204 A CHA P. XVII. Language of Passion. MONG the particulars that compofe the focial part of our nature, a pro penfity to communicate our opinions, our emotions, and every thing that affects us, is remarkable. Bad fortune and injustice affect every one greatly; and of thefe we are so prone to complain, that if we have no friend or acquaintance to take part in our fufferings, we fometimes utter our complaints aloud even where there are none to liften. But this propenfity, though natural, operates not in every ftate of mind. A manimmoderately grieved, feeks to afflict himfelf; and felf-affliction is the gratification of the paffion. Immoderate grief is therefore mute; because complaining is ftruggling for relief: It is the wretch's comfort ftill to have Some Some small referve of near and inward wo, Which they unfeen may wail, and weep, and mourn, And glutton-like alone devour. Mourning Bride, act 1. fc. 1. When grief fubfides, it then and no fooner finds a tongue. We complain, because complaining is an effort to disburden the mind of its distress *. Surprise and terror are filent paffions for a different reason they agitate the mind fo violently, as for a time to fufpend the exercife of its faculties, and in particular that of fpeech. Love and revenge, when immoderate, are This obfervation is finely illuftrated by a story which Herodotus records, book 3. Cambyfes when he conquered Egypt, took Pfammenitus the King prifoner: and to try his conftancy, ordered his daughter to be dreffed in the habit of a flave, and to be employ'd in bringing water from the river. His fon alfo was led to execution with a halter about his neck. The Egyptians vented their forrow in tears and lamentations. Pfammenitus only, with a down-caft eye, remained filent. Afterward meeting one of his companions, a man advanced in years, who being plundered of all, was begging alms, he wept are not more loquacious than immoderate grief. But when these paffions become moderate, they set the tongue free, and, like moderate grief, become loquacious. Moderate love, when unfuccefsful, is vented in complaints; when fuccefsful, is full of joy expreffed both in words and geftures. As no passion hath any long uninterrupted existence * nor beats always with an equal pulfe, the language fuggefted by paffion is alfo unequal and interrupted. And even during an uninterrupted fit of paffion, we only exprefs in words the more capital fentiments. In familiar converfation, one who vents every fingle thought is juftly branded with wept bitterly, calling him by his name. Cambyfes was struck with wonder, and fent a messenger with the following question, "Pfammenitus, thy master Cambyfes is defirous to know, "why, after thou hadft feen thy daughter fo ignominiously treat"ed, and thy fon led to execution, without exclamation or "weeping, thou shouldft be fo highly concerned for a poor man no way related to thee?" Pfammenitus returned the following answer: "Son of Cyrus, the calamities of my fa"mily are too great to leave me the power of weeping: but "the misfortunes of a companion, reduced in his old age to want of bread, is a fit fubject for lamentation." *See chap. 2. part 3. the the character of loquacity. Senfible perfons exprefs no thoughts but what make fome figure. In the fame manner, we are only disposed to express the strongest impulses of paffion, especially when it returns with impetuofity after some interruption.. I already have had occafion to observe * that the fentiments ought to be tuned to the paffion, and the language to both. Elevated fentiments require elevated language: tender fentiments ought to be clothed in words that are soft and flowing: when the mind is depreffed with any paffion, the fentiments must be exprefled in words that are humble, not low. Words have an intimate connection with the ideas they reprefent; and the representation must be imperfect, if the words correfpond not precisely to the ideas. An elevated tone of language to exprefs a plain or humble fentiment, has a bad effect by a difcordant mixture of feeling. There is not lefs difcord when elevated fentiments are dreffed in low words: * Chap. 16. Verfibus Verfibus exponi tragicis res comica non vult. Horace, Ars poet. 1. 89. This however excludes not figurative expreffion, which, within moderate bounds, communicates to the fentiment an agreeable elevation. We are fenfible of an effect directly oppofite, where figurative expreffion is indulged beyond a just measure. The oppofition betwixt the expreffion and the fentiment, makes the difcord appear greater than it is in reality*, At the fame time, all paffions admit not equally of figures. Pleafant emotions, which elevate or fwell the mind, vent themselves in strong epithets and figurative expreffion. Humbling and difpiriting paffions, on the contrary, affect to speak plain: Et tragicus plerumque dolet fermone pedestri Telephus et Peleus: cum pauper et exul uterque; Projicit ampullas et fefquipedalia verba, Si curat cor fpectantis tetigiffe querela. Horace, Ars poet. 95. *See this explained more particularly in chap. 8. Figurative |