On the Mount of Mars (under Mercury) great opposition.

On the Mount of Mars (under Jupiter) violence and even death from quarrels.

On the Mount of the Moon it denotes a fatal influence to the imagination. Such a man will deceive himself. When low down on this Mount it foreshadows death by drowning.

On the Mount of Venus it indicates some fatal influence of the affections.

Above the Line of Head it foretells an accident or injury to the head.

Above the Line of Heart, the sudden death of some loved one.

THE SQUARE.

The Square (13, Plate XXII.) is usually called the Mark of Preservation. It shows escape from dangers at that particular moment where it appears.

When on the Line of Life it means preservation from death. (13, Plate XXII.) On the Line of Fate, preservation from loss, and so on with each quality represented by the different lines.

CHAPTER XVII.

DIFFERENT CLa.s.sES OF LINES.

The lines on the palm should be clearly marked, a good pink or reddish colour, and they should be free from breaks, crosses, holes or irregularities of all kinds.

When very pale in colour they show lack of force and loss of energy, and often poor health.

When extremely red they indicate excessive energy and a rather violent disposition.

When yellow in colour they denote a tendency to biliousness and liver complaints, and tell in consequence of a melancholy morose nature.

Forked lines are generally good and increase the quality of the special indication. When at the end of the Line of Head, the fork gives more of what is called a dual mentality and less power of concentration on any one subject. (Plate XXIV.) Spots on a Line weaken it and arrest its growth.

Ta.s.selled Lines (Plate XXIV.) are not good signs. They weaken any indication the line itself denotes, and at the end of a Life Line they foreshadow loss of all nervous energy.

Wavy Lines (Plate XXIV.) show uncertainty, lack of decision and want of force.

Broken Lines (Plate XXIV.) destroy the meaning of the line at the particular place where the break appears, but if one line ends above the other, the break is not so bad and the quality of the line will be continued.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE XXIV.

MINOR MARKS AND SIGNS.]

Sister Lines (Plate XXIV.) increase or double the power of any line, and when lying close together at the Line of Head, they give it great power and promise.

Islands (Plate XXIV.) are always evil and denote weakness or failure of the Line or Mount on which they may be found.

Ascending Lines (Plate XXIV.) are good from any line from which they spring. From the Line of Life they denote increased energy wherever they make their appearance. If they run up to any particular Mount or part of the hand, they show that the increased effort or energy will be in that particular direction.

Descending Lines (Plate XXIV.) are the reverse and mean loss of power.

Chained Lines show lack of force or fixity of purpose. (Plate XXIV.).

When the entire hand is covered with a network of small lines, it denotes a highly nervous disposition and usually great mental worry and lack of decision.

RIGHT AND LEFT HANDS.

Both the hands should be examined together to see if they accord. When they do, the indication of whatever the mark is, is more decided.

When something is marked on the left hand and not on the right, the tendency will be in the nature, but unless it is also marked on the right hand it will never bear fruit or come to any result. When the two hands are exactly alike, it denotes that the subject has not developed in any way from what heredity or Nature gave to him.

It must be remembered that we use the left side of the brain more than we do the right, and the nerves cross and go to the right hand. Consequently, it is this hand which denotes the developed or active brain, the left only giving the natural tendencies or inclinations.

To be scientific and accurate the student of this subject must always keep this rule before his mind and not be led away in his judgment by some "marvellously good line" that the subject may proudly call his attention to in the left hand, for such a mark will have no actual result unless it is also found on the right hand.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE GREAT TRIANGLE AND THE QUADRANGLE.

The Great Triangle is formed by the lines of Head, Life, and Health (Plate XXV.). The larger this triangle is, the better will be the health, for the reason that the Line of Health will be further removed from the Life Line. The views of life will also be broader and the field of action as it were less limited.

When the upper angle (made by the Head and Life Lines) is acute, the subject will be more nervous, timid, and sensitive.

THE QUADRANGLE.

The Quadrangle, as its name implies, is that s.p.a.ce lying between the Lines of Head and Heart. (Plate XXV.) To be well marked, it should be even in shape and not narrow at either end.

When marked in this way it denotes balance of judgment, level-headedness in all things, and is a most excellent sign to have.

It represents man's disposition or mental att.i.tude towards his fellow men. When extremely narrow it indicates narrowness of views and bigotry in regard to religion.

When excessively wide, it denotes a lack of judgment in all things and too much looseness of views for one's good.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE XXV.

THE GREAT TRIANGLE AND THE QUADRANGLE.]

CHAPTER XIX.

HOW TO TELL TIME AND DATES OF PRINc.i.p.aL EVENTS IN THE LIFE.

The most correct way in which to tell time by the hand is to divide the Line of Life into periods of seven years, and also the Line of Fate, following the accompanying design (Plate XXVI.).

The Line of Head may also be divided into sections of seven years (see page 25).

This division into periods of seven is the most natural one of all, as the entire nature changes every seven years. Long experience has proved that, by dividing the hand in the manner shown in the accompanying ill.u.s.tration, the best possible results as regards dates are obtained.

I have also made the following curious observation concerning the most important years in people's careers, which I now publish in this work for the first time.

People born on the 1st, 10th, 19th, and 28th of any month, and especially in the months of July, August, and January, will find the following years of their lives the most eventful: 1st, 7th, 10th, 16th, 19th, 28th, 34th, 37th, 43d, 46th, 52d, 55th, 61st, and 70th.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE XXVI.

TIME AND DATES OF PRINc.i.p.aL EVENTS.]

Those born on the 2d, 11th, 20th, and 29th of any month, but more especially in July, August, and January, will find the following years of their lives the most eventful: 2d, 7th, 11th, 16th, 20th, 25th, 29th, 34th, 38th, 43d, 47th, 52d, 56th, and 70th.

Those born on the 3d, 12th, 21st, and 30th of any month, but more especially in the months of December and February, will find the following years of their lives the most eventful: 3d, 12th, 21st, 30th, 39th, 48th, 57th, 66th, and 75th.

Those born on the 4th, 13th, 22d, and 31st, especially in the months of July, August, and January, will find the followings years of their lives the most eventful: 1st, 4th, 10th, 13th, 19th, 22d, 28th, 31st, 37th, 40th, 46th, 49th, 55th, 58th, 64th, 67th, 73d, and 76th.

Those born on the 5th, 14th, and 23d of any month, but especially in the months of June and September, will find the following years of their lives the most eventful: 5th, 14th, 23d, 32d, 41st, 50th, 59th, 68th, and 77th.

Those born on the 6th, 15th, and 24th of any month, but especially in the months of May and October, will find the following years of their lives the most eventful: 6th, 15th, 24th, 33d, 42d, 51st, 60th, 69th, 78th, and 87th.

Those born on the 7th, 16th, and 25th of any month, especially in the months of July, August, and January, will find the following years of their lives the most eventful: 2d, 7th, 11th, 16th, 20th, 25th, 29th, 34th, 38th, 43d, 47th, 56th, 61st, 65th, 70th, 74th, and 79th.

Those born on the 8th, 17th, and 26th of any month, but more especially in the months of January, February, July, and August, will find the following years of their lives the most eventful: 8th, 17th, 26th, 35th, 44th, 53d, 62d, 71st, and 80th.

Those born on the 9th, 18th, and 27th of any month, but more especially in the months of April, October, and November, will find the following years of their lives the most eventful: 9th, 18th, 27th, 36th, 45th, 54th, 63d, 72d, and 81st.

This curious system it will be seen has embraced every day of every month that people can be born on. It is based on a strange law of periodicity that after years of study I have found extremely accurate and wonderful in its meaning.

PART II--CHEIROGNOMY.

OR.

THE SCIENCE OF INTERPRETING THE SHAPE OF HANDS.

CHAPTER I.

THE STUDY OF THE SHAPE OF THE HAND.

We now leave the domain of what must be considered Palmistry, the study of the Lines of the Palm--or Cheiromancy, as it was called by the Greeks from the word [Greek: cheir], the hand, and proceed to consider the meanings that can be derived from the shapes of the hands, fingers, etc., which is called Cheirognomy.

These two studies may be taken up separately, but by a knowledge of both the student will be doubly armed, especially in the reading of character.

To a judge of horseflesh the limbs of the horse give him such a fund of information as to the animals' breed, training, etc., that it enables him to draw conclusions that he could not otherwise obtain.

In the same way the shape of the hand gives an enormous wealth of information as to breed and peculiarities of human beings.

In a book of this nature I shall be able to give only the leading traits denoted by each type, but if readers wish to carry out this study further, I must refer them to my larger works on the subject, in which the shapes of the hands are described in the fullest detail.

The most casual observation of character as shown by the formation of hands will soon convince any person of the value of this study. Even in itself it possesses the most far-reaching possibilities in helping to a clear understanding of the difference that exists in races, their various blends of types, that have now spread themselves by intermarriage and travel over the surface of the earth.

For example, the difference in the shape of the hands of the French and German or the French and English races would convince any thinking person that temperament and disposition are indeed largely indicated by the shape of the hand itself.

It is even a remarkable thing that though work and exercise may enlarge and broaden the hand, yet the type to which it belongs is never destroyed, but can be easily detected by anyone who has made a study of such matters.

The Seven Types or Shapes of Hands are as follows: (1) The Elementary--or lowest type. (2) The Square--or the useful hand. (3) The Spatulate--or nervous active type. (4) The Philosophic--or jointed hand. (5) The Conic--or the artistic type. (6) The Psychic--or the idealistic hand. (7) The Mixed Hand.

THE SEVEN TYPES OF HANDS.

THE ELEMENTARY.

As its name implies, the Elementary is the lowest type of all. It is just a little above the brute creation. This type is extremely short (Plate I., Part II.), thick set and brutal-looking. In pa.s.sing I must draw the

reader's attention to the fact that the shorter and thicker the hand is, the nearer the person is to the animal.

In examining this type one can therefore only expect to find it the expression of all that is coa.r.s.e, brutal, and animal.

People having such hands naturally have very little mental development or ability. They are found engaged in occupations requiring only unskilled labour and the very lowest even of that.

They are violent in temper, and have little or no control over their pa.s.sions or their anger. They are coa.r.s.e in their ideas, possess little or no sentiment, no imagination or feeling, and it has been found that even the nerve system of such types is more or less in a state of non-development. They do not feel pain as the higher types of humanity feel it, and have little ambition except to eat, drink, and sleep.