to understand this language, is a point of fome intricacy. It cannot be by fight merely; for upon the most attentive infpection of the human vifage, all that can be difcerned are figure, colour, and motion; and yet thefe, fingly or combined, never can represent a paffion or a fentiment. The external fign is indeed visible. But to understand its meaning, we must be able to connect it with the paffion that caufes it; an operation far beyond the reach of eye-fight. Where then is the inftructer 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 those we are acquainted with express their paffions externally. But with respect to strangers, of whom we have no experience, we are left in the dark. And yet we are not puzzled about the meaning of these external expreffions in a ftranger, more than in a bofom-companion*. Further, had we no other means but experience for understanding the external figns of paffion, we could not expect any uniformity or any degree of fkill in the bulk of individuals. But matters are ordered fo differently, 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 this language; for undoubtedly we are much indebted to experience in deciphering the dark and more delicate expreffions. Where then fhall we apply for a folution of this intricate problem, which feems to penetrate deep into human nature? In my mind it will be convenient to fufpend the inquiry, till we be better acquainted with the nature of external figns See this explained, Effays on morality and natural religion, part 2. essay 5. figns and with their operations. etherefore fhall be premised. These articles The external figns of paffion are of two kinds, voluntary and involuntary. The voluntary figns are also of two kinds: fome are arbitrary and fome natural. Words are arbitrary figns, excepting a few fimple founds expreffive of certain internal emotions; and these founds, being the fame in all languages, must be the work of nature. But though words are arbitrary, the manner of employing them is not altogether fo; for each paffion has by nature peculiar expreffions and tones fuited to it. Thus the unpremeditated tones of admiration, are the fame in all men; as alfo of compaffion, refentment, and despair. Dramatic writers ought to be well acquainted with this natural manner of expreffing paffion. The chief talent of a fine writer, is a ready command of the expreffions that nature dictates to every man when any vivid emotion ftruggles for utterance; and the chief talent of a fine reader, is a ready command of the tones fuited to thefe expreffions. The other kind of voluntary figns, comprehends certain attitudes and geftures that naturally accompany certain emotions with a furprising uniformity. Thus exceffive joy is expreffed by leaping, dancing, or fome elevation of the body; and exceffive grief by finking or depreffing it. Thus 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 resemblance to the paffions that produce them*. Joy, which produceth a chearful elevation of mind, is expreffed by an elevation of body. Pride, magnanimity, courage, and the whole tribe of elevating paffions, are expreffed 04 See chap. 2. part 6. preffed by external gestures that are the fame as to 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 depreffion of the body. Hence, to be caft down, is a common phrase, fignifying to be grieved or difpirited. One would not imagine, who has not given peculiar attention, that the body is susceptible of such a variety of attitude and motion, as readily to accompany every different emotion with a correfponding gefture. Humility, for example, is expreffed naturally by hanging the head; arrogance, by its elevation and languor or defpondence, by reclining it to one fide. The expreffions of the hands are manifold. By different attitudes and motions, the hands exprefs defire, hope, fear: they aflift us in promifing, in inviting, in keeping one at a diftance: they are made inftruments of threatening, of fupplication, of praife, and of horror: they are employ'd in approving, in refufing, in questioning; in fhowing our joy, our forrow, our doubts, our regret, our admiration. These geftures, 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 these expreffions at command, bestowed much time and care, in collecting them from obfervation, and in digesting them into a practical art, which was taught in their schools as an important branch of education. The The foregoing figns, though in a ftrict fenfe vo-luntary, cannot however be restrained but with the utmost difficulty when they are prompted by paffion. Of this we fcarce need a stronger proof, than the geftures of a.keen player at bowls. Obferve: anly how he wreaths his body, in order to restore a ftray bowl to the right track. It is one article of. good breeding, to fupprefs, as much as poffible, these external figns of paffion, that we may not in Company appear too warm or too interested. The fame obfervation holds in fpeech. A paffion, it is true, when in extreme, is filent*; but when lefs violent, it must be vented in words, which have a peculiar force, not to be equalled in a fedate compofition. The eafe and truft we have in a confident, encourages us no doubt to talk of ourselves and of our feelings. But the cause is more gene-.. ral; for it operates when we are alone as well as in company. Paffion is the caufe; for in many inftances it is no flight gratification to vent a paffion externally by words as well as by geftures. Some paffions, when at a certain height, impel us fo ftrongly to vent them in words,, that we speak with an audible voice, even where there is none to listen.. It is this circumftance in paffion, that juftifies foliloquies; and it is this circumftance that proves them to be naturalt. The mind fometimes favours this 05 impulfe See chap. 17. Though a foliloquy in the perturbation of passion? is undoubtedly natural, and indeed not unfrequent in: real life; yet Congreve, who himself has penned feve-ral good foliloquies, yields, with more candor than knowledge, that they are unnatural; and he only pretends to juftify them from neceflity. This he does in his dedication of the Double Dealer, in the following words. "When a man in foliloquy reafons with him-"felf, and pro's and con's, and weighs all his defigns; we ought not to imagine, that this man either talks 湯 Ch. XV. impulfe of paffion, by beftowing a temporary fenfibility upon any object at hand, in order to make it a confident. Thus in the Winter's Tale*, Antigonus addreffes himself to an infant whom he was ordered to expose: Come, poor babe, I have heard, but not believ'd, the spirits of the dead 1 The involuntary figns, which are all of them natural, are either peculiar to one paffion or common to many. Every violent paffion hath an external expreffion peculiar to itfelf, not excepting pleasant paffions: witnefs admiration and mirth. The pleasant emotious that are less vivid, have one common expreffion; from which we may gather the ftrength of the emotion, but fcarce the kind: we perceive a chearful or contented look; and we can make no more of it. Painful paffions, being all of them violent, are diftinguishable from each other by their external expreffions. Thus fear, fhame, anger, anxiety, dejection, defpair, have each of them peculiar expreffions; which are apprehended without the leaft confufion. Some of thefe paffions produce violent effects upon the body, fuch as trembling, starting, and fwooning. But thefe effects, depending in a good measure upon fingularity "to us, or to himself; he is only thinking, and think"ing (frequently) fuch matter as were inexcufeable "folly in him to fpeak. But because we are concealed "fpectators of the plot in agitation, and the poet finds "it neceflary to let us know the whole myftery of his contrivance, he is willing to inform us of this per"fon's thoughts; and to that end is forced to make use "of the expedient of fpeech, no other better way be❝ing yet invented for the communication of thought." * A&t 3. fc. 6. |