With it view to his improvement, Lavater now under took a journey through a great part of Germany ; duritig which he had an opportunity of visiting and conversing with many individuals of the highest eminence in literature, and of making many observations on the characters of men. Alter being absent about a year, lie returned to his native country in 1764. Although he had at this time no living in the church, yet he preached often ; and the sty be and rot in of his sermons, though new, were much admired. His delivery was warm and energetic, and he possessed great clearness in the exposition of scriptural truths. In the year 1766, he married Anna Sehinz, the daughter of a respectable merchant in Zurich. In 1769, he was appoint ed pastor of the Orphan's Church; a situation which gave him an opportunity, which he always sought, of being use ful, and of doing good. Here, too, he immoved that talent for communicating, instruction to children, which he after wards brought to such perfection.
From an early period of his life, Lavater had been ac customed to observe, with particular attention, the varieties of form in the human countenance, and to make drawings of such features as appeared to him to indicate any peculi arity of character. The more he observed, the more was lie confirmed in his belief, that the essential qualities of the mind of every man were sensibly pourtrayed in the confor mation of his whole body, especially of his head and face. The result of these observations induced him to think, that it might be possible to discover some certain principles upon this subject, which might be systematically arranged in the form of a science. He both corresponded and con versed upon this subject with his friend Dr. Zimmermann; and in spite of his objections, and those of other learned men, Lavater still continued to be persuaded of the truth of his favourite theory. The principles from which he set out are to be found in a small work, published by Zimmer mann in 1772. entitled •• John Casl:ar Lavater on Phyviw ncmy," being the first publication which appeared upon the subject.
The first volume of his great work on Physiognomy was published in 1775, under tile title of Fragments," which was soon followed by three other volumes. This work, which contains a great many curious and interesting obser vations, exhibits much delicate feeling, and refined, though fanciful reasoning, was read with great avidity ; and the theory of Lavater, although now almost consigned to ob livion, became a fashionable study, among the learned and the unlearned, throughout the whole of Europe. It was soon discovered, however, that this theory wanted con sistency, and that it was founded on no just or certain principles. Lavater himself, who was more remarkable
for the liveness of his imagination, than for depth of re flection or soundness of reasoning, seems to have totally overlooked those circumstances which were most calculat ed to give his theory even the appearance of systematic science. He sought the indications of character chiefly in the Wirt 12arts, especially the forehead and the nose ; and from these he drew conclusions with regard to the original dispositions of men. He neglected the soft and more moveable features, such as the eye, and particularly the lines about the mouth and nose ; from which he might have been, perhaps, better warranted in forming conclu sions respecting the acquired dispositions, the feelings, and the passions of the individual. But although this work must be considered as the production of a fanciful, rather than of a scientific mind, it contains undoubtedly many in genious and interesting observations, which spew that the author possessed much delicate knowledge of the hu man heart. There is in it, however, as in almost all the productions of Lavater, too great a parade of language,— many elegant and sententious passages, not greatly over burdened with meaning. Many will esteem the work as valuable chiefly on account of the engravings ; a number of which, exhibiting the heads of men and animals, are exquisitely finished, and singularly expressive. It may be proper to observe, that the French translation of Lava ter's Physiognomy, from which the English version was made, was not a mere translation from the originalGerman work, but, in many respects, a new treatise, translated un der the eye, and revised by Lavater himself. An abridg ment of the work, in four volumes 8vo. was published by Armbruster (1783-1786), which, according to Lavater, contains, in a less expensive form, the whole essence of the large edition.
In the year 1778, Lavater was appointed dean of St. Peter's church, which considerably enlarged his sphere of exertion. From this period he continued to publish nu merous works, which were calculated to promote the knowledge, and advance the interests of religion. Having translated Bonnet's Inquiry into the Evidences of Chris tianity, he had the imprudence to dedicate the book to the celebrated Jewish philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn, with a challenge, either to refute it publicly, or to profess his conviction of the truth of its arguments, by embracing the Christian faith. Mendelssohn answered in a style at once modest and manly ; and Lavater afterwards repented of the step he had taken, and acknowledged in public, that his zeal had led him beyond the bounds of discretion.