Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/481

Rh THE TONGA ISLANDS. 415 in this way was sometimes wreaked upon chiefs, who, as he imagined, did not pay him so much tribute as their plantations could have afforded; at least such was supposed to be his motive, by those who knew him best. In describing the character of an extraordi- nary man, the picture is unfinished unless we furnish also a portraiture of his person, and of his personal manners ; otherwise the imagina- tion of the reader is sure to describe for itself a body, as a substratum on which all these mental qualifications are superinduced; and hence, incongruities are mingled together; the harmony of the picture weakened, if not quite destroyed ; and an imperfect artificial con- struction is substituted for a perfect natural production. To give an example of the pro- priety, if not the necessity of this, — one might imagine from the character above given of Fi- now that he was of a very vindictive and cruel disposition, because we have given a few in- stances in confirmation of it: one might be- lieve him therefore to have a countenance harsh and severe, a lowering, sullen brow, a haughty deportment, &c. — But nothing can be more re- mote from his true personal character; — and we are surprised to hear that his countenance was indeed energetic, yet mild ; his brow pro- minent and bold, without suUenness; his d6-