270 An Essay on the Signs of Ideas. 
of ideas, ‘or in some cases, of certain sensa- 
tions, at the time actually experienced, as , 
is to be observed in the case of pain. These 
seem to be, in general, natural expressions, 
inasmuch as they appear to be similar in na- 
tions, that have had no intercourse with each 
other. |The Frenchman’s shrug of contempt 
seems to be peculiar to him, but the expressions 
of contempt, approbation, pleasure, displea- 
sure, on the countenance, are confined to no 
nation ; they seem intelligible to children and 
to brutes, and to approach to the nature of 
instinctive actions, for which we can assign 
no reason, except that we are irresistibly im- 
pelled to the performance of them. 
