THE EXPRESSION OF THE PASSIONS. 



48^ 



that there is not an emotion in the mind which is without its appropriate 

 sign; whilst we meet with various muscles in the face, which have no 

 other known use than that of being subservient to this important purpose : 

 particularly those that knit the eyebrow into an energetic and irresistible 

 meaning ; and those of the angle of the mouth, employed in almost every 

 motion of this organ expressive of sentiment ; but peculiarly and forcibly 

 called into action in that arching of the lip which is the natural sign of 

 contempt, hatred, or jealousy. 



Mr. Charles Bell, to whom we are indebted for an elegant and admira- 

 ble treatisaon the anatomy of expression in painting, supports this last 

 opinion ; but rejects the doctrine of instinctive expression in the lace of 

 quadrupeds ; contendmg, th it even in the passion of rage, by far the most 

 strongly marked on the countenance, the changes which take place in the 

 features are nothing more than motions accessory to the grand object of 

 opposition, resistance, and defence.* The inflamed eye, however, and 

 fiery nostrils of the bull, can scarcely be ascribed to this cause ; for they 

 add nothing to the power of striking : they may, indeed, be proofs or 

 eflfects of the general excitement ; but to say this, is to say nothing more 

 than that they are proofs or effects of the passion they indicate ; and 

 consequently its natural language or expression. I'hey are never em- 

 ployed on any other occasion in carnivorous animals," observes Mr. 

 Bell, the eyeball is terrible, and the retraction of the flesh of the lips 

 indicates the most savage fury. But the flrst is merely the excited atten- 

 tion of the animal, and the other a preparatory exposure of the canine 

 teeth." Now if the first be merely excited attention, we must meet with 

 it in every instance in which the mere attention of carnivorous animals, 

 and nothing but the mere attention, is called forth. But is th^ glaring 

 and terrible eyeball here alluded to a mark of simple attention ? Has any 

 one ever seen it so in any animal, whether carnivorous or graminivorous, 

 quadruped, biped or footless? Has he ever seen it exhibited on such oc- 

 casion, i will not say constantly and invariably, as upon this opinion it 

 ought to be, but in a single case of simple attention ? And in like man- 

 ner, I may ask respecting the tremendous retraction of the flesh of the 

 lips, and exposure of the teeth, — not merely of the canine teeth or tusks, 

 as stated above, but of all the teeth of both jaws, as far as such retrac- 

 tion will allow — has any one ever witnessed this movement in the action of 

 mere seizing or biting, as, for example, in the case of devouring food ? 

 Mr. Bell himself seems sufTiciently to settle this point, bv telling us,, in the 

 beginning of the passage I have just quoted, that the " retraction of the 

 flesh of the lips indicates the most savage fury." And 1 may add, it indi- 

 cates nothing else ; it is not wanted, and is never made use of^ in the mus- 

 cular movement of mere biiing, and consequently is an immediate symbol 

 of the passion called into exercise. It commences with the commence- 

 ment of this passion, and is limited to its continuance and operation. 



What, then, it may be asked, is the use of external expression, in in- 

 stances of this kind, if it do not add to the power of defence or resistance ? 

 The proper answer must be found in the general object and intention of 

 nature upon the whole of the case before us. 



Man, by his constitution, is designed for society and mental intercourse. 

 But what is to draw him to his fellows ? to strip him of timidity and re- 

 serve, and fix him in communion and confidence ? The language of ex- 



* Esssys, &c. by Charles Bell, edit, 1. pp. 81, 86a 



