The nose, according to physiognomists, is one of the most important features. It tells its story of character like the eye and the mouth. Its size and its shape have their significance. Studying the faces of men and women prominent in past history the following interpretation of the language of noses has been made:
The Roman nose denotes a propensity for adventure.
A wide nose with open nostrils is a mark of great sensuality.
A cleft nose shows benevolence; it was the nose of St. Vincent de Paul.
A straight nose denotes a just, serious, fine, judicious, and energetic mind.
The curved, fleshy nose is a mark of domination and cruelty; Catharine de' Medici and Elizabeth of England had noses of this kind.
The curved, thin nose is a mark of a brilliant mind, but vain, and disposed to be ironical; it is the nose of a dreamer, a poet, or a critic.
It is desirable that the nose should be as long as possible, this being a sign of power and genius; for instance, Napoleon and Cæsar had long noses.
If the line of the nose be reentrant—that is, if the nose is turned up—it denotes that its owner has a weak mind, sometimes coarse, and generally playful, pleasant, or frolicsome.