Cheeks and the Thighs, for if they have a mark just in the middle, the thigh shall be marked just in the same part, and on the same side; if they be near the nose, the thigh shall be marked near the groin; if they incline towards the ears, the

correspondent marks will be towards the buttocks. The mark appearing between the Eye and the eminent part of the Cheek, discovers one under the Arm-pit; that on the tip of the Ear, shews there should be one on the upper part of the Arm. It is inferr'd also from the mark upon the upper lip adjoyning to the Nose, in that space which makes a separation been the No∣strils, that there is another answerable thereto in the Peritonaeum, betwixt the Fundament and the Cods; and from those on the Chin and the lower Lip, that there are others about the bottom of the belly. But though these rules are grounded on rational conjectures, yet are they not infallible, no more then those of Phystognomy, whereof they are a part; as is also Metoposcopy, which judges of the secret inclinations by the inspection of the Face. The second said, That, as Man comprehends in himself an abbreviation of all the rarities of the World; so does his Face comprehend all those of his body, whereof it is an extract. So that as the greater world is known by Man's body, which is the lesser, it is no hard matter to make a discovery of this last by the face, which indeed is less as to volume, but so well compos'd and proportion'd, that it may well be look'd upon as the most accomplish'd Master-piece of Nature, who in the structure there∣of hath imitated Geography, which, not able to shew us all the inhabitable Earth, presents us with an epitom of it in a Map; or behaves her self like a Whole-sale-Merchant, who does not ex∣pose all his commodities, but thinks it enough to shew patterns thereof, whereby a judgment may be made of their value. Thus it is that there may be a discovery made of the most secret mo∣tions within, by the figure and composition of the parts of the face, inasmuch as those of the other parts of the body depend∣ing on them, there is a judgment made of the one by the other, and consequently of the actions and inclinations, which are com∣monly answerable to the constitution and temperament of the parts. But it is somewhat hard to make this judgment by the simple marks of the Face, whether they proceed from Nature, as those do which Children bring along with them into the World, and depend on the imagination of the Mothers, which is an external cause; or from some other Causes, as the heat of the entrails, the abundance of gross and terrene humours, and the density of the pores of the skin, which, checking them in their way, makes them appear in freckles, specks, and other kinds of spots in the face? For, these causes never being constant, but subject to much variety, according to the several occurrences which either augment or diminish them, it is impossible to make a certain judgment of a thing, which is in a continual change.

The Third said, That the said Art of guessing at the marks of the most secret parts of the body by the inspection of those of the face, is so ancient, that the Physician Melampus, cited in Ho∣mer, Odyss. lib. xv. deliver'd certain precepts of it, above three thousand years since; and after him, Avenzoar, Septalius, Tax∣ilius,

and several others have cultivated it, and endeavour'd to shew the probability of certain reasons, which they ground principally upon the correspondence there is between the face and its parts, and all the other parts of the whole body of Man. It consists in two heads, to wit, in the proportion of greatness or measure, or in the resemblance of colour, consistency, figure, scituation, number, or such other condition, which may be common between them. The first correspondence between the face and the rest of the body, consisting in greatness, which comprehends the three dimensions, length, breadth, and pro∣fundity, is so sensible, that those who have exactly measur'd all the parts of it, have found, that the face is the ninth part of the greatness of the body, making the distributions of those spaces so just that no one exceed another; provided that the body be well compos'd, and that there be no defect in the conformation, nor any considerable disorder in the temperament of the whole, or its parts. The first of these spaces comprehends the face it self; the second is from the throat to the brisket, where the xi∣phoidal Gristle is; the third reaches below the Navil; the fourth passes by the groin to the beginning of the haunches; the fifth and sixth comprehend the whole extent of the thigh; at the end whereof is the seventh, which with the eighth take up the whole space from the knee to the heel, as the ninth does that of the whole foot: wherein as there are three new regions called Tharse, Metatharse, and the Toes, so are there as many in the Face. The first whereof, which is the mansion of wisdom, is from the beginning of the hair to that of the nose, where there is an interval between the Eye-brows. The second, which is that of beauty, comprehends all from that interstitium, to the end of the nose; and the third, where the seat of goodness is, reaches to the lower part of the chin. Now these different intervals are in like manner observable in the other spaces, with so exact a proportion, that the countenance is not only answerable to any one of those spaces, which, with it, make up the whole great∣ness of man's body; but there is also a correspondence between every part of it, and those of each of the said spaces, as between the highest, the midst, and the lowest part, and that which is in the same scituation, as between right and right, and left and left. So that as the face is not only the measure of the whole body, being repeated nine times, but also the least parts of the face bearing the same proportion to those of the rest of the bo∣dy, it should seem, that rational consequences may be drawn of the marks of those parts that are out of our sight, by those of the Face which are apparent to us. For if it be consider'd, that, besides the correspondence there is between them as to quantity, there is yet another, which we said was that of resemblance, which makes a strict affinity between them, and such as is parti∣cularly observable between the Forehead and the Breast; the Ey-brows, and the Shoulders; the cavities of the Ey-brows, and

the Arm-pits; the Ears, and the Arms; the Chin, and the Groin; the Cheeks, and the Thighes, and so of the rest; those who have this knowledge, may easily ghess at the Warts, the Moles, and marks that are out of our sight, by those which are apparent to us; it being probable, that as Nature hath mark'd the one with one sign, which is as it were the Seal she hath set to her work, it must needs be found after the same manner in that counter-part, between which and the other, there is an alliance, not only by reason of its substance and composition, but upon the account of several other Accidents, which make them alike. Thus the Fore-head by reason of its plain figure in the middle, and circular towards the extremities, and by its solidity is a suf∣ficient representation of the Breast. The eminent scituation of the Eye-brows discovers the correspondence there is between them and the shoulders, which are the most elevated parts of the Body; and the cavities of the Eyes which is under the Eye-Brows, have some alliance with those of the Armpits, which are under the Shoulders. The Cheeks, by reason of their fleshy and musculous composition, have a relation to the Thighs, and particularly, to the Buttocks, which are situated in the midst of the Trunk, as the Cheek is in the Face, between the Fore-head and the Chin. The Mouth and the Chin have also a great pro∣portion with the Belly and the Groin, the former being situated in the lower part of the Face, and the latter at the lower part of the Belly; as also upon this account, that they are equally fleshy, and soft in their superiour parts, and, in their inferiour parts, bony and hard. But this correspondence is yet more sensible between the Mouth of the Woman and her secret parts, and be∣tween the Lips of both those parts, which for that reason have the same name; as there is the like between the Nose, the Eye-brows, and the Eyes, and the Genitals of a Man, the Testicles and the Cods. Nor can there be any sign more manifest, than such as appear in those places; whence there may be inferr'd the marks of those which Nature hath so much conceal'd; which though so far out of sight, are nevertheless manifest to such per∣sons as have the curiosity to study this correspondence. But there is such an association between the Hand and the Foot, as well in regard of their composition and structure, as for the employments they are both put to; that the marks about the Hand and Fingers, have others answerable to them on the same parts of the Foot, in a correspondent order and disposition one to another.

The Fourth said, That to find out the reason of this Propor∣tion and Sympathy, we must not confine our selves to sublunary Causes, but attribute an Effect so well order'd, and so regular to a Cause answerable thereto. For my part, I cannot assign any but what is derived from the Heavens, whose motions and influences being the general Causes of what-ever happens here below, that is constant and regular, it is to them that we ought

to attribute an exactness, which is so certain, that it very seldom miscarries. Thence it comes that the Professors of Astrology, with some ground of reason, affirm, that as there is no Plant so inconsiderable but hath its signature imprinted on it by that Star, which hath a predominancy over it; so is there a far stronger reason, than Man should have his signature, which, as they maintain, is set upon him as a seal, by the Star on which he hath a dependance; it being certain that the seven Planets have an Empire over every part which they govern. Thus Ptolemy assignes to Saturn the right Ear, the Spleen, the Bladder, and the Bones; to Jupiter, the Hands, the Lungs, the Liver, the Blood, and the Seed; to Mars, the left Ear, the Reins, and the Testicles; to the Sun, the Brain, the Eyes, and the Nerves; to Venus, the Nose, the Mouth, and the Genitals; to Mercury, the Tongue, the Understanding, and Ratiocination; to the Moon, the Mouth of the Stomack, and the Stomack it self. But they attribute these marks of the Face to the motion of the Stars of the eighth Sphere, which are as it were expressions of the different Inclinati∣ons, which every one naturally hath, and which are bestow'd on him at his Nativity; but with this Caution, that it is hard to ex∣plicate them, unless a Man can decipher those Characters, and find out the true signification thereof, which is the chiefest of all Sciences.