PASSION. 
ftinftive fyftem of metaphyfics, which his lordfhip has 
carried farther than all who wrote before him, and per¬ 
haps farther than all who have fucceeded him in this de¬ 
partment of fcience. “That a child intuitively reads 
anger in its nurfe’s face,” fay the objeCtors, “is fo far 
from being true, that for forne lhort time after birth it 
is not terrified by the mod menacing geftures. It is in¬ 
deed abfolutely incapable of fear till it has fuffered pain ; 
and, could we conftantly carefs it with what is called an 
angry look, it would be cheered by that look, and fright¬ 
ened at a fmile. It feels, however, iheeffe&sof anger, 
and is foon capable of obferving the peculiarity of fea¬ 
ture with which that paflion is ufually accompanied ; 
and thefe two become in a fliort time fo linked together 
in its tender mind, that the appearance of the one ne- 
ceffarily fuggefts to it the reality of the other. 
“ Should it be faid that a loud and fudden noife ftartles 
a child immediately after birth, and that, therefore, the 
infant muft be inftinftively afraid, the fait may be ad¬ 
mitted, without any neceflityof admitting the inference. 
The nerves of an infant are commonly very irritable ; and 
a ftrong impuHe on the auditory nerves may agitate its 
whole frame, without infpiring it with the paflion of 
fear. The loud noife is in all probability not the fign 
of approaching danger, but the immediate caufe of real 
pain, from which the infant fhrinks as it would from the 
prick of a pin or the fcorching of a candle.” 
Manifold and admirable are the purpofes to which the 
external fignsof paffion are made fubfervient by the Au¬ 
thor of our nature. 
i. The figns of internal agitation difplayed externally 
to every fpediator, tend to fix the fignification of many 
words. The only effectual means to afcertain the mean¬ 
ing of any doubtful word, is an appeal to the thing it re- 
prefents ; and hence the ambiguity of words expreffive 
of things that are not objefts of external fenfe; for in 
that cafe an appeal is denied. Paflion, ftri&ly fpeaking, 
is not an objeCt of external fenfe : but its external figns, 
are : and, by means of thefe figns, paflions may be ap¬ 
pealed to with tolerable accuracy 5 thus the words that 
denote our paflions, next to thofe that denote external 
objeCts, have the moll diftinCl meaning. Words fignify- 
ing internal action and the more delicate feelings, are 
lefs diftinCl. 
z. Society among individuals is greatly promoted by 
that univerfal language. Looks and geftures give direCl 
accefs to the heart; and lead us to feleCt, with tolerable 
accuracy, the perfons who are worthy of our confi¬ 
dence. It is furprifing how quickly, and for the molt 
part how correCtly, we judge of character from external 
appearance. 
3. After focial intercourfe is commenced, thefe ex¬ 
ternal figns, which diffufe through a whole affembly the 
feelings of each individual, contribute above all other 
means to improve the focial aftedtions. Language, no 
doubt is the mod comprehenfive vehicle for communi¬ 
cating emotions : but in expedition, as well as in power 
of convidtion, it falls fliort of the figns under confider- 
ation, the involuntary figns efpecially, which are inca¬ 
pable of deceit. Where the countenance, the tones, 
the geftures, the adtions, join with the words in com¬ 
municating emotions, thefe united have a force irrefiflible. 
Thus all the pleafant emotions of the human heart, 
with all the focial and virtuous affeCtions, are, by means 
of thefe external figns, not only perceived, but felt. 
By this admirable contrivance, converfation becomes 
that lively and animatingamufement, without which life 
would at belt be infipid: one joyful countenance fpreads 
cheerfulnefs inftantaneoufly through a multitude of fpec- 
tators. 
4.. Difi'ocial paflions, being hurtful by prompting vio¬ 
lence and mifchief, are noted by the molt confpicuous 
external figns, in order to put us upon our guard : thus 
anger and revenge, efpecially when fudden, difplay tliem- 
felves on the countenance in legible characters. The ex- 
Vol. XVIII. No. 1279. 
757 
ternal figns, again, of every paflion that threatens danger, 
raife in us the paflion of fear ; which frequently opera¬ 
ting without reafon or refiedtion, moves us by a fudden 
impulfe to avoid the impending danger. 
5. Thefe external figns are remarkably fubfervient to 
morality. A painful paflion, being accompanied with 
difagreeable external figns, muft produce in every fpeCla- 
tor a painful emotion : but then, if the paflion be focial, 
the emotion it produces is attradlive, and connedls the 
fpedlator with the perfon who fuffers. Diflocial paflions 
only are produdtive of repulfive emotions, involving the 
fpedlator’s averfion, and frequently his indignation. This 
artful contrivance makes us cling to the virtuous and 
abhor the wicked. 
6. Of all the external figns of paflion, thofe of afflidlion 
or diftrefs are the mod illuftrious with refpeCt to a final 
caufe, and defervedly merit a place of diftindlion. They 
are illuftrious by the fingularity of their contrivance ; 
and alfo by infpiring fympathy, a paflion to which human 
fociety is indebted for its greateft blefling, that of provi¬ 
ding relief for the diftreffed. A fubjeCl fo interefting de- 
ferves a leifurely and attentive examination. The con¬ 
formity of the nature of man to his external circumftances 
is in every particular wonderful : his nature makes him 
prone to fociety; and fociety is neceffary to his well¬ 
being, becaufe, in a folitary ftate, he is a helplefs being, 
deftitute of fupport, and, in his diftreffes, deftitute of re¬ 
lief : but mental fupport, the fhining attribute of fociety, 
is of too great moment to be left dependent upon cool 
reafon ; it is ordered more wifely, and with greater con¬ 
formity to the analogy of nature, that it fhould be en¬ 
forced even inftindtively by the paflion of fympathy. 
Here fympathy makes a capital figure; and contributes, 
more than any other means, to make life eafy and com¬ 
fortable. But however eflential the fympathy of others 
may be to our well-being, one beforehand would not 
readily conceive how it could be raifed by external figns 
of diftrefs ; for, confidering the analogy of nature, if 
thefe figns be agreeable, they muft give birth to a plea¬ 
fant emotion, leading every beholder to be pleafed with 
human woes: if difagreeable, as they undoubtedly are, 
ought they not naturally to repel the fpeClator from them, 
in order to be relieved from pain ? Such would be the 
reafoning beforehand ; and fuch would be the effect were 
man purely a felfilh being. But the benevolence of out 
nature gives a very different direction to the painful paf¬ 
fion of fympathy, and to the defire involved in it: inllead 
of avoiding diftrefs, we fly to it in order to afford relief; 
and our fympathy cannot be otherwife gratified but by 
giving all theluccour in our power. Thus external figns 
of diftrefs, though difagreeable, are attradlive; and the 
fympathy they infpire is a powerful caufe, impelling us 
to afford relief even to a ftranger, as if he w'ere our friend 
or relation. 
To conclude: the external figns of paflion are a ftrong 
indication, that man, by his very constitution, is framed 
to be open and fincere. A child, in all things obedient 
to the impulfes of nature, hides none of its emotions; the 
favage and clown, who have no guide but pure nature, 
expofe their hearts to view, by giving way to all the na¬ 
tural figns. And, even when men learn to diffembte 
their fentiments, and when behaviour degenerates into 
art, there ftill remain checks, that keep diflimulation 
within bounds, and prevent a great part of its mifchie- 
vous effeCts: the total fuppreflion of the voluntary figns 
during any vivid paflion, begets the utmoft uneafinefs, 
which cannot be endured for any coniiderable time: this 
operation becomes indeed lefs painful by habit; but, 
luckily, the involuntary figns cannot, by any effort, be 
fuppreffed, or even diflembled. An abfolute hypocrify, 
by which the character is concealed and a fictitious one 
affumed, is made impracticable; and nature has thereby 
prevented much harm to fociety. We may pronounce, 
therefore, that nature, herfelf fincere and candid, in¬ 
tends that mankind fhould preferve the fame character, 
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