I had now a glorious opportunity of following Lavater's counsel, to
apply the physiognomical ellwand specially to sleepers, since sleep,
like death, expresses the genuine form in coarser lines. Other sleepers
not in stage-coaches I think it less advisable to mete with this
ellwand; having always an apprehension lest some fellow, but pretending
to be asleep, may, the instant I am near enough, start up as in a
dream, and deceitfully plant such a knock on the physiognomical
mensurator's own facial structure, as to exclude it forever from
appearing in any Physiognomical Fragments (itself being reduced to
one), either in the stippled or line style. Nay, might not the most
honest sleeper in the world, just while you are in hand with his
physiognomical dissection, lay about him, spurred on by honor in some
cudgelling-scene he may be dreaming; and in a few instants of
clapperclawing, and kicking, and trampling, lull you into a much more
lasting sleep than that out of which he was awakened?
------------------------
8. In Criminal Courts, murdered children are often represented as
still-born; in Anticritiques, still-born as murdered.
------------------------
In my _Adumbrating Magic-lantern_, as I have named the Work, the
whole physiognomical contents of this same sleeping stage-coach will be
given to the world. There I shall explain to you at large how the
Poisoner, with the murder-cupola, appeared to me devil-like; the Dwarf
old-child-like; the Harlot languidly shameless; my Brother-in-law
peacefully satisfied, with revenge or food; and the Legations-Rath,
_Jean Pierre_, Heaven only knows why, like a half angel,--though,
perhaps, it might be because only the fair body, not the other half,
the soul, which had passed away in sleep, was affecting me.
------------------------
101. Not only were the Rhodians, from their Colossus, called
Colossians; but also innumerable Germans are, from their Luther, called
Lutherans.
------------------------
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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