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THe Chiribichensian women use to boulster the Necks of their Infants with two pillowes, the one before, the other behind, and bind them hard, even untill their Eyes start: for, a smooth plaine Face pleaseth them, Platter-faces being there in great request.
There is lately found out in Pervacus, a certain Province of the new World, named Caraqui, men that want an
with the whole head, is made broad and thin.
In Java Major they have flat Faces, and broad thick Cheekes.
Scaliger saith, that in the Island Java they have very broad Faces, as likewise the Circassians.
In the Region of Zanfara they have extreame black broad visages.
The Inhabitants of Norembega are disfigured in nothing, saving that they have somewhat broad Visages, and yet not all of them.
In an Island neare the great Island Dodyn, there are men that have flat Faces without Noses, and without Eyes, but they have two small round holes instead of Eyes, and they have flat mouths without Lips. And in that Isle are men also that have their Faces all flat without Eyes, without Mouth, and without Nose, but they have their Eyes and their Mouth behind on their shoulders.
These Faces cannot be commensurate, because the Members thereof are forced out of their naturall pro∣portion, and so necessarily exclude that naturall beau∣ty, which is wont chiefly to be found in the Face. For, so much as it is from the middle of the brows to the end of the Nose, so much it ought to be from the end of the Nose to the Chin, and the same space should fall from the middle of the Brows to the exterior angle of the Eye, as fals from the aforesaid Angle to the beginning of the Eare. The latitude of the Forehead, the length of the Nose, and the magnitude of the Mouth, should be the same; also the semicircle of the Eye, and of the Cheekes the same, as the altitude of the extremity of the Nose ought to be halfe as much as the Longitude of it, which proportion is most notoriously demolished in
these Platter-Faces. Insomuch as considering these strange attempts made upon the naturall endowments of the Face, one would thinke that some men felt within themselves an instinct of opposing Nature, and that they tooke more delight to overcome than to follow her, the delight would be lesse, the profit greater, if they did it for profit rather than pleasure: they cannot but know that their happinesse doth consist in the overcom∣ing of these unreasonable and phantasticall affectati∣ons; but equivocating therein, and either for want of understanding, or through a wilfull misunderstand∣ing, whereas they should strive against their own in∣ward, they oppose their outward, Nature. Thus man transported with vaine imaginations, where he finds Hils, he sets himselfe to make Plaines; where Plaines, he raiseth Hils; in pleasant places he seekes horrid ones, and brings pleasantnesse into places of horrour and shamefull obscurity; he seconds that which he ought to withstand, and that which he should fol∣low he opposes; and when he thinkes he triumphs over his subdued and depraved body, his own corrupt Na∣ture triumphs over him. This is a stratagem of the Enemy of our Nature, to set us at odds with our naturall endowments: and that he may remaine quiet within, he causeth us to strive abroad, like to a cunning poli∣tique Tyrant, who having a valiant and fierce Sub∣ject within his City, by whom he feares to have vio∣lence or opposition offered him, if he can find no other remedy, he sends him into the field to fight with the Enemy, to the end that venting his violence and phantasticalnesse abroad, he may have plenary power to Tyrannize at home at his pleasure. God is angry with us, that we should at the same time reforme that
which he himselfe had framed, and conforme ourselves to that which we had deformed. The beauty of the Face of man is much advanced and heightned by the Cavities and Eminencies thereof; that as the greater world is called Cosmus, from the beauty thereof, the inequality of the Centre thereof contributing much to the beauty and delightsomenesse of it: so in this Map or little world of beauty in the face, the inequality affords the prospect and delight. These Face-moulders then, who affect a platter-Face, not only in their en∣deavour, overthrow the lawfull proportion of the Face, but demolish the most apparant eminency and extant majesty thereof.
In some of the Provinces of China they have square faces.
In the Province of Old-Port, mentioned in the first Scene of this Metamorphosis, fol. 14. you shall
find a Generati∣on
The naturall and comely face of man, agreeable to proportion, and according to Humane Nature, is, that the longitude thereof, in a youthfull and faire bo∣dy, should be the tenth part of the whole body accor∣ding to longitude; to this longitude there must a con∣venient latitude answer: For, so much as is from the middle of the Eye-brow to the end of the exterior An∣gle where the eye ends, so much it is thence to the hole of the Eare: wherefore the Latitude of the Face com∣pared with the Longitude, which begins from the root of the haire above the Forehead, and is produced even unto the end of the Chin, should be in a sesquitertia proportion, to wit, as foure to three. But if you only contemplate the Diameters of Longitude and Latitude of a mans Face, you shall find a sesquialtera proportion, and the longitude to latitude shall be as three to two, which thus you shall understand; Let there fall a per∣pendicular
line from the first root of the haire above the Forehead, which shall descend to the end of the Chin; afterwards draw another line, which beginning at the end of both Temples, penetrating through the middle of the head, shall cut the former line in right angles; that line which is drawn from the top to the bottom of the Chin, shall be in a sesquialtera proportion to that which is carried from the right hand to the left, cutting it in right angles; so that it is the best and most naturall proportion that the Longitude of the Face should to its Latitude appeare in a sesquialtera proportion. Now it is an observation worth the inserting, that the Chin is correspondent to the Symetry of the other members of the Body; but that which seemes the greater marvell, is, that the formall appearance of the face is generically reposed in the Chin alone; for if that be square, long, or round, so the Face of it selfe answers, insomuch as the Chin is that which makes the finall judgement of the Face of man. Now if these be Face-Moulders, as it is much to be suspected they are, it may be they have some artifice to dilate the Chin, thereby prophaning the Sy∣metry of Nature, and striving by Art to force and pervert the Face from its just proportion, bringing the Latitude thereof either to equall, or exceed the Longi∣tude, while they, to the great dishonour of Nature, af∣fect a square Geometricall Face.
Petrus Simon in his expedition, which Iohannes Alvarez Maldonatus made from Guzco, to discover new Countries, found Giants of five ells high, with a kind of a Dogs Countenance.
In the Island Penguin, there were discovered men with Visards on their Faces, resembling a
that when their Children are newly borne, and have their bones very tender, the Fathers and Mothers never faile to quash, or flat down that part of the Face which is betweene the Eyes and the Mouth, as the like hath been done to little Dogs. And to speake truly, being thus dealt withall, they differ very little in their looks from the resemblance of Dogs, but they meddle not with their Eares, to make them pointed, or hang∣ing down, as commonly is used to those Crea∣tures; yet true it is, that when they are grown to manly stature, they bore, or pierce holes through their Eares, (even as is done here among us) to hang therein fine coloured stones, or else the bones of certaine Fishes. Now that they howle or bark as Dogs do, it is utterly false, for they speake a Language disertly, briefly, and properly accented; which is supposed to be the Greeke Tongue. They are people of goodly stature, and sightly pre∣sence, all saving the Face, which much resembleth a flat-nosed Dog, and is done by Artifice, as is al∣ready said. They maintain war against a neigh∣bouring people, whom they call Margaias, that have the very same manners, behaviour of life, and Dogs-Face, like theirs; The Author of the Treasury of Times reports to have seen a dozen of these Dog-Faced men at Roven, which the Normans brought home with them. And Vincen∣tius saies, that there was one of these Cynoprosopi brought to Lewis of France in his time.
Certainly these Nations have a great conceit of their inventions, who contemne the ordinary guizes of Nature, making themselves extravagant, and as
the Antipodes to mankind; They being none of the best who abandon Nature to follow their own unrea∣sonable imaginations. We naturally have much aver∣sion from persons mishapen and deformed, though it have not befallen them through their own default: How then can we look without detestation upon them, who purchase these defects by a voluntary depravation: These so change the face of the Ʋniverse, that they may passe for monsters, for beasts, but not for men; so that it hereby appeares most true, that there is nothing so changeable in totall Nature, or so hard to be known, as man.
The Mothers
The Gemogleans, in a bravery, stick Feathers in their flesh, even in the Face, somewhat neare to their right Eye, and when they have thus by
had made to passe, an hatched of armes, which he did carry in Scarfe-wise, as we would do a curtle axe. I saw another of them who had fixed upon the crown of his head a horseshooe with many Nailes, and of so long continuance, that the nailes were so fixed and fast in the flesh, that they stirred not. We entred into Buda in this Pompe, and were brought into the Basha's house, with whom I treated of my Affaires. All this youthly company, little caring for their wounds, were in the lower Court of the house; and as I was look∣ing on them, the Basha asked of me what I thought of it: All well, said I, except that these men do with the skin of their bodies that which I would not do with my Coat, for I would seeke to keep it whole. The Basha laughed, and we took our leave.
The Moores
The Anchicos, a valiant Nation in Africa, marke their faces with sundry slashes from their In∣fancy.
other People, with the tooth of a small beast, like a Rat. They race their Faces, some their Bodies after divers formes, as if it were with the scratch of a pin, the print of which rasure can never be done away againe during life.
In the Isle called Somober, the which is a good Isle, there the men and women that are of the Nobility are marked in the Visage with a hot Iron, that they may be known from others; for, they thinke themselves the worthiest of the world.
The Anzich have this foolish custome, both men and women, as well of the Nobility as of the Commonalty, even from their childhood, to marke their Faces with sundry slashes made with a knife.
In Groanland, the women herein only differ from the men, that they have blew streakes down the Cheekes, and about the Eyes. Some of them race Cheekes, Chins, and Faces, whereupon they lay a colour like darke azure. In that part of Groanland, which is called, the wo∣mens Island, the women are marked in the Face with divers black streakes or lines, the skin ha∣ving been raised with some sharpe Instrument when they were young, and black colour put therein, so grown in, that by no meanes it can be got forth.
In Tiembus, the women are deformed with torne faces, and alwaies bloudy, which is their beauty.
The men and women, both, who dwell at the Cape of Lopo Gonsalves, use to make a streake or
The Inhabitants of Tuppanbasse neare Brasil, how many men these Salvages kill, so many holes they will have in their Visage, beginning first in their neather Lip, then in their Cheekes, thirdly, in both their Eyebrows, and lastly, in their Eares, and this is their cruell Gallantry.
The Alexins, or Abexijns, that are Christi∣ans after their manner, for they are of Prester Iohn's Land, have on their Faces foure burnt markes in manner of a Crosse, one over their Nose in the midst of their forehead betweene both their Eyes, one in each of their Cheekes, one betweene their Eyes and their Eares, and one
The Virginian women pounce and rase their Faces and whole Bodies with a sharp iron, which makes a stampe in curious knots, and drawes the proportions of Fowles, Fishes, or Beasts; then with painting of sun∣dry lively colours they rub it into the stamp, which will never be ta∣ken away, be∣cause it is dried into the flesh.
The Egyptian Moores, both men and women, for love of each other, distaine their Chins into knots, and flowers of blew, made by the pricking of the skin with needles, and rubbing it over with inke and the juyce of an herb.
What strange kind of Butchery do these Nations exercise, and what needlesse paine they put themselves unto to maintaine their cruell bravery! Nay, which is yet stranger, they seeme to love this unnaturall and bloudy Gallantry so well, that they hate their own flesh and bloud, whereof they freely sacrifice to their fantasticall imaginations. This, in the Poets stile, is to nullifie a Face. And to speake in the spirit of old BEN;
What is the cause? They think sure in disgrace Of Beauty so to nullifie a Face, That Heaven should make no more, or should amiss Make all hereafter, when th'ave ruin'd this. Thus stigmatiz'd, you need not doubt I tro, Whether their Faces be their own or no.Thus the more sacred and honest part of the Body is prophaned by their wicked inventions. Can either Gentility or Christianity be forgiven such an errour? surely no. This abominable folly and madnesse was re∣proved in the Hebrews, who as these do in pride and bravery, so they did scotch their Faces in time of mourning, which was usuall among them of great antiquity, by reason whereof the same was forbidden them by the Law of God in Leviticus; You shall not cut your flesh for the Dead, nor make any marke of a print upon you, I am the Lord. And againe in Deutrinomy, You are the children of the Lord your God, you shall not cut your selves. Which was also forbidden by the Romans in the Laws of the twelve Tables.
They in the Golden Region of Coiba-Dites are
more excusable than these mad and cruell Gal∣lants; for, they spare their own flesh, and marke their slaves in the flesh after a strange manner, making holes in their Faces, and sprinkling a pow∣der thereon; they moisten the pounced place with a certaine black, or red juyce, whose substance is of such tenacity and claminesse, that it will never weare away.
The Arabian women before they go unto their husbands, either on the marriage day, or any o∣ther time, to lye with them, paint their Faces, Breasts, Armes, and Hands, with a certaine azu∣red colour, thinking that they are very hansome after this manner, and they hold this Custome from the Arabians which first entred into Africk, and these learned it from the Africans; yet at this day the town of Barbery, inhabited by them of the Country, do not imitate this custome, but their wives love to maintaine their naturall Com∣plexion. It is true, that they have sometimes a certaine black painting, made of the smoake of Galls and Saffron, with the which they make little spots upon their Cheekes, and they paint their Eyebrows of a Triangular forme, and they lay some upon their Chin, which resembles an Olive leafe: And this being commended by the Arabian Poets in their amorous Songs, there is not any African of great note, but will carry it in a great bravery. But you must understand, that these women dare not weare this painting above two or three daies, nor shew themselves before their Kinsmen in this equipage, for that it favours something of a whore: They only give the sight
and content thereof unto their husbands to incite them to love, for that these women desire the sport much, and they think that their beauty receives a great grace by this painting.
In Leo's description of Africa, the Relation runs thus: Their Damsels that are unmarried do usually paint their Faces, Breasts, Armes, Hands, and Fingers, with a kind of counterfeit colour, which is accounted a most decent custome among them. But this Fashion was first brought in by those Arabians, which were called Africans, what time they began first of all to inhabit that Regi∣on, for before then, they never used any false or glosing colours.
The women of Barbary use not this fond kind of painting, but contenting themselves only with their naturall hue, they regard not such fained ornaments; howbeit sometimes they will tem∣per a certaine colour with Hens dung and Saffron, wherewithall they paint a little round spot in the balls of their Cheekes, about the breadth of a French Crown; likewise between their Eye∣brows they make a Triangle, and paint upon their Chins a patch like unto an Olive leafe. Some of them also do paint their Eyebrows, and this Custome is very highly esteemed of by the Ara∣bian Poets, and Gentlemen of that Country. Howbeit they will not use these Phantasticall or∣naments above two or three daies together, all which time they will not be seen to any of their friends, except it be their Husbands and Chil∣dren; for these paintings seeme to be great allure∣ments to lust, whereby the said women thinke
themselves more trim and beautifull.
In Fez the women use to deck and adorne the Bride, by trimming her hair, rubbing her Cheeks, and painting them red, and her hands and feet black with a certaine tincture, which continueth but a while.
They that live in the Province of Bugia in Africk, have an ancient custome to paint a black Crosse upon their Jaw-bones.
The women in China use painting and oint∣ments; And it is practized by the men, for the Chineses, as my Lord Bacon notes, who are of an ill complexion, (being olivaster) paint their Cheeks scarlet, especially their King and Grandees.
The ancient Scythian women rubbed their na∣ked bodies against some sharpe and rough stone; having then powred water upon them, and their flesh being swoln by this meanes, they rubbed their bodies with the wood of Cypress, Cedar, and Incense: they did also use certaine ointments for the Face made of the like Drugs, by means whereof they smell sweet, then having the day following taken away these Plaisters, they seemed more beautifull and pleasing.
In Norembega, all of them, as well men as wo∣men, paint their Faces.
The naturall Inhabitants of Jucata paint their Faces and Bodies black.
The Native Socotorans paint their Faces with yellow and black spots, loathsome to behold.
The Brasilean women paint their Faces with all kind of Colours, which their Neighbours
and other women do for them. In the middle of their Cheekes they make a round circle, drawing lines from it of divers colours, untill their Faces be full, not leaving so much undone as their Eye-lids.
The Virginian women adorne themselves with paintings; some have their Face, Breasts, Hands, and Legs, cunningly embroidered with divers workes, as Beasts, Serpents, artificially wrought into their flesh with black spots; their Heads and Shoulders are painted red with the root Pocone, brayed to powder mixed with oyle, which Scar∣let-like colour makes an exceeding handsome shew, and is used by the Kings Concubines; this they hold in Summer to preserve them from the heat, and in Winter from the cold: Many other formes of painting they use, but he is the most Gallant that is the most monstrous to behold. Their Children, of whom they are easily delive∣red, and yet love them dearely, to make them hardy, in the coldest mornings they make them wash in the Rivers, and by painting and ointments so tann their skins, that after a yeare or two no weather will hurt them, when they enter into battell they paint and disguise themselves in the fiercest manner they can devise. After their ordi∣nary burials are ended, the women, having pain∣ted all their Faces with black coale and oile, do sit 24 houres in their houses mourning and lamenting by turnes, with such yelling and howling as may expresse their great passions; the Faces of all their Priests are painted as ugly as they can devise. Sometimes the men appeare halfe black, and halfe
red, but all their Eyes painted white, and some red stroakes, like Mustachoes, along their Cheeks. Some of them paint their Eyes red, having white stroakes over their black Faces, so that they look more like devils than men. Captaine Smith about Onawniament encountred with Ambushcadoes of such Savages so strangely painted, grimed, and disguised, shouting, yelling, and crying, as so ma∣ny spirits from Hell could not have shewed more terrible.
Somewhat allyed to this barbarous way of Disguise is the Custome of the Germans, who are said once a yeare to run mad, covering their Faces with Vizards, belying their Sex and Age, some of them willing rather to represent Satyrs or Divels, paint themselves with Vermilion or Inke, deforming themselves with such nefarious habits; others running naked play the Lupercalls: from whom my Author thinks this annuall Cu∣stome of raving was first derived, who naked, and with their faces defiled in bloud, wandring through the City, were wont to strike every one they met, with thongs of leather.
The Souriquois do paint their Faces all with black, which maketh them seeme very hideous, but this is their mourning Visage.
The women of New France, about the Port of the holy Crosse, for the death of their Husbands, weare a certaine black weed all the daies of their life, besmearing all their Faces with coale dust and grease mingled together, almost halfe a quar∣ter of an Intch thick, and by that they are known to be Widdows.
Painting being Universall, and without excep∣tion among the West Indians; for if any of them maketh Love, he shall be painted with red, or blue, colour, and his Mistris also. If they be glad at any thing they will do the like generally, which is their expression of jolly bravery. But when they are sad, or plot some Treason, then they overcast all their Face with black, and are hideously deformed.
In Persia the womens pale colour is made san∣guine by adulterate complexion, and their round cheeks are fat and painted. The common womens cheeks are of a delicate dye, (but Art, not Nature causeth it.)
The Grecian women, for the most part, are brown of complexion, but exceedingly well fa∣voured; they cover not their Faces, (the Virgins excepted) unlesse it be with painting, using all the supplement of a sophisticated beauty: And not without cause; for when they grow old the most grow contemptible, being put to the drudgery of the house, and many times to wait on their Chil∣dren.
The Spanish women when they are married, they have a priviledge to weare high Shooes, and to paint, which is generally practised there; and the Queen useth it her selfe; which brings on a great decay in the naturall Face: For it is obser∣ved, that women in England look as youthfull at fifty as some there at twenty five. This, saith Munster, is to be reproved in your Spanish wo∣men, that they now and then deforme their face with washes of Vermilion & Ceruse, because they
have lesse native colour than your French wo∣men; and indeed other nations learnt from them the use of Spanish paper.
The Ladies of Italy (not to speake of the Curtezans) to seeme fairer than the rest, take a pride to besmeare and paint themselves.
A Geographer, speaking of Venice, saith, that it is thought no one City againe is able to com∣pare with that City for the number of gorgeous Dames: as for their beauty of face, though they be faire indeed, I would not willingly commend them, because there is in a manner none, old or young, unpainted.
It is observed, that the Roman Dames had infi∣nite little boxes, filled with loathsome trash of sundry kind of colours and compositions, for the hiding of their deformities, the very sight and smell whereof was able to turne a mans stomack.
Pixides invenies, & rerum mille colores, Non semel hinc stomacho nausea facta meo.
And for the face used so much slibber-sauce, such daubing and painting, that a man could not well tell
—facies dicatur an ulcus? May it a Face or a Botch be call'd?
The ancient English stained their Faces with Woad, which is of a blew or sky colour, that they might appeare more horrid to their enemies in fight.
Our English Ladies, who seeme to have bor∣rowed some of their Cosmeticall conceits from
Barbarous Nations, are seldome known to be con∣tented with a Face of Gods making; for they are either adding, detracting, or altering continually, having many Fucusses in readinesse for the same purpose. Sometimes they think they have too much colour, then they use Art to make them look pale and faire. Now they have too little colour, then Spanish paper, Red Leather, or other Cosmeticall Rubriques must be had. Yet for all this, it may be, the skins of their Faces do not please them; off they go with Mercury water, and so they remaine like peeld Ewes, untill their Faces have recovered a new Epidermis.
Our Ladies here have lately entertained a vaine Custome of
This is as odious, and as senselesse an affectation as ever was used by any barbarous Nation in the World; And I doubt our Ladies that use them are not well advised of the effect they worke: for these spots in
Faire Faces advantage not beauty as they suppose, be∣cause contraries compared and placed neare one ano∣ther, shew their lustre more plainely; but because it gives envy satisfaction, which takes pleasure in defects, or by reason it takes away that astonishment, which instead of delighting confounds; not that Imperfecti∣on can make perfect, or that the defect can encrease beauty, and therewith delight; for these spots in a beautifull Face adde not grace to a Visage, nor encrease delight: they entertaine it because they extinguish and then renew it. Our naturall power is limited to a certaine measure; when the continued presence of the delightfull object doth exceed, the de∣light ceases, and to the extreme of what it can con∣tribute it delights no longer; he that will renew his pleasure must begin with paine, and go out of the na∣turall state to returne into it; Let him looke upon the spots, then returne to behold the beauty of the face. And it may be some of the more subtill Heads, whose heaving phansies fill their Faces full of such artificiall mole-hils, are aware that men desire to find defect in those things that are pleasing to them, and that he re∣joyceth that he hath found it, peradventure seeming unto him that he hath gotten command over her that hath it, and that he may reap the delight of pardon∣ing, without feeling the dammage of being offended. If Nature then, as the politique Marquesse of Mal∣vezzi thinks may be she doth, sets us in the way to seek defects, to bring us, through the knowledge of those who have the defect, to the knowing of him that hath none; The best improvement of this folly is to make these Crea∣tures serve for Instruments, to bring us to seeke out the Creator; not only by what is perfect in them, but also
by that which naturally wants perfection, or is charged with artificiall defects arising out of an evil affectati∣on, and not as if they were totally perfect, who openly professe to study imperfections, simply fawn upon, and adore them, as if we beleeved they were absolutely perfect. And the like sober use may the discreeter sort of Ladies, who are not guilty of this spotting vanity, make use of, when they behold the like prodigious af∣fectation in the Faces of effeminate Gallants, a bare-headed Sect of amorous Idolaters, who of late have be∣gun to vye patches and beauty-spots, nay, painting, with the most tender and phantasticall Ladies, and to re∣turne by Art their queasie paine upon women, to the great reproach of Nature, and high dishonour and a∣basement of the glory of mans perfection. Painting is bad both in a foule and faire woman, but worst of all in a man; for if it be the received opinion of some Physicians, that the using of Complexion, and such like slibber-slabbers, is a weakenesse and infirmity in it selfe, who can say whether such men as use them be sound or no? it being a great dishonesty, and an un∣seemely sight to see a man painted, who perchance had a reasonable good naturall complexion of his own, that when he hath by nature those colours proper to him, he should besoot his face with the same paintings, or make such slight reckoning of those faire pledges of Natures goodnesse, and embrace such counterfeit stuffe, to the ill example of others; so that his face, which he thinks doth so much commend him, should be made of ointments, greasie ingredients, and slabber-sawces, or done by cer∣taine powders, Oxe-galls, Lees, Latherings, and other such sluttish and beastly confections. For besides that, they are effeminate actions, fitting only wanton wenches,
and light huswives, they give occasion to men to mur∣mur against them, and breed a suspition of basenesse in the vilest degree, when they shall see them thus daubed over with Clay, and wholly composed of those things that are only permitted unto women, who be∣cause they have not sufficient beauty of themselves, bor∣row it from paintings and varnishings, to the great cost both of their health and purses. Verily these are they who do something worth the spight of envious and foule diseases, and invite the hand of God to strike them with deformity. But as for painting, it is no mar∣vell if the Ladies of our time do paint themselves, for of a long time, and in many places that trade hath had beginning. This generation of Daubers having e∣ver sought quarrels with Nature and forced Art, her false servant, into Ballance with her, setting more by their false face than they do by their true; so that these Face-takers seeme to be out of love with them∣selves, and to hate their Naturall Face, extermina∣ting or out-lawing their own Face to put on another, whose curiosity was handsomely taxed by an Ancient with this Dilemma; If women be naturally faire, Na∣ture sufficeth them, and there is no reason that Art should plead against Nature, or painting against the truth: if they be foule by Nature, the painting which they lay upon them bewrayeth their fouleness the more. Plautus askes a foolish woman, wherefore she corrup∣ted with Fucusses and artificiall waters so faire a thing as the Face is, assuring her, that she could not possibly exercise those Arts so warily but that they will ap∣peare, and continually subminister an occasion of judging; For the Latitant effect is supposed greater than indeed it is, which had not been so much suspe∣cted
had she not painted her selfe. Pythagoras therefore, in honour of Nature, forbad women to paint themselves, ordaining that they should be con∣tent with their naturall Beauty. Ere long these adulte∣rate Colours will moulder, and then the old maple face appears, which is sufficiently laught at by all, besides the harme the paint hath done; for, that Face which was bad enough is hereby made worse, there being a veno∣mous quality in the paint which wrinkleth the Face before its time, it dims the Eyes, and blacks the Teeth; with false colours they spoile their Face, and gaine nought but contempt and hatred of their Husbands. Have ye not seen (saith a reverend wit) a compleat beauty made worse by an artificiall addition, because they have not thought it well enough before? you see it every day, and every where. If Saint Paul himselfe were here, whom for his Eloquence the Lystrians cal∣led Mercury, he could not perswade them to leave their Mercury, it will not easily be left; for how ma∣ny of them that take it outwardly at first, come at last to take it inwardly. Solomons caution therefore, Be not over righteous, may be applied to this sense, Be not over Faire. The great advancer of Learning therefore, where he speakes of Cosmetique Medica∣ments, or the Art of Decoration, saith, that this a∣dulterate decoration by Painting and Ceruse is well worthy the imperfections which attend it, being nei∣ther fine enough to deceive, nor handsome enough to please, nor safe and wholsome to use. And this at∣tempt is not only inconvenient, but very vaine and ridiculous; for, while by washes, paintings, and such slibber-slabbers, they presume by the Ministry of Art to overcome Nature, they faile in their Designe; for
Art, as experience teacheth us, cannot surmount Na∣ture, nor by the most exquisite and illustrious Pig∣ments come neare the native colour. For, the God of Nature will not permit a true and native colour to be surpassed by a false and counterfeit. Nature verily abhors such externall adventitious beauty which flows from Art, which being ab extra, confers nothing to the proper and intrinsique end of her worke; for, be∣sides the use and action, you shall find nothing in the body of man and its parts which is quid intrinsicum, to wit, conferring to the end for which those parts were created; and who would grant a beauty of this kind, he must professe that there is somewhat in the bo∣dy of man and its parts besides the use or action. It is freely confessed, there is in the body of Man some∣what for ornament, which verily must be a Naturall, or Physicall ornament, since in Art ornaments have their end. By which you may understand, that al∣though all the parts of the Body are not designed to action, yet they have their use, because Nature hath made nothing in vaine. The Cuticle of the Face hath indeed no action in the body, but it hath use; for it seems (as Paraeus speakes) to be given by the singular indulgence of Nature to be a muniment and ornament to the true skin; which providence of Nature these Artizans (or rather Curtizans) do imitate, who for to seeme more beautifull do smooth and polish it, the baudy trimming of which cheeke-varnish proves but a loathsome nastinesse, and is a complement more than Nature looks for at their hands, which to see is a thou∣sand pitties; for, your foule and worst favoured women are not only those that do this, but even your fairest, and those that are most beholding to Nature, who thinke
thereby to seeme fairer, and to make Nature appeare more lovely in Arts dressing, begin this worke betimes in the morning in their bed, and finish it at noone when the cloath is laid. So that I say (and not without reason) That a woman the more curious she is about her face, the more carelesse about her house, the repairing of the one being the ruining of the other, which makes even Guzman cry out, O filthinesse above all other filthi∣nesses! O affront above all other affronts! that God ha∣ving given thee one face thou should'st abuse his Image and make thy selfe another. And it is a wonder (as my Lord Bacon notes) that this corrupt custome of Pain∣ting hath so long escaped penall Laws, both of the Church, and of the State, which have been very severe against the excessive vanity of Apparrell, and the effeminate trimming of Haire. And the wonder is the greater how it hath escaped Ecclesiasticall Censure, since all the Fathers of the Church have strongly enveighed against forged and feigned beauty, and this practice of introducing other hewes than the bloud naturally af∣fords; A vile thing it is saith one, thus to force and wrong Nature with Birdlime, Chalke, Daubing, and such Trash, plainly marring all the beauty they have of Nature, growing foule with making themselves faire: A gross folly to change the naturall Beauty, and seeke af∣ter painting, the crime of Adultery is in a manner more tollerable, for there Chastity is corrupted, and here Nature is forced. Saint Ambrose of such a one: Thou defacest the features of God if thou cover thy Face with painting.
This Palliative Artifice which introduceth an ac∣quisite complexion to deceive the Spectatours Eye for a moment is altogether to be rejected by women, especially
Christians. And Cyprian writes truly, Not only Virgins, saith he, and Widdows, but all married wo∣men are to be admonished, that this worke, and facture, and plasme ought to be no manner of way adulterated by yellow tincture, black dust, or red paint, or any other Medicaments which corrupts the native Lineaments. And afterwards he saith, thoy offer violence to God when they strive to deforme and transfigure that which he hath formed, not knowing that every thing that is borne is the worke of God, and what ever is changed is the worke of the Devill. These phantasticall Correcters of their Naturall formes (as another saith) seeme to do nothing else then to reprehend the power of their Ma∣ker, who as a most wise Artificer hath so framed and coloured them. A very great rashnesse with such vaine impostures to go about to correct and amend that which he hath made and perfected. For as St Augustin saith, his workes should not seeme to be such unto thee as if he transformed Natures, or in the Creation of any thing had ever turned white into black, or black into white, when he said, Let us make man according to out Image and Similitude, and yet thou desirest to change that Face which God hath made, and thou wilt reforme that which God hath formed in thee; If, as a holy Hermit, some famous Painter, or Limner, a cunning Master of his Art had with great care and diligence painted some curious Picture, and brought it to its full perfection: And another rude Painter should come who should rashly put to his hand and presume to correct and amend it, now adding, now taking away somewhat, now changing the shaddow, and transferring those things which were obscure into cleare and lucid appearance, contrary to the precept of Limbing; He would both di∣stort
the countenance, and render it void of all Grace. Would you not think when the Master returned and saw what was done, he would be most justly angry, conside∣ring how rude a Painter had put his hand to that Image which he had so elaborately finished? In like manner you may judge that God will be angry with such, who by vaine invention of Modells and adulterate Sophistica∣tions should dare to correct and amend that Image which the Divine Majesty hath so absolutely painted in thee. 'Tis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 feared, as St Cyprian notes, that at the last day God will not acknowledge them for his Creatures, but will exclude them from his House and Court as strangers and unknown persons unpleasing unto him; they may justly feare, that when he sees them so defor∣med he should say they were not the workes of his hands, nor Creatures made according to his similitude, but to exhibite the Ensignes and markes of the Devill, to discover the workes and impressions of his foule hand. And indeed a good ground for this protestation had these holy men, for this Trade of Painting is reproved in the holy Books, and made a reproach by the mouth of the Prophets, as when Jeremy threatneth the City of Jerusalem, When thou shalt be destroyed (saith he) what wilt thou do, &c. though thou paintest thy Face with Colours, yet shalt thou trim thy selfe in vaine; for thy Lovers will abhor thee, and seek thy life. The Prophet Ezekiel maketh the like reproach to the Cities of Jerusalem and Samaria, which he com∣pareth to two lewd Harlots, who having sent to seeke out men comming from far, and being come they have washed themselves, and have painted their Faces, and have put on their faire Ornaments. The Queen Jesa∣bel doing the same, was for all that cast down out of a
window, and bare the punishment of her wicked life.
Yet we cannot say, that it is absolutely unlawfull to use any Fucus, especially when any foule blemish doth disgrace the forme of modest Virgins or Matrons, and we know Physitians are sometimes constrained to satisfie the desires of honourable Ladies, and great Persons, whom, as Galen saith, we may not deny. And indeed somewhat is to be allowed to women who are studious of their beauty, and desire a nitor and certain•• splen∣dour of Countenance, and therefore either to repaire the injuries of aire, or any other losse and dammage that hath happened to the Face, or what is wanting to the emendation of the Elegancy of the Epidermis, or skin of the Visage is no trespasse against Piety, but may be honestly endeavoured by a Physitian, since this induceth no Fucus, but restores the naturall nitor of the Body, upon whatsoever cause it is lost, and therefore it is granted to women especially, who since they were some∣what inferiour to men in prudence, strength of Body and fortitude, and other things, instead thereof; as Ana∣creon interpreted, sings,
Natura donat illis, Decoram habere formam Pro parmulisque cunctis, Pro Lanceisque cunctis; Nam flamma cedit illis Ferrumque, si qua pulchra est.And since Plato in Phaedro cals Beauty the most illu∣strious and amiable of all things; and that a faire Face is illustrious with a kind of Divine Forme; it is worthy
of preservation, and a faire restitution. And indeed it belongeth to the corrective part of Medicine to reduce a superficies that is preternaturall; for, an inequa∣lity in the superficies belongs to Decoration, as when any spot is in the Face from the Nativity, it belongs to the Corrector to make this superficies beauti∣full and to correct it; as women who have native spots in their face, which the Moderns call Stercus Daemo∣num, which proceed from a thin and adurent bloud, therefore it is the Office of the Corrector to correct those spots in them that have contracted them. But the pra∣ctice of woman in this case is not laudable, nor agreeable to the corrective Art of Medicine; for, your women in your Cosmetique usurpations use only those things which constipate, refrigerate, & repercuss, to remove them from the Superficies to the Center, whereas they should also use those things which are abstersive and mundifying; But because things abstersive and mundifying introduce a scurfe, women will not endure this way of Reduction to the naturall state of perfection. But as the needlesse assumption and affectation of such Artifice is absurd, and no way pleasing to Nature, so too much curiosity in such matters is naught and reprovable. And to take in what a grave and learned Divine hath, in concurring with the purpose of God in dignifying the Body, we may exceed and go beyond Gods purpose. God would not have the Face mangled and torne, but then he would not have it varnished with forreine Complexi∣ons; it is ill when it is not our own bloud that appeares in our Cheeks; it may do some ill offices of bloud, it may tempt; but it gives over when it should do a good office of bloud, it cannot blush. God would not have us disfigure our Face with sad Countenan∣ces
in fasting and other Disciplines, nor would have us go about to marre his worke, or to do his last work, which he hath reserved to himselfe in Heaven, here upon earth, that is, to glorifie our Bodies with such Ad∣ditions here, as though we would need no Glorificati∣on there. But concerning this kind of transgression against the honesty and truth of Nature, or rather the sinfulnesse of it, Cajetan is of an opinion, that as a woman may conserve her naturall beauty without sin, so she may also preserve it by Art by adhibiting the vertues of Fucusses, Pigments, and other pain∣tings, so it do not intend an evill end, it is a fiction and vanity somewhat excusable; Whereas it is con∣cluded a mortall sin for any to sell such disguising trash to those they know will abuse it for an evill end. And in this regard some Divines will not allow so much as palliation of any deformity in the Face which hath proceeded from licentiousnesse and intemperance, or that they should be disguised by unnaturall helps, to the drawing in of others, and the continuation of their former sins. The sin it selfe was the Divels act in thee, but in the Deformity that follows upon the sin God hath a hand; and they that suppresse and smother these by paintings, and unnaturall helps to unlawfull ends, do not deliver themselves of the plague, but they do hide the markes and infect others, and wrastle a∣gainst Gods notifications of their former sins. The invention of which Act of Palliation of an ascititious deformity against Gods indigitation of sin, is imagined one reason of the invention of black Patches, wherein the French shewed their witty pride, which could so cunningly turne Botches into Beauty, and make ugli∣nesse handsome; yet in point of Phantasticalnesse we
may excuse that Nation, as having taken up the fa∣shion, rather for necessity than novelty, in as much as those French Pimples have need of a French Plaister.
Among those
deforming himselfe more than he needed to have done. Yet he pardons such a conceit concerning Wind-Instruments in a tender and wanton youth, And in a Court Phylosopher, a Politician, a Pe∣ripatetick, talking with Senators and Princes.
But vocall Musique performed by Instruments which Nature hath invented for delight, ought not to be set at naught, for the same, or peradventure no reason at all, as it is by the Stoick morall Philosophers; For, the Wind-Musique doth not deforme the Visage, it reformes, yea, conformes it: and the vocall, which is correspondent to the hearing, altereth the proporti∣on of the Face, to conforme it to the Eye; the one re∣quires setlednesse to be well looked upon, and the other receives its perfections from motion: one unfolds the Beauty of the Visage, the other both laies open, and accompanies the sweetnesse of the voice; where there is a sound, Motion hath necessarily proceeded, and the motion is with measure, if the sound be harmonious. Sometimes also it is voluntary, accompanied with the Head, Eyes, and Mouth; and with delight, though without necessity, if it be with proportion. That moti∣on which offends, produces no harmonious sound, or doth not accompany it proportionably.
Platter Faces where affected
Pet. Martyr. Decad. 8.
Korn. de mirat. vivorum ex Petr. Hisp. in Sylva p. 5. c. 35. Jonst. Thauma∣tographia ex eodem.
Broad flat Faces.
Lindscot. lib. 1. cap. 20.
Scaliger de subtil. ad Car∣dan exerc. 167. Leo hist. de Africa. l. 7.
Discovery of Norembega.
Sir John Man∣devils Travels.
Platter faces condemned.
A long thin Face where affected.
Joan: de Laet descript. India, occident. lib. 18. cap. 4.
Purch. Pilgr. 3.
Square Fcces where affected
Men with Dogs Faces.
Cynoprosopi.
The Author of the Treasury of Times.
The Artifice of Dogs Faces condemned.
Vincent. Spec. Naturae.
Carbonado'd Faces.
Jormand. in lib. rer. Get.
Purch. Pilgr. ••. lib. 10.
Cruell Gal∣lantry.
Monsieur de Busheque in his discovery of his Embassie in∣to Turky. Ep. 4
Hash'd Faces.
Purch. Pilgr. 4.
Cap. Jo. Smiths Travels.
Hack••luyt•• Voyages. vol. 2
Face-Branders
Sir John Man∣devils Travels. cap. 55.
Pigafetta his reports of the Kingdome of Congo. Draudius Com∣ment. in Solin. Centon.
Fox of the Northwest pas∣sages.
Purch. Pilgr. 4. lib ••.
Idem Pilgr. 2. lib. 7.
Torne Faces where a great beauty.
Idem Pilgr. 6. lib. 4.
Idem eodem, lib. 10.
Lindscot. lib. 1. cap. ••0.
Baptisme by Fire.
Purch. Pilgr. 6. lib. 9.
Idem Pilgr. 2. lib. 7.
Stigmatizers.
Jer. 41.2, 3. Lev. 19.5.
Deut. 14.1.
Pet. Mart. Decad. 3.
Painter-stai∣ners.
Grimston of their manners.
Women-Pain∣ters.
Men painted.
The Author of the Treasury of Times. Grimston of their manners.
Grimston of the estate of the Turk in Africa.
Grimst. of the estate of Chi∣na. Magin. Geograph. Lord Bacon Nat. Hist. Cent. 8. Exper. 739.
Grimston of their manners. Jo. Bohem. l. 2. de. rit. gent.
Grimston of their manners. Magin. Geogra. Americae. Purch. Pilgr. 1. lib. 4. Lindscot, li. 2.
Face-stainers.
Capt. Smiths Hist. of Virgi∣nia.
Face-grimers.
Johan. Bohem. de moribus gen. lib. 3.
The Author of the Description of Nova Fran∣cia, lib. 2.
Ramutius nar∣ration of Nova Francia.
Face-daubers.
The Author of the Description of Nova Fran∣cia. lib. ••.
Herberts Tra∣vels.
Sandys Tra∣vels, lib. 1.
Howel, Epist. Famil.
Munst. Cosm. lib. 2.
Artificial Faire Ones.
Ovid. de medic. fac.
Johan. Bohem. de moribus gen. lib. 3.
Spotted Faces affected.
Black patches no advantage to Beauty.
Painting in a man odious.
Painting an old Trade.
The Vanity of Painting.
Doctor Donne Serm. 70.
The use of the skin of the Face.
Painting Con∣demned.
Painters ad∣monished.
Cypr. Tract. 2. de hab. Virg.
Aug. Se••m. 240
Petr. Herem. à Theod. in vit is sect. patr. hist. nona citat.
Painting a base invention
Jer. 4.3.
2 Kin. 9.30.
Some Fucus allowable.
Women out in their Cosme∣tiques.
Mont. medi••. par. 2.
Dr Donne Serm. 20.
Painting when sinfull.
Musitians Face Deformers.
Vocal Musique deformes not the Visage.