426 CHAP XV. EXTERNAL SIGNS OF EMOTIONS AND PASSIONS. S O intimately connected are the foul and body, that every agitation in the former, produceth a visible effect upon the latter. There is, at the fame time, a wonderful uniformity in that operation; each clafs of emotions and paffions being invariably attended with an external appearance peculiar to itself *. These external appearances or figns, may not improperly be confidered as a natural language, expreffing to all beholders emotions and paffions as they arife in the heart. Hope, fear, joy, grief, are difplay'd externally the character of a man can be read in his face; and beauty, which makes fo deep an impreffion, is known to refult, not fo much from regular features and a fine complexion, as from good nature, good sense, fprightliness, sweetness, or other mental quality, expreffed upon the countenance. Tho' perfect fkill in that language be rare, yet what is generally known is fufficient for * Omnis enim motus animi, fuum quemdam a natura habet vultum et fonum et geftum. Cicero, 1. 3. De @ratore. the the ordinary purposes of life. But by what means we come to understand the language, is a point of fome intricacy it cannot be by fight merely; for upon the most attentive infpection of the human face, all that can be discerned, are figure, colour, and motion, which fingly or combined, never can reprefent a paffion, nor a fentiment: the external fign is indeed vifible; but to understand its meaning we must be able to connect it with the paffion that causes it, an operation far beyond the reacn of eye-fight. Where then is the inftructor to be found that can unveil this fecret connection? If we apply to experience, it is yielded, that from long and diligent obfervation, we may gather, in fome measure, in what manner thofe we are acquainted with exprefs their paffions externally: but with respect to ftrangers, we are left in the dark; and yet we are not puzzled about the meaning of these external expreffions in a stranger, more than in a bofom-companion. Further, had we no other means but experience for underftanding the external figns of paffion, we could not expect any degree of fkill in the bulk of individuals: yet matters are fo much better ordered, that the external expreffions of paffion form a language understood by all, by the young as well as the old, by the ignorant as well as the learned: I talk of the plain and legible characters of that language: for undoubtedly we are much indebted to experience, in deciphering the dark dark and more delicate expreffions. Where then Thall we apply for a folution of this intricate pro blem, which feems to penetrate deep into human nature? In my mind it will be convenient to sufpend the enquiry, till we are better acquainted with the nature of external figns, and with their operations. These articles therefore shall be premised. The external figns of paffion are of two kinds, voluntary and involuntary. The voluntary figns are also of two kinds: fome are arbitrary, fome natural. Words are obviously voluntary figns: and they are also arbitrary; excepting a few fimple founds expreffive of certain internal emotions, which founds being the fame in all languages, must be the work of nature: thus the unpremedi tated tones of admiration are the fame in all men ; as also of compaffion, refentment, and despair. Dramatic writers ought to be well acquainted with this natural language of paffion: the chief talent of fuch a writer, is a ready command of the expreffions that nature dictates to every person, when any vivid emotion struggles for utterance; and the chief talent of a fine reader, is a ready command of tones fuited to thefe expreffions. The other kind of voluntary figns, comprehends certain attitudes and gestures that naturally accompany certain emotions with a surprising uniformity: exceffive joy is expreffed by leaping, dancing, or fome elevation of the body: exceffive grief, by finking finking or depreffing it: and proftration and kneeling have been employ'd by all nations and in all ages to fignify profound veneration. Another circumftance, ftill more than uniformity, demonftrates these gestures to be natural, viz. their remarkable conformity or refemblance to the paffions that produce them*. Joy, which is a chearful elevation of mind, is expreffed by an elevation of body: pride, magnanimity, courage, and the whole tribe of elevating paffions, are expreffed by external gestures that are the fame as to the circumftance of elevation, however diftinguishable in other refpects; and hence an erect posture is a fign or expreffion of dignity: Two of far nobler fhape, erect and tall, Paradife loft, book 4. Grief, on the other hand, as well as refpect,, which deprefs the mind, cannot for that reafon be expreffed more fignificantly than by a fimilar de preffion of the body; and hence, to be caft down, is a common phrafe, fignifying to be grieved or difpirited †. • See chap. 2. part 6. One + Instead of a complimental speech in addreffing a fuperior, the Chinese deliver the compliment in writing, the fmalinefs One would not imagine who has not given peculiar attention, that the body should be fufceptible of fuch variety of attitude and motion, as readily to accompany every different emotion with a correfponding expreffion. Humility, for example, is expreffed naturally by hanging the head; arrogance, by its elevation; and langour or defpondence, by reclining it to one fide. The expreffions of the hands are manifold: by different attitudes and motions, they express defire, hope, fear; they affift us in promifing, in inviting, in keeping one at a distance; they are made inftruments of threatening, of fupplication, of praise, and of horror; they are employ'd in approving, in refusing, in queftioning; in fhowing our joy, our forrow, our doubts, our regret, our admiration. Thefe expreffions, fo obedient to paffion, are extremely difficult to be imitated in a calm ftate: the ancients, fenfible of the advantage as well as difficulty of having thefe expreffions at command, bestow'd much time and care, in collecting them from obfervation, and in digesting them into a practical art, which was taught in their schools as fmallness of the letters being proportioned to the degree of respect; and the highest compliment is, to make the letters so small as not to be legible. Here is a clear evidence of a mental connection between respect and littleness: a man humbles himself before his superior, and endeavours to contract himself and his hand-writing within the smallest bounds. an |