THE BREATH OF THE PASSIONS. Ill 



cial world by the expirations and their pauses, and not by the inspi- 

 rations.* 



The sum of these remarks is, that the exercise of the senses is 

 rhythmical, chiming with some part of the respiration of the lungs ; 

 either with inspiration, expiration, or some level or pause of the one 

 or the other at which the breath may be suspended. And as the 

 senses belong to the brain, evidence is afforded that its animations, 

 which comprise the senses, coincide with the respirations of the 

 lungs.f 



Passing to another sphere, we may glance at the connection of the 

 lungs with the passions. On this theme it may be sufficient to say, 

 that the breathing varies with every emotion j a circumstance which 

 may be verified in experience, by noting the respiration at different 

 times. If we could remove from the language of passion all refer- 

 ence to these organs, we should cancel I know not how much of its 

 expressiveness. If we could take the variety of the breath itself 

 away, the man, the bigger he was, would be the more an unmean- 

 ing lump. Where would mirth be, if it lost all its laughter? What 

 would become of hope, if it had no dilated breast ? What would be the 



* Oratory especially requires the management of the breath, or the economical 

 guidance of the expirations by the conceptions. If you spend your air too fast, 

 a part of your in-coming air will go to pay off the extravagance, and you will 

 probably be in nature's debt throughout the speech, presenting more or less of 

 the phenomenon of a person who has " lost his breath." To " lose the breath" 

 is to fall into an unnatural rapidity of inspiration and expiration, which will not 

 be governed by the will, in which case the mind has pro tanto lost the power 

 of dispensing the air. 



f We have a further proof of the consentaneousness of the lung movements 

 with the brain movements (pp. 62 — 65), in the fact that the voice, proceeding 

 from the head of the lungs, is the voice of the mind, and images its thought or 

 corresponds to its animations. But if in this exalted function of air such corre- 

 spondence exists, does not thej_ung_air correspond in its times with the brain 

 spirit, equally with the larynx air, which is the voice ? If the top of the pulmonic 

 wind answers to the surface of the brain spirit, or, in other words, the voice to 

 the mind of the moment, does not the correspondence run upwards and down- 

 wards, and does not deep call unto deep through silence more than through 

 speech, and the spirit above to the spirit below through the lifetime as well as 

 through the second? Do not our little harmonies swim in great harmonies, 

 which are not ours only, but creation's and the Creator's? But upon this sub- 

 ject we do not dwell, because we purpose to treat of the voice on another occa- 

 sion. 



