Physiognomy draws several judgments also from the stature of man, which take as followeth; if a man be upright and straight, inclined rather to leanness than fat, it shows him to be bold, cruel, proud, clamorous, hard to please, and harder to be reconciled when displeased, very frugal, deceitful, and in many things malicious.  To be of tall stature and corpulent with it, denotes him to be not only handsome but valiant also, but of no extraordinary understanding, and which is worst of all, ungrateful and trepanning.  He who is extremely tall and very lean and thin is a projecting man, that designs no good to himself, and suspects every one to be as bad as himself, importunate to obtain what he desires, and extremely wedded to his own humour.  He who is thick and short, is vain, envious, suspicious, and very shallow of apprehension, easy of belief, but very long before he will forget an injury.  He who is lean and short but upright withal, is, by the rules of physiognomy, wise and ingenious, bold and confident, and of a good understanding, but of a deceitful heart.  He who stoops as he goes, not so much by age as custom, is very laborious, a retainer of secrets, but very incredulous and not easy to believe every vain report he hears.  He that goes with his belly stretching forth, is sociable, merry, and easy to be persuaded.

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CHAPTER VI

     Of the Power of the Celestial Bodies over Men and Women.

Having spoken thus largely of Physiognomy, and the judgment given thereby concerning the dispositions and inclinations of men and women, it will be convenient here to show how all these things come to pass; and how it is that the secret inclinations and future fate of men and women may be known from the consideration of the several parts of the bodies.  They arise from the power and dominion of superior powers to understand the twelve signs of the Zodiac, whose signs, characters and significations are as follows:—­

[Illustration]

Aries, the Ram, which governs the head and face.

Taurus, the Bull, which governs the neck.

Gemini, the Twins, which governs the hands and arms.

Cancer, the Crab, governs the breast and stomach.

Leo, the Lion, governs the back and heart

Virgo, the Virgin, governs the belly and bowels.

Libra, the Balance, governs the veins and loins.

Scorpio, the Scorpion, governs the secret parts.

Sagittary, the Centaur, governs the thighs.

Capricorn, the Goat, governs the knees.

Aquarius, the Water-Bearer, governs the legs and ankles.

Pisces, the Fish, governs the feet.

It is here furthermore necessary to let the reader know, that the ancients have divided the celestial sphere into twelve parts, according to the number of these signs, which are termed houses; as in the first house, Aries, in the second Taurus, in the third Gemini, etc.  And besides their assigning the twelve signs of the twelve houses, they allot to each house its proper business.