nions, may be pleafed with the story, as what probably had a strong effect upon a Grecian audience. But he cannot have the fame indulgence for fuch a representation upon a modern ftage; for no ftory which carries a violent air of fiction, can ever move us in any confiderable degree,

In the Coëphores of Efchylus *, Orestes is made to say, that he was commanded by Apollo to avenge his father's murder; and yet if he obeyed, that he was to be delivered to the furies, or be ftruck with fome horrible malady. The tragedy accordingly concludes with a chorus, deploring the fate of Oreftes, obliged to take vengeance against a mother, and involved thereby in a crime against his will. It is impoffible for any man at present to accommodate his mind to opinions fo irrational and abfurd, which must disgust him in perufing even a Grecian ftory. Among the Greeks again, grofsly fuperftitious, it was a common opinion, that the report of a man's death was a prefage of his death; and Oreftes, in

*Act 2.

the

the first act of Electra, fpreading a report of his own death in order to blind his mother and her adulterer, is even in this cafe affected with the prefage. Such imbecility can never find grace with a modern audience.

It may indeed produce fome degree of compaffion for a people afflicted to fuch a degree with abfurd terrors, fimilar to what is felt in perufing a description of the Hottentotes: but manners of this kind will not intereft our affections, nor excite any degree of focial concern.

116

CHA P. XV.

External Signs of Emotions and Paffions.

S

O intimately connected are the foul and body, that there is not a single agitation in the former, but what produceth a visible effect upon the latter. There is, at the fame time, a wonderful uniformity in this operation; each class of emotions 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 the feveral emotions and paffions as they arise in the heart. We perceive difplay'd externally, hope, fear, joy, grief: we can read the character of a man in his face; and

Omnis enim motus animi, fuum quemdam a natura habet vultum et fonum et geftum. Cicero, l. 3. De oratore.

beauty,

beauty, which makes fo ftrong an impreffion, is known to refult, not so much from regular features and a fine complexion, as from good nature, good fenfe, fprightliness, sweetness, or other mental quality, expreffed some way upon the countenance. Though perfect skill in this language be rare, yet so much knowledge of it is diffused through mankind, as to be fufficient for the ordinary events of life. But by what means we come to understand this language, is a point of fome intricacy. It cannot be by fight merely; for upon the most attentive inspection of the human vifage, all that can be discerned are figure, colour, and motion ; and yet thefe, fingly or combined, never can represent a paffion or 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 reach of eye-fight. Where then is the inftructor to be found, that can unvail this fecret connection? If we apply to experience, it is yielded, that from long and diligent obfervation, we may gather in fome measure

measure in what manner thofe we are acquainted with exprefs their paffions externally. But with refpect 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 stranger, 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 skill 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 shall we apply for a folution of this intricate problem, which feems to penetrate deep into human nature? In my

* See this explained, Effays on morality and natural religion, part 2. effay 5.