Alike in all these cases and in the instance of cowardice or fear of any
sort, from the loss of life to the loss of spoons, the majesty of man is
violated. He, whom all things should serve, serves some one of his own
tools. In fine pictures the head sheds on the limbs the expression of
the face. In Raphael's Angel driving Heliodorus from the Temple, the
crest of the helmet is so remarkable, that but for the extraordinary
energy of the face, it would draw the eye too much; but the countenance
of the celestial messenger subordinates it, and we see it not. In poor
pictures the limbs and trunk degrade the face. So among the women in the
street: you shall see one whose bonnet and dress are one thing, and the
lady herself quite another, wearing withal an expression of meek
submission to her bonnet and dress; and another whose dress obeys and
heightens the expression of her form.
More food for the comic is afforded whenever the personal appearance,
the face, form, and manners, are subjects of thought with the man
himself. No fashion is the best fashion for those matters which will
take care of themselves. This is the butt of those jokes of the Paris
drawing-rooms, which Napoleon reckoned so formidable, and which are
copiously recounted in the French Mémoires. A lady of high rank, but of
lean figure, had given the Countess Dulauloy the nickname of "Le
Grenadier tricolore," in allusion to her tall figure, as well as to her
republican opinions; the Countess retaliated by calling Madame "the
Venus of the Père-la-Chaise," a compliment to her skeleton which did
not fail to circulate. "Lord C.," said the Countess of Gordon, "O, he is
a perfect comb, all teeth and back." The Persians have a pleasant story
of Tamerlane which relates to the same particulars: "Timur was an ugly
man; he had a blind eye and a lame foot. One day when Chodscha was with
him, Timur scratched his head, since the hour of the barber was come,
and commanded that the barber should be called. Whilst he was shaven,
the barber gave him a looking-glass in his hand. Timur saw himself in
the mirror and found his face quite too ugly. Therefore he began to
weep; Chodscha also set himself to weep, and so they wept for two hours.
On this, some courtiers began to comfort Timur, and entertained him with
strange stories in order to make him forget all about it. Timur ceased
weeping, but Chodscha ceased not, but began now first to weep amain, and
in good earnest. At last said Timur to Chodscha, 'Hearken! I have looked
in the mirror, and seen myself ugly. Thereat I grieved, because,
although I am Caliph, and have also much wealth, and many wives, yet
still I am so ugly; therefore have I wept. But thou, why weepest thou
without ceasing?' Chodscha answered, 'If thou hast only seen thy face
once, and at once seeing hast not been able to contain thyself, but hast
wept, what should we do,--we who see thy face every day and night? If we
weep not, who should weep? Therefore have I wept.' Timur almost split
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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