THE MIND'S MIRROR. 263 



illustrates such a general relaxation of the muscles as accompanies 

 pleasurable emotions. Even in active joy, as in laughing, additional 

 relaxation takes place, accompanied however by contraction of the 

 "zygomatic muscles " (n, 12), which draw the corners of the mouth 

 upwards and backwards. 



The mere mechanism of muscular acts is thus not difficult of 

 comprehension, and in connection with this part of our subject it may 

 not be amiss to deal briefly with modes of expression subsidiary to 

 those of the "mind's index/' such as the movements of the hand and 

 of other regions of the body liable to be affected in a very definite 

 manner in the play of the passions. In the seventeenth century a 

 certain John Bulwer published a curious volume entitled " Chirologia, 

 or the Natural Language of the Hand." As the face was named the 

 " Dyall of the Affections," so Bulwer applies to the hand " the 

 Manuall text of Utterance." " The gesture of the hand," according 

 to Bulwer, "many times gives a hint of our intention, and speaks out 

 a good part of our meaning, before our words, which accompany or 

 follow it, can put themselves into a vocal posture to be understood." 

 Again, this quaint-spoken author remarks that "the lineaments of the 

 body doe disclose the disposition and inclination of the minde in 

 general!, but the motions doe not only so, but doe further disclose the 

 present humour and state of the minde and will, for as the tongue 

 speaketh to the ears, so Gesture speaketh to the eye, and therefore a 

 number of such persons whose eyes doe dwell upon the faces and 

 fashions of men, doe well know the advantage of this observation, as 

 being most part of their ability ; neither can it bee denied but that it 

 is a great discoverer of dissimulation and great direction of businesse. 

 For, after one manner almost we clappe our hands in joy, wring them 

 in sorrow, advance them in prayer and admiration : shake our head in 

 disdaine, wrinkle our forehead in dislike, crispe our nose in anger, 

 blush in shame, and so for the most part of the most subtile motions." 



In some subsequent advice given in his " Philocophus ; or the 

 Deafe and Dumbe Man's Friend," Bulwer asks of his readers, " What 

 though you cannot express your mindes in these verball contrivances 

 of man's invention ;" (Bulwer really anticipated the most modern 

 view of the origin of language) ; " yet you want not speech who have 

 your whole body for a Tongue : having a language more naturall and 

 significant, which is common to you with us, to wit, Gesture, the 

 general and universall language of Humane Nature, which, when we 

 would have our speech to have life and efficacy, wee joyne in com- 

 mission with our wordes, and when wee would speak with most state 

 and gravity, we renounce wordes and use Nods and other naturall 

 signes alone." Thus does Bulwer vindicate the eloquence of silent 

 sign-speech, which in its earliest development probably aided very 

 largely in the formation and development of language itself. As the 



