424 



ON TEMPERAMENTS, 



somewhat more generally applied to the frame of the mind than of the 

 body. 



Humour, in like manner a Latin term, is derived from the Greek x«/^^ 

 (chumos), and in its simple and radical sense imports moisture, juice, or fluid 

 of any kind : in which sense we still employ the terms humid and humidity^ 

 derived from the same source. In physiology and popular language, humour 

 is synonymous with temper ; and the explanation now offered will sufficiently 

 show us how, from such a derivation, it comes to be employed as significa- 

 tive of mental disposition. Every one must see instantly, that, like the term 

 temper, it has a reference to the general mass of the four radical fluids, which, 

 upon the Greek hypothesis, are essential to the life of man; the peculiar com- 

 bination of which with each other produces the peculiar humour or prevailing 

 CURRENT of every individual. It is curious, and in many instances highly en- 

 tertaining, to trace the transmutations of meaning that a word, from acci- 

 dental circumstances, is thus frequently compelled to undergo, so as to ex- 

 press, in one age, a very different idea from what it had in a preceding. Even 

 in the present day, however, and in common language, we still occasionally 

 employ tlie term humour, and its derivatives, in its original sense ; as when 

 we speak of the humour the blood, meaning thereby a peculiar acrimonious 

 fluid ; and still more openly when we speak of the aqueous humour of the eye. 



Humid and humidity continue steady to the radical idea, for they import 

 fluidity and nothing else. Nay, so strongly have we imbibed the diffusive 

 spirit of the Greek doctrine upon the subject before us, that we not unfre- 

 quently carry forward the same idea of fluidity without our being aware of it ; 

 as when, for example, we speak of a vein of humour, or a humorous vein, in 

 which case we evidently refer to a fluid circulating in a canal. Thus Prior, 

 in his well-known imitation of Adrian's lines to his soul: 



Thy humorous vein, thy pleasing folly, 



Lies all neglected, all forgot; 



And, pensive, wav'ring, melancholy, 



Thou dread'st and hop'sl thou know'st not what. 



We are not only told, however, in popular language, that every man has 

 his humour, or vein of humour, but that one man is of a choleric humour, or 

 turn of mind, by which we mean that he is naturally irascible, or inclined to 

 anger ; that another man has a melancholic turn, by which every one under- 

 stands that he is naturally gloomy and low-spirited ; that a third is of a san- 

 guine disposition, importing that he is naturally prone to high hope and 

 confidence ; and that a fourth is of a phlegmatic habit, signifying that he is 

 naturally dull and sluggish. 



Now, in thus expressing ourselves, we show that we have imbibed, though 

 often without being aware of it, not merely the language, but the first princi- 

 ples of the Hippocratic school, and employ their own terms as illustrative of 

 their own doctrine. Choler for example, is Greek for bile; and the 



bilious temperament of the Greeks was peculiarly characterized by irascibility, 

 or an habitual propensity to anger. So melancholy {(itXayxo^ia) is literal Greek 

 for black bile ; that which, as I have already observed, they supposed to be 

 produced by the spleen ; and to the melancholic, or, as the Latins called it, 

 atrabilious or black-bile temperament, they, in like manner, ascribed a pre- 

 vailing disposition to gloom or depression of spirits. Sanguine is a Latin 

 term, importing blood ; and to the sanguineous temperament, or that which, 

 on their hypothesis, indicates a brisk and exuberant flow of blood, they attri- 

 buted a propensity to ardent expectation, mirth, gayety. Phlegmatic 

 {(l>\£YiiaTiKog), again, is a Greek term, denoting lymph or aqueous fluid ; and to 

 the temperament abounding with this cold and spiritless humour, as they con- 

 ceived it to be, they referred habitual indolence or sloth. 



We often hear of the term ruling passion : this is rather of modern than 

 of ancient origin. It is frequently, however, employed without any clear 

 meaning, and confounded with temper, humour, or idiosyncrasy. Now, the 

 temper, or idiosyncrasy, may be the result of a combination of passions, in 



