Identifier: comparativephysi00redf (find matches)
Title: Comparative physiognomy; or, Resemblances between men and animals
Year: 1852 (1850s)
Authors: Redfield, James W
Subjects: Physiognomy
Publisher: New York, Redfield
Contributing Library: Yale University, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Open Knowledge Commons and Yale University, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library

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us, and absurd. The parallel of this to the dispositionand talent for which the Irish are most celebrated, is at onceperceived. The lowest, the most ignorant, the most stupid,are not exempt from a peculiar kind of smartness, a certainkeen perception of the ludicrous, and a readiness in makingapt replies; and there is not a dog but has the same appreci-ation, and the same facility of expressing it, so far as a dumbdog can express his ideas of things. The tolerance with whicha Newfoundland or a dignified old mastiff regards the gam-bols of a puppy, who makes bold to jump into his face andpull him by the tail, is not mere forbearance, but is, if wemay judge anything from his actions and the expressions ofhis countenance, in consequence in no small degree of thegratification of his wit and mirthfulness. This talent for wit sharpens the Irishmans slander, as isevident from the nature of his satire; and it is similar with the dog, as is shown inhis worrying and teas-ing poor animals instead
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f, s_ of doing simply what his master bids him. It is easy to sethim on, but hard to call him off, and precisely so it is withthe plaguey Irishman. There is a wonderful tenacity inthis love of teasing, which is the counterpart of the French-mans fondness for caricature ; and the poor victim, thinkingthe dog has the wrong pig by the ear, is fain to cry. THE DOG. 263 Bloody murder! and Leave go! The dog, we know, criessome time after he is hurt, showing the continuance of thepain, but the hog ceases shouting as soon as the dog ceaseshis persecutions. Ergo, the dog, like the Irishman, is a teaseand a torment. This is a character, in fact, that it seems im-possible for the Irishman to get rid of, for when he tries hisbest to please he is still vexatious. What torments theseIrish servants are! is frequently heard from those who havenot been the subjects of their satire. They are as proverbialfor their ridiculous mistakes as for their wit, and this is themore strange as it seems to be a con

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