CHAPTER79ThePrairie

toscanthelinesofhisface,orfeelthebumpsontheheadofthisleviathan;thisisathingwhichnophysiognomistorphrenologisthasasyetundertaken.suchanenterprisewouldseemalmostashopefulasforlavatertohavescrutinizedthewrinklesontherockofgibraltar,orforgalltohavemountedaladderandmanipulatedthedomeofthepantheon.still,inthatfamousworkofhis,lavaternotonlytreatsofthevariousfacesofmen,butalsoattentivelystudiesthefacesofhorses,birds,serpents,andfish;anddwellsindetailuponthemodificationofexpressiondiscernibletherein.norhavegallandhisdisciplespurzheimfailedtothrowoutsomehintstouchingthephrenologicalcharacteristicsofotherbeingsthanman.therefore,thoughiambutillqualifiedforapioneer,intheapplicationofthesetwosemi-sciencestothewhale,iwilldomyendeavor.itryallthings;iachievewhatican.

physiognomicallyregarded,thespermwhaleisananomalouscreature.hehasnopropernose.andsincethenoseisthecentralandmostconspicuousofthefeatures;andsinceitperhapsmostmodifiesandfinallycontrolstheircombinedexpression;henceitwouldseemthatitsentireabsence,asanexternalappendage,mustverylargelyaffectthecountenanceofthewhale.forasinlandscapegardening,aspire,cupola,monument,ortowerofsomesort,isdeemedalmostindispensabletothecompletionofthescene;sonofacecanbephysiognomicallyinkeepingwithouttheelevatedopen-workbelfryofthenose.dashthenosefromphidias'smarblejove,andwhatasorryremainder!nevertheless,leviathanisofsomightyamagnitude,allhisproportionsaresostately,thatthesamedeficiencywhichinthesculpturedjovewerehideous,inhimisnoblemishatall.nay,itisanaddedgrandeur.anosetothewhalewouldhavebeenimpertinent.asonyourphysiognomicalvoyageyousailroundhisvastheadinyourjolly-boat,yournobleconceptionsofhimareneverinsultedbythereflectionthathehasanosetobepulled.apestilentconceit,whichsooftenwillinsistuponobtrudingevenwhenbeholdingthemightiestroyalbeadleonhisthrone.

insomeparticulars,perhapsthemostimposingphysiognomicalviewtobehadofthespermwhale,isthatofthefullfrontofhishead.thisaspectissublime.

inthought,afinehumanbrowisliketheeastwhentroubledwiththemorning.inthereposeofthepasture,thecurledbrowofthebullhasatouchofthegrandinit.pushingheavycannonupmountaindefiles,theelephant'sbrowismajestic.humanoranimal,themysticalbrowisasthatgreatgoldensealaffixedbythegermanemperorstotheirdecrees.itsignifies—"god:donethisdaybymyhand."butinmostcreatures,nayinmanhimself,veryoftenthebrowisbutamerestripofalpinelandlyingalongthesnowline.fewaretheforeheadswhichlikeshakespeare'sormelancthon'srisesohigh,anddescendsolow,thattheeyesthemselvesseemclear,eternal,tidelessmountainlakes;andallabovethemintheforehead'swrinkles,youseemtotracktheantleredthoughtsdescendingtheretodrink,asthehighlandhunterstrackthesnowprintsofthedeer.butinthegreatspermwhale,thishighandmightygod-likedignityinherentinthebrowissoimmenselyamplified,thatgazingonit,inthatfullfrontview,youfeelthedeityandthedreadpowersmoreforciblythaninbeholdinganyotherobjectinlivingnature.foryouseenoonepointprecisely;notonedistinctfeatureisrevealed;nonose,eyes,ears,ormouth;noface;hehasnone,proper;nothingbutthatonebroadfirmamentofaforehead,pleatedwithriddles;dumblyloweringwiththedoomofboats,andships,andmen.nor,inprofile,doesthiswondrousbrowdiminish;thoughthatwayvieweditsgrandeurdoesnotdomineeruponyouso.inprofile,youplainlyperceivethathorizontal,semicrescenticdepressionintheforehead'smiddle,which,inman,islavater'smarkofgenius.

buthow?geniusinthespermwhale?hasthespermwhaleeverwrittenabook,spokenaspeech?no,hisgreatgeniusisdeclaredinhisdoingnothingparticulartoproveit.itismoreoverdeclaredinhispyramidicalsilence.andthisremindsmethathadthegreatspermwhalebeenknowntotheyoungorientworld,hewouldhavebeendeifiedbytheirchild-magianthoughts.theydeifiedthecrocodileofthenile,becausethecrocodileistongueless;andthespermwhalehasnotongue,oratleastitissoexceedinglysmall,astobeincapableofprotrusion.ifhereafteranyhighlycultured,poeticalnationshalllurebacktotheirbirth-right,themerrymay-daygodsofold;andlivinglyenthronethemagaininthenowegotisticalsky;inthenowunhauntedhill;thenbesure,exaltedtojove'shighseat,thegreatspermwhaleshalllordit.

champolliondecipheredthewrinkledgranitehieroglyphics.butthereisnochampolliontodeciphertheegyptofeveryman'sandeverybeing'sface.physiognomy,likeeveryotherhumanscience,isbutapassingfable.ifthen,sirwilliamjones,whoreadinthirtylanguages,couldnotreadthesimplestpeasant'sfaceinitsprofounderandmoresubtlemeanings,howmayunletteredishmaelhopetoreadtheawfulchaldeeofthespermwhale'sbrow?ibutputthatbrowbeforeyou.readitifyoucan.