Page:Caplin - Health and Beauty1864 - 014.png

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Health and Beauty.

moderately raised with his thunderbolt, or leaning on his sceptre, presents the habitual act of govern­ing the universe. And all his family partake more or less of those same characteristics, excepting that his brother Neptune's countenance is more severe and his hair more disturbed. Pluto's hair hanging over his forehead gives a gloomy cast to his counte­nance, which is increased by his more open and staring eyes. Winckelmann has observed that some­thing of the lion may be traced in the forehead, nose, and hair of Jupiter, which adds might and magnanimity to the benevolence and awful majesty of his character. In the youthful beauty of Apollo, Bacchus, and Mercury the same benevolence and wisdom are expressed, modified by their peculiar characteristics and offices. But the most engaging and captivating species of beauty exists in the female sex, and was represented by the Greeks in a superior class of statues. The large eye and full lip of Juno gives an air of haughtiness to her coun­tenance; her limbs are round, and her figure is majestic. Minerva's figure partakes of Juno's majesty, but her face is not so full, and has an ex­pression of abstract wisdom. Venus is represented as an assemblage of female charms; her form is delicate, perfect, and elegant in the highest degree;