The Laughable Stories Collected by Mar Gregory John

PHYSIOGNOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS. I 5 I
greedy disposition, his kingdom will not endure. But
the kingdom of the man who cometh to the throne
when he is forty or fifty years of age, being naturally
of a good disposition, will endure in proportion to the
age which he is when he beginneth to reign. This
fact hath been demonstrated by the experience of a
great many sages of old.
DCCXII. The man who hath round eyes which pro-
ject from his head and have red streaks in them is a
miser, and an avaricious and corrupt man; and if it
happen that they are directed upwards continually he
hath not a single good trait in his character. Similarly
a broad face is a sign of good nature, and for a man
to have a face which is broad at the top and narrow
at the chin is an indication of an evil nature.
DCCXIII. The man who hath a wide space between
the eyebrows, and who winketh with the left eye, and
whose ear is full of hair, and who looketh on the
ground is crafty, and subtle, and deceitful, especially
if his nose inclineth to the left.
DCCXIV. The man whose eyes are deep-set, and
who hath a high forehead, and slightly elongated face,
is an audacious fellow who will live long.
DCCXV. The man who hath large lips, and a flat ^
nose, and great eyes which stare upwards is a fool,
and no trust can be placed in him.
DCCXVI. The man who hath small eyes, and long
eyelashes, and a high forehead, and a loose mouth,
and crisp hair, and a bald skull, is a tyrant and one
who sheddeth blood.
DCCXVII. The man who hath large eyes, with a
cast(?) in the left one, and a handsome face, is a
lover of wisdom, and is of keen intelligence; he is also