PAS 



PAS 



Those in D have the bill straight, sim- 

 ple, tapering: as the 



Parus 

 Sturaus. 



Alaucla 

 Columba 



Motacilla 



PASSERINA, in botany, 

 a genus of the Octandria Monogynia class 

 and order. Natural order of Vepreculac. 

 Thymelese, Jussieu. Essential character ; 

 calyx none; corolla four-cleft: stamina 

 placed on the tube ; seed one, corticate. 

 There are nineteen species, chiefly na- 

 tives of the Cape of Good Hope and New 

 Zealand. 



PASSIFLORA, in botany, passion-flow- 

 er, a genus of the Gynandria Pentandria 

 class and order. Natural order of Cu- 

 curbitaceae. Essential character: styles 

 three ; calyx five-leaved ; petals five ; 

 nectary a crown ; berry peclicelled. 

 There are thirty-seven species, of which 

 we shall notice the P. caerulea, common 

 or blue passion flower. This tree rises 

 in a few years to a great height, with pro- 

 per support, the shoots often growing to 

 the length of ten or twelve feet in one 

 summer : at each joint is one leaf, com- 

 posed of five smooth entire lobes; their 

 footstalks are nearly two inches long, 

 having two embracing stipules at their 

 base ; from the same point issues a long 

 clasper, or tendril, the flowers come out 

 at the same joint with the leaves, on pe- 

 duncles three inches long ; they have a 

 faint scent, lasting only one day ; fruit 

 egg-shaped, the size and shape of the 

 Mogul plum, when ripe of the same yel- 

 low colour, inclosing a sweetish disagree- 

 able pulp, in which are lodged oblong 

 seeds. The blue passion flower grows 

 naturally in Brazil. It is now become the 

 most common species in England, being 

 sufficiently hardy to thrive in the open 

 air. 



These beautiful plants were unknown 

 till the discovery of America; they are 

 found in various parts, both of the conti- 

 nent, chiefly of South America, and the 

 islands. 



PASSION, or the Passions. The latter 

 term serves to express those sensations of 

 the soul excited by pleasure and pain ; 

 which two principal feelings are divided 

 into a variety of branches, and those we 

 shall endeavour, in the succeeding pages, 

 to explain, as far as our limited powers 

 will permit. 



The passions are, in a great degree, 

 selfish ; and yet, fortunately for the gene- 



ral benefit of the human race, they are 

 far from being entirely so. 



Fear may be said to be entirely con- 

 fined to self-love in many instances, but 

 this passion is frequently extended in a 

 secondary state to an apprehension for 

 the well-being of others, in whose happi- 

 ness we feel deeply interested ; and yet 

 it may admit of doubt whether the idea of 

 being deprived of some previously expe- 

 rienced pleasure may not influence and 

 promote our apparently disinterested af- 

 fection. Indeed there* are philosophers 

 who attribute all our passions and actions 

 to the sole motive of self-love, though we 

 hope and trust erroneously. 



Various theories have been published, 

 by which their authors have endeavoured 

 to elucidate the manner in which the pas- 

 sions are excited in and act upon the soul, 

 the agitation of which is expressed in 

 many different modes by the features and 

 muscles. Indeed, the language of this 

 ethereal and inexplicable spirit speaks 

 through every fibre, and each passion is 

 known to an indifferent spectator, with- 

 out the intervention of an explanatory 

 sound. It would seem, from the sudden 

 and involuntary experience of agitation, 

 that the passions were implanted in the 

 soul as centinels watchful for its safety, 

 and that of the person it inhabits. Were 

 this the truth, some have observed, it 

 might be supposed, that every impulse 

 would be found correct and proper : sad 

 conviction, however, proves, it is added, 

 that nothing can be more ill-founded than 

 such a supposition, as not an individual 

 exists at this moment who has not disco- 

 vered, tl>at he has feared where he ought 

 to have esteemed, hated when he ought 

 to have admired, loved when he ought to 

 have detested, and in numerous instances 

 been blinded either by misconceived par- 

 tiality, or equally unjust prejudice. Such, 

 at least, is the decision of unthinking 

 persons; those, on the contrary, who 

 do justice to the Creator, feel and ac- 

 knowledge, that the passions are the most 

 correct of centinels, particularly when 

 guided and governed by the superior gift 

 of reason. 



Accident may have distorted the fea- 

 tures, and deranged the graceful turn of 

 the limbs of an unfortunate individual ; 

 by this means he becomes an object of 

 disgust, and he probably resembles the 

 wretch who commits midnight assassina- 

 tion, or secretly stabs reputation by ma- 

 licious inferences : let this unhappy per- 

 son meet unexpectedly with two other^ 

 who have never seen him before, one uu- 



