CHAPTER XXVII

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THE FOREHEAD AND EYEBROWS

"One part of the forehead," says a Chinese proverb, "shows our faculties, the other part the use we make of them." This is, in a great measure, true; for the form and height of the brow show the degree of thought and power of intellect, whilst the skin of the forehead, its colour, lines and tension, denote the passions and the state of mind. Though the skin of the forehead may be equally wrinkled in different faces, the forms which these lines take vary very much. The first line next the hair, which is rarely seen till past middle age, is referred to the influence of Saturn; the second to Jupiter; the third to Mars; the fourth, over the right eyebrow, to the Sun; the fifth, over the left eyebrow, to the Moon; the sixth, between the eyebrows, to Venus, whilst Mercury is assigned his place on the bridge of the nose (see plate).

When the Line of Saturn is long and well-defined, it indicates the prudence and sagacity which ought to come with age; when it is broken or curved in an oblique manner it shows peevishness and avarice.

The Line of Jupiter, straight and clearly-defined, shows an honourable and just person; if broken or taking oblique curves it indicates a very voluptuous person.

If the Line of Mars should be long and clear, and stretching across the forehead in one continuous line, it denotes courage and much warlike ambition; if the line be broken, such a person will be a brawler and quarrelsome and will experience ill fortune in war.

The Line of the Sun being perfect and reaching nearly to the middle of the forehead, shows ambition, good judgment and success; being broken or oblique in its form, it shows egotism and love of money.

The Line of the Moon, clear and perfect above the left eyebrow, much imagination and also much travelling into strange places. When this line is broken or much curved, it indicates caprice and want of truth.

The Line of Venus, delicately marked and straight, shows tenderness and success in love matters; if broken and curved, the reverse.

If three lines appear in the place of Mercury across the bridge of the nose, they denote eloquence and wit; if more than three, loquacity and deceit.

So much for the _lines_ on the forehead. As to the _form_, Aristotle tells us that "a very large and prominent forehead shows stupidity"; it is quite true that men of the highest intelligence have foreheads of medium height, but exceptionally broad and full over the eyebrow.

A forehead which is very full over the eyebrows and rather low than high, shows intuitive faculty, artistic perception and idealism; we see this form of brow in all the antique statues of Apollo. A very projecting forehead, fuller above than below, and so large as to appear to dominate the whole face, is generally the forehead of a slow if not a dull intellect. A perpendicular forehead, well rounded at the temples, rather high than low and having straight, well-defined eyebrows, shows solid power of the understanding, love of study and power of concentrating the attention, but it is not the forehead of the poet, painter, or musician.

Arched foreheads, somewhat low, but full at the temples, with long, sweeping and mobile eyebrows, appear properly to be feminine, since they show sweetness and sensitiveness of nature.

High, narrow and wholly unwrinkled foreheads, over which the skin seems tightly drawn, are indicative of weakness of the will-power, want of imagination and very little susceptibility. They are the foreheads of narrow-minded, commonplace persons. Of course other features may soften these indications; intelligent eyes may give intellect, or a sweet and tender mouth feeling enough to, at any rate, diminish the unpleasant indications of this type of forehead.

Foreheads not altogether projecting, but having angular and knotty protuberances upon them, denote vigour of mind and harsh and oppressive

## activity and perseverance. To be in exact proportion, the forehead

should be the same length as the nose. In Greek art, however, it is generally shorter, which gives softness and elegance to the face. It should be oval at the top, or somewhat square; if the latter, it gives more force--if the former, more sensibility of character. It should be smooth in repose, yet have the power of wrinkling when in deep thought, or when in grief or anger; for foreheads over which the skin is so tightly strained as never to change under these circumstances show a dull, unsensitive and unintellectual nature. A forehead should project more over the eyes than at the top, and there should be a small cavity in the centre, separating the brow into four divisions: but this should be so slightly accentuated as only to be seen when the forehead is in a strong light coming from above it.

When the eyebrows are far from each other at their starting-point between the eyes, they denote warmth, frankness and impulse--a generous and unsuspicious nature. A woman or man having such eyebrows would never be causelessly jealous. Eyebrows, on the contrary, which meet between the eyes in the manner so much admired by the Persians denote a temperament ardent in love, but jealous and suspicious: all Saturnians have these eyebrows.

Eyebrows somewhat higher at their starting-point, and which pass in a long sweeping line over the eyes, drooping slightly downwards at their termination, show artistic feeling and great sense of beauty in form. The Empress Eugénie's eyebrows are of this form, which gives a sweet and wistful expression to the face and which some old writers have asserted to be the sign of a violent death.

Eyebrows lying very close to the eyes, forming one direct, clear line on strongly-defined eyebones having the same form, show strength of will and extreme determination of character. This sort of eyebrow appears on the busts of Nero; but there its indications of determination are deepened with cruelty by the massive jaw and the development of the cheekbone by the ear. This form of eyebrow, in conjunction with other good indications, would mean only constancy in affection, power of carrying out a project despite all difficulties and taste for science.

Eyebrows that are strongly marked at the commencement and then terminate abruptly without sweeping past the eyes, show an irascible, energetic and impatient nature.

Thick eyebrows, somewhat arched, show artistic perception of beauty in colour. Delicately marked eyebrows, slightly arched, indicate tenderness.

Eyebrows lighter than the hair show weakness and indecision. Eyebrows much darker than the hair denote an ardent, passionate and constant temperament.

Angular, strong and sharply interrupted eyebrows close to the eyes always show fire and productive activity. No profound thinker has weakly marked eyebrows, or eyebrows placed very high on the forehead. Want of eyebrow almost always indicates a want of mental and bodily force. The nearer the eyebrows are to the eyes, the more earnest, deep and firm the character; the more remote from the eyes, the more volatile and less resolute the nature.

Eyebrows the same colour as the hair show firmness, resolution and constancy; but in judging of the eyebrows it must be remembered that if form and colour give different indications, the _form_ (as this also means that of the brow) gives the most important indication, the colour and texture of the eyebrow being secondary to its _position_ as regards the eyes and forehead.

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