Ciiap. XIII. BLUSniNG. 321 



the gaze of those present, so that he almost invariably 

 casts down his eyes or looks askant. As there generally 

 exists at the same time a strong wish to avoid the ap- 

 pearance of shame, a vain attempt is made to look di- 

 rect at the person who causes this feeling; and the an- 

 tagonism between these opposite tendencies leads to vari- 

 ous restless movements in the eves. I have noticed two 

 ladies who, whilst blushing, to which they are very liable, 

 have thus acquired, as it appears, the oddest trick of in- 

 cessantly blinking their eyelids with extraordinary 

 rapidity. An intense blush is sometimes accompanied 

 by a slight effusion of tears; 21 and this, I presume, is due 

 to the lacrymal glands partaking of the increased supply 

 of blood, which we know rushes into the capillaries of 

 the adjoining parts, including the retina. 



Many writers, ancient and modern, have noticed the 

 foregoing movements; and it has already been shown 

 that the aborigines in various parts of the world often 

 exhibit their shame by looking downwards or askant, 

 or by restless movements of their eyes. Ezra cries out 

 (ch. ix. 6), " 0, my God! I am ashamed, and blush to 

 lift up my head to thee, my God." In Isaiah (ch. 1. 6) 

 we meet with the words, "I hid not my face from 

 shame." Seneca remarks (Epist. xi. 5) " that the "Eoman 

 players hang down their heads, fix their eyes on the 

 ground and keep them lowered, but are unable to blush 

 in acting shame." According to Macrobius, who lived 

 in the fifth century ( f Saturnalia,' b. vii. c. 11), " Nat- 

 ural philosophers assert that nature being moved by 

 shame spreads the blood before herself as a veil, as we 



21 Burg-ess, ibid. pp. 181, 182. Boerhaave also noticed 

 (as quoted by Gratiolet, ibid. p. 361) the tendency to the 

 secretion of tears during- intense blushing-. Mr. Bulmer, 

 as we have seen, speaks of the " watery eyes " of the chil- 

 dren of the Australian aborigines when ashamed. 



