112 ORIGIN OF SOCIETY. CANTO IIT. 



VI. " WHEN strong desires or soft sensations move 

 The astonish'd Intellect to rage or love; 

 Associate tribes of fibrous motions rise, 

 Flush the red cheek, or light the laughing eyes. 

 Whence ever-active Imitation finds 

 The ideal trains, that pass in kindred minds; 340 

 Her mimic arts associate thoughts excite 

 And the first LANGUAGE enters at the sight. 



And the first Language, 1. 342. There are two ways by which we 

 become acquainted with the passions of others: -6 rst, by having ob- 

 served the effects of them, as of fear or anger, on our own bodies, 

 we know at sight when others are under the influence of these affec- 

 tions. So children long before they can speak, or understand the 

 language of their parents, may be frightened by an angry counte- 

 nance, or soothed by smiles and blandishments. 



Secondly, when we put ourselves into the attitude that any pas- 

 sion naturally occasions, AVC soon in some degree acquire that passion; 

 hence when those that scold indulge themselves in loud oaths and 

 violent actions of the arms, they increase their anger by the mode 

 of expressing themselves; and, on the contrary, the counterfeited 

 smile of pleasure in disagreeable company soon brings along with it 

 a portion of the reality, as is well illustrated by Mr. Burke. (Essay 

 on the Sublime and Beautiful.) 



These are natural signs by which we understand each other, and 

 .on this slender basis is built all human language. For without some 

 natural signs no artificial ones could have been invented or under- 

 stood, as is very ingeniously observed by Dr. Reid. (Inquiry into 

 :the Human Mind.) 



