A due regard to the psychonomy of nations would throw much light upon many abstruse points of history, and often serve to corroborate narrations which appear marvellous and incredible to us. Thus, as we have, for the most part,[[9]] left off eating human flesh in these islands for some thousand years or more, historians reject as utterly incredible that our forefathers were cannibals; and some still more tender-hearted philanthropists even venture to assert that cannibalism has not and never had an existence anywhere. Whereas, if they would compare the evidence with the psychonomy of the nations of whom the circumstance is narrated, instead of with our own, they would instantly perceive in it nothing unnatural nor incredible. Thus also infidel writers, unable to comprehend the fervent and assured hope of a blessed immortality which supported the martyrs, deny, as repugnant to human nature, the patient sufferings of the early Christians. And thus again commentators on the Bible, both infidel and credent, have made sad havoc of many texts, by endeavoring to interpret them by European manners and habits. This inattention to national psychonomy is, moreover, a fertile cause of the mal-administration of colonies, and was the root of nine-tenths of the errors in Indian affairs during the last century.
Seeing, then, the importance of fully understanding the psychonomy of nations before criticizing their records, we should reject no probable key to that requisite knowledge; and if physiognomy would furnish such a key, it should be hailed as an important element in historical criticism. This consideration has induced us to complete our system by a few remarks on National Noses. For no part of the physiognomy is more needful to be comprehended than the Nose, if Nasology be correct; because the mental faculties which it pourtrays are more important than those revealed in the other features; and because, being immovable and permanent in its outline, the artist gives us its national or individual form, without the distortion which the action or passion exhibited may make it necessary to throw over the other more pliant features.
Reserving, then, till a future chapter, any further observations on National Noses, we will now consider a few individual instances of the Roman Nose.
This Nose is common to all great conquerors and warriors, and other persons who have exhibited vast energy and perseverance in overcoming great obstacles without regard to personal ease, or the welfare of their fellow-men.
The following have pure, or very nearly pure, Roman Noses:—
Rameses II (Sesostris).
Julius Cæsar.
Henri Quatre.
Charles V. of Spain.
Duke of Wellington.