THE LANGUAGE OF THE EMOTIONS. 819 



the approach or the removal of advantageous or injurious objects. 

 These tendencies, on account of their advantages, are picked out and 

 magnified by natural selection. We may add, with M. Schneider, that 

 the increase of the general activity, even in the absence of a muscular 

 system, is always manifested as expansion, and the decrease of activity 

 as contraction. Expansion and contraction are at the origin of all the 

 other vital movements, and of course of all the signs of expression. 



Now let us consider what states of sensibility would correspond 

 among the rudimentary animals with the different modes of general 

 activity, accompanied by movements of expansion and contraction. 

 We shall then have the two following situations : first, approach 

 of an advantageous object, followed by increase of activity beyond 

 the normal state, with pleasure and the movement of general ex- 

 pansion, which is the sign of it ; and, second, on the approach of 

 the injui'ious object, descent of activity below the normal, pain, and 

 the movement of general contraction. With a step further in evolu- 

 tion, the internal movement of contraction, perfecting itself by natural 

 selection, has brought the living being to a massive movement of trans- 

 port in space, which will take it away from the object this is the 

 movement of aversion and flight. The movement of expansion, on 

 the contrary, would have provoked a transportation of the whole body 

 of the living being toward the agreeable object it is the movement 

 of inclination and pursuit. Here are two new signs in the natural 

 language. Add to them the idea of the object that causes the pain 

 or the pleasure, and we shall have conscious repulsion and desire. 



These are the pi'imary emotions, with the general movement of the 

 body that expresses them at the first moment. We can say, then, con- 

 trary to Mr. Spencer, that, if the intensity of an agreeable feeling is 

 expressed by an exaltation and expansion of motive activity, the in. 

 tensity of a painful feeling is expressed at once by a contraction and 

 diminution of motive activity. In joy the different organs only repro- 

 duce and aid the general movement of expansion ; the features dilate, 

 the eyebrows turn upward, the entire physiognomy opens, the voice 

 rises and swells, and the gestures expand in more ample and more 

 numerous movements. We can also say correctly that the lungs dilate, 

 and their play is rendered easier ; the cerebral functions are performed 

 with more rapidity and ease ; the intelligence is more animated ; the 

 sensibility more expansive ; the will more kindly. In a word, the 

 expression of joy is a general expression of liberty, and, by that fact, 

 of liberality. 



Next, we pass to the immediate expression of pain. At the first 

 moment the depression of activity is manifested by a general depres- 

 sion of the motive force. " The lips are relaxed," says Sir Charles 

 Bell, " the lower jaw drops, the upper eyelid falls and covers half of 

 the pupil, and the eyebrows incline like the mouth." It is true that 

 some other muscles simultaneously become tense, and enter into play, 



