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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degree of selfishness thereis the opportunity and the demand that man should love hisneighbor as himself. What a beautiful superstructure, then,may be reared upon a resemblance to the peacock! what amagnificent temple of humanity! But we shall see more ofthis by-and-by. It is evident enough that there are very many people whoresemble peacocks; but the resemblance in physiognomywhich indicates the resemblance in character is not easilydescribed. The most expressive things are the most inex-pressible. Besides, it very frequently happens that the per-son who resembles the peacock loses himself in dress andequipage, like the peacock in the splendor and magnificenceof his plumage. Nevertheless, there is to be discovered asimilarity in countenance, particularly in the eye. In thefollowing portrait of a Persian the resemblance is expressed, 151 COMPARATIVE PHYSIOGNOMY. not only in the features, but in a look that is inexpressible,except by the idea that is conveyed of this magnificent fowl.
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rz^^e^ The fashion of that beard more, even, than the quantity, re-minds us of the words, Thou hast more hair on thy chin,than Dobbin, my fill-horse, has on his tail. What could bemore peacock-like than the nose, the eyes, the softly-featheredhead, and even the beard spreading all around, like rays, anddyed according to the taste of the owner? And if so muchcan be conveyed in an engraving, how much more might bedone with colors! The Persians, be it observed, are in thehabit of staining their beards, and in one stage of the processit is a brilliant red, in which stage the vulgar class prefer toleave it. The Persians are, in fact, wonderfully like the pea-cock in character and externals. Whatever comes to us fromPersia conveys this impression. Their fabrics, in the quality THE PEACOCK. 155 of their construction, and in the form and color of their fig-ures, are like the head, neck, body, and tail, of the peacock,and outvie those of every other country : all things together,they are magni

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