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← ExitNine Books on the Nature of Things
Book 9 · Signature

Dimpled cheeks signify someone talkative, contemptuous and quarrelsome. An elongated chin with a long face signifies someone irascible and slow to work. A cleft chin signifies a faithful, dutiful person of concealed and double speech, saying one thing while meaning another, irascible yet repentant of anger, clever and inventive.

A large and a small mouth.

What drawn-in lips signify.

What large lower lips signify.

A large, wide mouth indicates someone gluttonous, foolish, stupid, shameless and fearless; a small mouth indicates the opposite. Drawn-in lips, where the upper is larger than the lower, indicate someone irascible, warlike and spirited, yet generally of coarse and immodest habits like a pig. Large lower lips indicate someone gross, foolish and dull.

Why hair does not give a secure indication to the art.

Judgements from the hair of the head or beard are not very certain, since experience teaches that it can be altered remarkably, appearing black, blond, red, white, grey or curly. It can also be made soft or hard, as anyone desires. Thus many otherwise well versed in physiognomy have been shamefully deceived by rash judgements about hair, attributing to the stars what should rather have been attributed to people themselves. Yet it cannot be denied that hair firmly fixed in the head indicates good health of the head and whole body. This is why buyers of horses pull their tails, to judge their health. Pigs are likewise tested by their bristles, fish by their fins and scales, and a bird by its feathers.

What a tall neck signifies.

What broad shoulders signify.

What muscular arms signify.

What hard hands signify.

The body and so forth.

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