PASSION. 



eye sees it, the ear hears it, and the whole 

 frame feels, by anticipation, the moment 

 when it shall be crushed or overwhelmed 

 by the approaching 1 power. Consternation 

 is a species of fear ; a discovery is dread- 

 ed, which produces punishment, guilt 

 causes agitation, and the emotions of 

 consternation often occasion suspicion 

 where none was entertained before. The 

 indications of this passion are flushed and 

 deranged features, hurried actions, and 

 confused and contradictory speeches. 

 Eacli of the above designations of pas- 

 sion apply to the universal desire enter- 

 tained by man for his own preservation. 



We shall next proceed to notice a 

 passion equally destructive and perni- 

 cious in its effects upon the body, but 

 Jar less innocent, anger, which is capa- 

 ble of being raised from a slight flush- 

 ing 1 of the face to furious rage.. The 

 discovery of an intended injury, a blow 

 unexpectedly received, or insulting lan- 

 guage, excite what is generally termed 

 anger. Rage, on the contrary, more par- 

 ticularly proceeds from a reiteration of 

 either of the above causes ; such, at 

 least, is anger founded on principles ca- 

 pable of some slight justification ; but it 

 must be admitted, that this passion is of- 

 ten generated by causes trivial and un- 

 important: difference of opinion in the 

 course of common conversation, a dispute 

 whether a window sash shall be opened or 

 remain shut, have been known to produce 

 anger, which could only be appeased by 

 the shedding of blood. Passions arising 

 from causes of this description, and in- 

 dulged to excess, place human nature in 

 a most degrading point of view, and ex- 

 hibit the violence of self-love in the strong- 

 est colours. The soul in this instance 

 gives the same warning of probable in- 

 jury which takes place in the case of fear, 

 with the difference of suggesting means 

 of prevention. Anger braces the nerves, 

 the muscles become rigid, and the body 

 rises into a posture indicating majesty 

 and defiance, the features are animated 

 with a strong expression of energy, and 

 the blood flows rapidly to the face. 



Rage may be termed anger degenerat- 

 ed into the miserable state of insanity ; 

 in some instances the first impulses of 

 rage are too powerful fur the faculties, 

 and the person under its influence either 

 tails dead, or sinks into cva agitation 

 which disarms him ^ of the power of re- 

 sistance or defence ; he becomes pale, 

 and trembles from head to foot, and es- 

 says in vain to utter the purposes of his 

 uis soul; in others, where the consti- 



tution happens to be strong, the fea- 

 tures are distorted, the muscles of the 

 mouth are drawn back, the teeth grind to- 

 gether, the eyes are strained outwards, 

 the brows are knit, the hands clenched, 

 and every muscle indicates sudden ex- 

 ertion ; the heart palpitates, and the 

 lungs with difficulty afford air for respi- 

 ration ; so rapid are the cries and excla- 

 mations of the unhappy being thus mov- 

 ed, who becomes an object of compas- 

 sion to the spectators, but out of pity, as 

 it is more than probable that the ven- 

 geance about to be taken will be more 

 than commensurate with the injury re- 

 ceived. 



Anger, in its slightest degree, neces- 

 sarily follows certain occurrences, the 

 consequences of family and social con- 

 nections : and its indulgence is allowable 

 under the guidance of reason, otherwise 

 it would be impossible to correct the ag- 

 gressions of unthinking persons, or con- 

 duct the education of youth ; but beyond 

 this boundary, it becomes brutal and 

 degrading to our nature. Anger may be 

 made habitual by indulgence; the nerves 

 are, by this means, rendered diseased 

 and irritable, and the person thus situated 

 iictually falls into an universal tremor, 

 with a species of rage, almost at the in- 

 stant the ear hears, or the eye views the 

 cause of offence ; indeed some cases ex- 

 ist, when the mind becomes inflamed at 

 the bare suspicion of what may he said 

 or done. Miserable are the feelings of 

 those who suffer anger to overpower 

 their reason, and miserable are the ei- 

 fects of their rapid and frequently un- 

 founded conceptions. It may be doubted 

 whether the mind, in this state of de- 

 rangement, can be recovered to discrimi- 

 nation and gentleness in adults ; it is, 

 therefore, doubly necessary to repress 

 any effervescence in the breasts of infants, 

 who are known to feel most violent pa- 

 roxisms of rage, even before their limbs 

 are capable of supporting them, and 

 which have been known to be fatal. 

 This circumstance, alone, proves that our 

 passions are received with life in their 

 lull vigour, consequently every means 

 should be tried to soothe and repress 

 them, rather than to encourage their in- 

 crease, by teaching resentment against 

 animals, friends, and inanimate objects, 

 by the detestable practice of asking a 

 blow from a child to beat a table or 

 wainscot, for coming in contact with its 

 head or limbs, or a person or animal for 

 some offence. Revenge is a twin brother 

 of anger or rage ? we see but little of the 



