438 OF MANHOOD. 



the foul, however, is agitated, the human vifage 

 becomes a living canvas, upon which pafTions are 

 reprefented with equal energy and delicacy ; 

 where every emotion is exprefled by a corre- 

 fpondent feature ; where every impreflion anti- 

 cipates the will, and reveals, by obvious and pa- 

 thetic characters, thofe intentions and feelings 

 which we are felicitous to conceal. 



It is in the eyes that the pafTions are mod 

 ftrongly marked, and moft readily difcovered. 

 The eye belongs to the foul more than any o- 

 ther bodily organ. It participates of every 

 mental emotion, the foftcft and moft tender, 

 as well as the moft violent and tumultuous. 

 It exhibits thefe emotions in all their force and 

 purity, and infufes Into the foul of the fpedator 

 the fire and the agitation of that mind in which 

 they originate. In fine, the eye refleds the 

 light of thought^ and the glow of fentimcnt ; 

 it is the fenfeof the undcrftanding, and the lan- 

 guage of intelligence. 



Men who fquint, or are fliort-fighted, have 

 Jefs of this external foul, (as it niay be termed), 

 whofe chief refidence is in the eye. Thefe de- 

 fedlshurt thephyfiognpmy,and give to the fineft 

 countenance a difagreeable, and often a ftupid 

 air. As nothing but ftrong and violent pafTions 

 are difcoverable in vifages of this kind, and as 

 they exhibit no marks of delicacy or vivacity of 

 fectiment, we are apt to form unfavourable 

 impreftions of fuch perfons, Vv^hich, however 



ilU 



