MR. EDITOR,

FOR THE COILA REPOSITORY.

You will much oblige one of your Readers; by inserting in your instructive and entertaining Magazine the following little piece

ON THE IMPROVING STATE OF MANKIND.

I BELIEVE it is the general opinion, that vice is becoming more and more prevalent among us, and that every day is considerably worse than the preceding. What reasons can be given for entertaining that opinion, I am really at a loss to know but I cannot help thinking that such notions are exceeding ly gross, and tend to derogate the infallible judgment of HIM, who, for his own glory, made man a rational creature.

There would indeed have been sufficient reason to believe the world was growing worse, if the Almighty had forsaken us, and left us intirely to live as we list; but we have frequent and comfortable assurances of this not being the case, and even in the few past years of our lives, we may recollect many awful instances of Divine Visitation, that might convince the most hardy atheist, not only that there is a God, but also, that he still watches over us, and sees our most secret thoughts and actions.

It is remarkable, that those who pretend most to religion, cry out most against the increasing depravity of the human race; but how can those dismal complainers reconcile the Omnipresence of God with their ignoble opinion of the times?

We are told, and have the greatest reason to believe, that before the final destruction of this world every manner of wickedness will be banished from it; and it is certainly more probable (though no doubt the contrary is possible), that this glorious change should be gradually coming on for many hundred years, than that it should happen so suddenly. Let us compare the present state of the world with what we have recorded in ancient writ, and we can see no reason to doubt that man is actually regaining, by degrees, his original upright and happy state; though, alas! he is as yet very far from it. It is certain that revealed religion was never in so flourishing a condition as at present. We see it not only held in eA a

steem over all Europe, but also spreading with inconceiveable rapidity over the most distant and savage nations on earth.

We have not such holy men as the prophets and apostles among us; but it is evident, that those were only thought proper, by the all-wise God, in the darkness of former times, to diffuse knowledge amongst mankind :-We have now sufficient knowledge on earth to make us live happy, if we made a good use of it, and took pains to communicate it to each other.

The number of good men in the world certainly bears a very small proportion to the bad, but I believe it was never greater than at present; for even in sacred history the number of truly good men bears no proportion at all to the number of people who must have then inhabited the earth.-Let it suffice to observe, that there are many now alive, who, in a few centuries, will probably be ranked with the best men in ancient history.

The execution of criminals being now more frequent than in former times, is a proof, not of the world's being worse, but of justice being more rigidly pursued.-If we take a more retrospective view of our own country for five or six hundred years back, we may see the blackest and most atrocious crimes Committed with impunity, and indeed much oftener than in these days. Nor was ancient Britain alone the scene of so much wickedness. Every other country was as bad. Ancient Greece and Rome, the most virtuous heathen nations, and even Judea, also abounded with all manner of wickedness.

Upon the whole, it appears evident to me, that mankind are improving as much in religion and morality, as in the arts and sciences; and I think that idea should incite us to give over our evil ways (for certainly they are many), and animate us in pursuing the true way to that real happiness, which, if we ourselves do not enjoy, our posterity certainly will.— Let us set a noble example to our children, and endeavour to instil good and virtuous sentiments into their minds, while they are yet almost as ready to follow the good as the bad, that they in their turn may be able to direct their children in the paths of virtue, and admonish them to beware of the fatal rock on which their forefathers split.

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AMACLEUS.

FOR THE COILA REPOSITORY.

OBSERVATIONS ON FACES.

Ir appears very clear to me that the human face has undergone many revolutions, both in the figure and the fashion (if I may so call it) of wearing the features, since the Creation, I see no such faces in the present age, as those which we find in old pictures and old books. The faces which were worn two or three hundred years ago are entirely out of fashion now. I grant that the engravers were not so expert formerly as they are at present; but then it must be allowed, that to copy a likeness, and to engrave well, are two different things; and that a true likeness may be taken off by an indifferent hand. A profile taken by a shadow on a sheet of paper, may often be instantly known. A few strokes of the pencil will frequently form a likeness which is again lost in the finishing. Wherefore the insufficiency of engravers cannot be brought as an argument to overthrow my opinion, that the figure and fashion of the face is subject, like all other things, to continual changes; and as to painters, the anci ents have never yet been exceeded by the moderns, yet like the engravers they produced no such faces as are in fashion now. Where the distinction particularly lies, is not so easy to describe, yet that there is such a distinction, is, I think,

certain.

As all changes have their causes, I am inclined to believe that the changes in the figure and fashion of the face princi. pally arise from the following:

All nations have originally a face peculiar to themselves. The face of a Spaniard is not like that of an Englishman ; the French differ from both, the Dutch from all three, and so on. The extention of commerce within these two centu. ries past has introduced a commerce of matrimony; and it seems to me almost impossible that parents of different nations can produce a true national face in their descendants; the original distinct characters of each will be blended, and the child by partaking of both nations will be a true likeness of neither, and consequently a new fashioned face will make its appearance. Within this century there are very few families, especially of note in England, which have not inter

married with either the Scots, Welch, Irish, or all three. Numbers with the Germans and French. Two centuries ago it was quite otherwise; men did not travel much, and women kept almost intirely at home. This is one reason why the present faces differ so much from the old pictures.

Besides the national face, there is likewise a provincial one, and the whole is again divided into town and country faces wherefore, the same nation by intermarrying with the inhabitants of the different parts will produce an alteration, though in a less degree.

As to the fashion of wearing our faces, or rather the features of the face, that, as to individuals, depends on their manners, the particular employments they follow, or the different amusements they pursue. Every person wears his face according to his business, unless he is ashamed of it. There is a soldier's face, a judge's face, a gentleman's face, a tradesman's face, a farmer's face, a sailor's face, &c. &c.— There is a certain kind of countenance or fashion of the features, which a man insensibly puts on in the way of his business, which at last becomes natural to him; and it is from our associating our ideas of men's faces whom we never saw, to that fitness of external character which becomes their employment, that we picture to ourselves the general likeness of a man, by knowing his station and rank in life. Beaus, bloods, rakes, and ruffians, have their particular face-fashions, by which they may as easily be distinguished, as a Quaker by the cut and colour of his coat, the form of his hat, or the decency of his countenance. Observation will convince, that manners have a powerful effect in forming, transforming, and reforming the fashion of our faces. When a whole nation is influenced by any particular set of manners, their countenances will go out of fashion, and vice versa; in times of general sorrow and calamity, long and weeping faces will worn; in times of general joy, short and cheerful ones will be the mode.-Sorrow lengthens the face, joy contracts it-for the act of laughing naturally expands and spreads the countenance-tears the contrary.

be

From these, and a number of similar observations which may be offered, I think it will appear plain that the national character in faces will revolve by intermarriages, and that the fashion of the features depends on manners and habit.

AN OBSERVER

THE AFFECTIONATE LUNATIC,

KOTZEBUE.

We stopped to change horses at a village, and I was sitting at the door of a cottage, breaking some bread into a bowl of milk, when an old man of sixty, whose head and beard were as white as snow, threw himself on the ground, and inquired, with extreme earnestness, if we had brought him any letters from Revel. I fixed my eyes stedfastly upon him; I doubted whether I had rightly understood him, upon which, a woman who was standing by, whispered me-" This man has lost his senses: he starts from his bed every time he hears of the arrival of a stranger, and always asks the same question."-" Give me a piece of paper," continued she," and I will pacify him, otherwise you will have much trouble with him, for he will persist in staying here, and tire you with his lamentations." She then pretended to read a letter to him, beginning with these words:"My dear husband, I am in perfect health, as likewise all our children. Make yourself easy, we shall soon be with you."

The old man appeared to listen with extreme delight; he smiled and stroked his beard; then taking the paper in his hand, he pressed it to his bosom. He now related very rationally, that he had formerly been a soldier, and had served on board the Revel fleet, at Cronstadt, and at other places : he added, that he was an invalid; that he had just left his wife, and that she was just now with her children at Revel. This woman told us, that he had left them thirty years ago: the poor man vehemently contradicted her, and then seated himself on the end of the bench. He uttered some words, which I could not well hear; then cried aloud- My dearest, where art thou, at this moment? Art thou at Revel, at Riga, or at Petersburgh?" These words were so applicable to my own situation, that I had scarcely strength enough to rise from my seat, and retire to conceal my tears. This good old man, thought I, exhibits a picture of what ere long I may be. Deprived of reason, I may, perhaps, one day loiter about the road, and ask the passengers if they had any letters from Revel? Even now, I may exclaim, like him, My dearest, where art thou, at this moment? Art thou at Petersburgh, at Riga, or at Revel?" Never, oh! never, did I experience such a painful moment! The image of the old man is for ever engraven on my memory; it is present to me when I awake; it haunts me in my dreams, and is eternally before me.