DRAMATIC.

RULES FOR EXPRESSING ACCURATELY THE PRINCIPAL PASSIONS AND HUMOURS WHICH OCCUR IN THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES.

NATURE has given to every emotion of the mind its proper outward expression, in such manner, that what suits ONE, cannot, by any means, be accommodated to ANOTHER. Children at three years of age express their grief in a tone of voice, and with an action totally different from that which they use to express their anger, and they utter their joy in a manner different from both. Nor do they ever by mistake, apply one in place of another. From hence, that is, from nature, is to be deduced the whole art of speaking properly: what we mean does not so much depend upon the words we speak, as on our manner of speaking them; and accordingly in life, the greatest attention is paid to this, as expressive of what our words often give no indication of; thus nature fixes the outward expression of every intention or sentiment of the mind. Art only adds gracefulness to what nature leads to. As nature has determined that man shall walk on his feet, not his hands; art teaches him to walk gracefully.

Every part of the human frame contributes to express the passions and emotions of the mind, and to shew in general its present state. The head is sometimes erected, sometimes hung down, sometimes drawn suddenly back with an air of disdain, sometimes shews by a nod a par ticular person, or object; gives assent or denial, by dif ferent motions; threatens by one sort of movement, approves by another, and expresses suspicion by a third.

The arms are sometimes both thrown out, sometimes the right hand alone. Sometimes they are lifted up as high as the face, to express wonder, sometimes held out before the breast, to shew fear: spread forth with the hand open, to express desire or affection; the hand clapped in surprize, and in sudden joy and grief; the right handclenched, and the arms brandished, to threaten; the two arms set a-kimbo, to look big, and express contempt or courage. With the hands, as Quintilian says, we solicit, we refuse, we promise, we threaten, we dismiss, we invite, we intreat, we express aversion, fear, doubting, de. nial, asking, affirmation, negation, joy, grief, confession, penitence. With the hands we describe and point out all circumstances of time, place, and manner of what we relate; we excite the passions of others and sooth them, we approve and disapprove, permit, or prohibit, admire, or despise. The hands serve us instead of many sorts of words, and where the language of the tongue is unknown, that of the hands is understood, being universal, and common to all nations.

The legs advance, or retreat, to express desire, or aversion, love, or hatred, courage, or fear, and produce exultation, or leaping in sudden joy; and the stamping of the foot expresses earnestness, anger, and threatening.

Especially the face, being furnished with a variety of muscles, does more in expressing the passions of the mind, than the whole human frame besides. The change of colour (in white people) shows, by turns, anger by redness, and sometimes by paleness, fear likewise by paleness, and shame by blushing; every feature contributes its part. The mouth open, shews one state of the mind; shut, another; the gnashing of the teeth, another. The forehead smooth, and eyebrows arched and easy, shew tranquillity or joy. Mirth opens the mouth towards the ears, crisps the nose, half shuts the eyes, and sometimes fills them with tears. The front wrinkled into frowns and the eyebrows overhanging the eyes, like clouds, fraught with tempest, shew a mind agitated with fury. Above all, the eye shews the very spirit in a visible form. In every different state of the mind, it assumes a different appearance. Joy brightens and opens Grief half closes, and drowns it in tears. Hatred

it.

and

anger flash from it like lightning. Love darts from it in glances, like the orient beam. Jealousy, and squinting envy, dart their contagious blasts from the And devotion raises it to the skies, as if the soul of the holy man WERE GOING TO TAKE ITS FLIGHT to heaven.

eye.

The following are I believe the principal passions, humours, sentiments, and intentions, which are to be expressed by specel and action. And I hope it will be allowed by the reader, that it is nearly in the following manner, that nature expresses them.

TRANQUILLITY,

Or apathy, appears by the composure of the counte nance and general repose of the body and limbs without the exertion of any one muscle. The countenance open; the forehead smooth; the eyebrows arched; the mouth just not shut, and the eyes passing with an easy motion from object to object, but not dwelling long upon any

one.

CHEERFULNESS,

Adds a smile, opening the mouth a little more.

MIRTH,

Or laughter, opens the mouth still more towards the ears; crisps the nose; lessens the aperture of the eyes, and sometimes fills them with tears; shakes and convulses the whole frame; giving considerable pain, which occasions holding the sides.

RAILLERY,

In sport, without real animosity, puts on the aspect of cheerfulness. The tone of voice is sprightly. With contempt or disgust, it casts a look asquint from time to time at the object; and quits the cheerful aspect for one mixed between an affected grin and sourness. The upper lip is drawn up with an air of disdain. The arms are set a-kimbo on the hips; and the right hand now and then thrown out towards the object, as if one were going to strike another a slight back-hand blow. The pitch of the voice rather loud, the touc arch and sneering; the sentences short; the expressions satyrical, with mockpraise intermixed.

BUFFOONERY

Assumes an arch, sly, leering gravity. Must not quit its serious aspect, though all should laugh to burst ribs

of steel. This command of face is somewhat difficult, though not so hard, I should think, as to restrain the contrary sympathy, I mean of weeping with those who

weep,

JOY,

When sudden and violent, expresses itself by clapping of hands, and exultation or leaping. The eyes are opened wide; perhaps filled with tears; often raised to heaven, especially by devout persons. The countenance is smiling, not composedly, but with features aggravated. The voice rises, from time to time, to very high notes.

DELIGHT,

Or pleasure, as when one is entertained, or ravished with music, painting, oratory, or any such elegancy, shews itself by the looks, gestures, and utterance of joy, but moderated.

GRAVITY,

Or seriousness, the mind fixed upon some important subject, draws down the eye-brows a little; casts down, or shuts, raises the eyes to heaven; shuts the mouth, and pinches the lips close. The posture of the body and limbs is composed, and without much motion. speech, if any, slow and solemn; the tone unvarying.

ENQUIRY

The

Into an obscure subject, fixes the body in one posture, the head stooping, and the eye poring, the eyebrows drawn down.

ATTENTION

To an esteemed, or superior character, has the same aspect; and requires silence; the eyes often cast down upon the ground, sometimes fixed on the face of the speaker, but not too pertly.

MODESTY,

Or submission, bends the body forward; levels the eyes to the breast, if not to the feet, of the superior character. The voice low; the tone submissive; and words few.

PERPLEXITY,

Or anxiety, which is always attended with some de gree of fear and uneasiness, draws all the parts of the body together; gathers up the arms upon the breast, unless one hand covers the eyes, or rubs the forehead;,

draws down the eyebrows; hangs the head upon the breast; casts down the eyes, shuts and pinches the eyelids close; shuts the mouth, and pinches the lips close, or bites them. Suddenly the whole body is vehemently agitated. The person walks about busily; stops abruptly. Then he talks to himself, or makes grimaces. If he speak to another, his pauses are very long; the tone of his voice unvarying and his sentences broken, expressing half, and keeping in half of what arises in his mind.

VEXATION,

Occasioned by some real, or imagery misfortune, agitates the whole frame, and, besides expressing itself with the looks, gestures, restlessness, and tone of perplexity, it adds complaint, fretting, and lamenting.

PITY,

A mixed passion of love and grief, looks down upon distress with lifted hands; eyebrows drawn down; mouth open; and features drawn together. Its expression, as to looks and gesture, is the same with those of suffering, [see suffering] but more moderate, as the painful feelings are only sympathetic, and therefore one remove, as it were, more distant from the soul, than what one feels in his own person.

GRIEF,

Sudden and violent, expresses itself by beating the head; groveling on the ground; tearing of garments, hair, and flesh; screaming aloud; weeping; stamping with the feet; lifting the eyes, from time to time, to heaven; hurrying to and fro; running distracted, or fainting away, sometimes without recovery.. Sometimes violent grief produces a torpid sullen silence, resembling total apathy.

MELANCHOLY,

Or fixed grief, is gloomy, sedentary, motionless. The lower jaw falls, the lips pale, the eyes are cast down, half shut, eyelids swelled and red, or livid tears, trick, ling silent and unwiped, with a total inattention to every thing that passes. Words, if any, few, and those dragged out, rather than spoken; the accents weak, and interrupted, sighs breaking into the middle of sentences and words.