PAS 
paffion, as it is emphatically termed. Upon the firftimpulfe, 
thethoughtsare tumultous andeonfufed; but,asthe paflion 
approaches fomewhat nearer to an afficflion, the mind re¬ 
covers in fome degree its power overitielf; though (till, 
as it continues to feel ftrongly, it is eager todojultice to 
its feelings, by the ftrength, pertinency, and i'mpetuofity, 
of its language. Impetuolity equally defpifes precifionor 
detail : it eagerly feizes upon tropes and figures the molt 
concifeand the mod fuited to its new conceptions. When 
paflions and emotions give place to more permanent affec¬ 
tions, language becomes lefs vehement and more diffufe. 
Nature has accommodated the mode of utterance to the 
character of the paffion ; thus it has rendered Joy loud and 
vociferous, producing flrong exclamations mixed with tri- 
umphantlaughter. Sorrow communicates a plaintivenefs 
to the voice, belt adapted to wailings anil lamentations. 
Anger is loud and turbulent; the voice rifes with the paf¬ 
fion in order toftrike terrorand filence oppofition. Fear is 
oppreffed and breathlefs, or fereams aloud for help. Love 
is foft, foothing, infinuating, and gentle; fometimes af- 
fuming the plaintivenefs of forrow', fometimes the viva¬ 
city of hope, and the tranlports of joy. 
The nature of the paflions and affections indulged, and 
of the objefts by which they are excited, and the degree 
of influence and permanency which they are allowed to 
exert upon us, conftitute the moral characters of men; 
pointing out their innocence, their excellencies, or their 
defeats. By charafter is generally underdood the kind 
of reputation acquired by the prevalent difpofition or 
temper, which fuggefts altnofl every motive, and takes 
the lead in almofl every aftion ; and moral charaEler re¬ 
fers to that prevalent temper which relates to moral ob¬ 
ligation, refpefiting either ourfelves or others. The car¬ 
dinal affedtions of Love and Hatred, in themlelves, pof- 
fefs neither merit; nor demerit. It is neither a duty, nor 
a poflibility, to divefl ourfelves of them. The paffions, 
emotions, and affections, which are immediately confe- 
quent upon thefe, or may be deemed Ample modifications 
of them, are alfo infeparable from our nature, and are 
both unavoidable and innocent: fucli as Joy, Content¬ 
ment, Hope, Defire, Fear, Sorrow, Anger, Refentrtient, 
See. Virtue, however, direCts, reftrains, and controls 
their influence. 
There is another diftinCtion of the paffions and affec¬ 
tions, as they relate to the moral character, indicating a 
fcale of comparative merit and demerit. Some are inno¬ 
cent Amply, as Hope, Joy, moderate Grief. Some are 
laudable, as Contentment, Satisfaction, Complacency. 
Others are deemed peculiarly noble .: thus the virtue of 
Benevolence is much more dignified than any of the af¬ 
feCtions that originate and terminate in felf. And in the 
different branches of this virtue there are alfo degrees of 
excellence. But fentiments of this kind are familiar and 
obvious to the reader, and it is neediefs to enlarge. 
Upon the whole it appears, that character depends upon 
the prevalent ufe or abufe of certain propenfities or af¬ 
feCtions of our natures. Thofe who feleCt and cultivate 
rbemoft beneficial, are the bell of characters; thofe who 
are habituated to the molt injurious, are the worft. 
With regard to the influence of the paffions and affec¬ 
tions on liappinefs, we may obferve, that, although the 
defire of good isin reality the cauleof every paffion, emo¬ 
tion, and affeCtion, yet the immediate effeCts of each on 
our fenfations are correfpondent to its own fpecific na¬ 
ture. The influence of fome is productive of temporary 
well-being 5 while others are comfortlefs, irkfome, or 
productive of a great degree of U'retchednefs. Love, 
placed upon a deferving objeCt, and recompenfed with a 
reciprocal affeCtion, Joy, Ecftacy, Complacency, Satisfac¬ 
tion, Contentment, lively Hope, are decidedly fources of 
perfonal enjoyment. The fiocial affeCtions of Benevo¬ 
lence, Sympathy, Compaflion, and Mercy, are alfo other 
ingredients of happinefs, from a lefs felfifh and more re¬ 
fined lource than the preceding. Every fpecies of bene- 
SION. 769 
volence poffeffes the quality our great dramatic poet has 
aferibed to a merciful difpofition : 
The quality of mercy’s not reftrain’d : 
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven 
Upon the land beneath. It is twice blefs’d ; 
It blefles him thatg’fves, and him that takes. 
Emotions and affeCtions of another clafs are of the un¬ 
quiet and irritating clafs : as the whole family of Anger. 
The emotions and affeCtions of Fear, Dread, Horror, 
Delpair, are of the mod fhocking and tremendous clafs. 
Exceflive Jealoufy, Envy, Remorfe, Delpair, Shame, 
arifing from the detection of guilt, are mifery unmixed. 
Surprife, Wonder, Aftonifhment, principally receive 
their complexion front the fubjeCts that infpire them -. 
and they are introductory to happinefs or mifery accord¬ 
ing to the nature of the caufe that excites them. 
On the importance of ftudying the paffions, Mr. Co- 
gan thus writes: “It is according as the paffions are ex- 
ercifed on good or bad objeCts that we rife into refpec- 
tability or link into contempt; that we enjoy happinefs 
or fuffer mifery.. An attention, therefore, to the fork¬ 
ings of our own minds muff be of confiderable importance. 
The fludy of the paffions is as neceffary as the ftudy of 
anatomy to a furgeon ; for it is, in a moral view the ana¬ 
tomy of the heart, whereby it may be difeovered whe¬ 
ther our minds are in a found date or not.” The great 
objeCl which we ought to propofe to ourfelves is to ac¬ 
quire a firm and compofed mind, to obey religion and 
truth, and to liden calmly to the voice of confcience and 
reafon. To govern the paffions or ad’eCtions, we fhoukl 
fil'd afeertain the proper objeCt of their purfuit, and then 
redrain them in that purfuit, led they fhould go beyond 
the bounds of reafon. Perhaps the due regulation of them 
may require great refolution, much felf-denial, and long 
perfeverance. But by continued .exertions, with a de- 
pendance on the divine aid, we may at length obtain a 
complete conqued over our evil paffions, and know how 
to guide and improve the ufe of thofe which are good. 
We will give but one indance in illudration of the 
benefit and neceffity of moderating and governing even 
the laudable paffions, and it fliall be taken from the fird 
emotion (as we may fay) that appears on our engraving; 
Joy. Joy, kept within due bounds, drengthens the 
body and mind, and exhilarates the animal fpirits ; not 
kept within due bounds, how fatal may be its effeCIs ! 
Pliny informs us, (lib. vii. §. 7.) that Chilo the Lace¬ 
daemonian died upon hearing that his fon had gained a 
prize in the Olympic games. Valerius Maximus tells us, 
(lib. ix. cap. 12.) that Sophocles, the tragic writer, in a 
conted of honour, died in confequence of a decifion being 
pronounced in his favour. Aulus Gellius (Not. Attic, lib. 
iii. cap. 15.) mentions a remarkable indance of theefjeCfs 
of what may be termed accumulated joy, in Diagoras, 
who expired at the indant when his three fons were 
crowned in the fame day as viftors ; the one as a pugi- 
lid, the other as a wredler, and the third in both capa¬ 
cities. Livy alfo (lib. 22. cap. 7.) mentions the indance 
of an aged matron, who, while fhe was in the depth of 
didrefs, from the tidings of her fon’s having been (lain 
in battle, died in his arms from the excefs of joy upon 
his fafe return. We are alfo told by the Italian hidorian 
Guicciardini, that Leo X. died of a fever, occafioned by 
the agitation of .his fpirits, on his receiving the joyful 
news of the capture of Milan, concerning which he had 
entertained the mod painful anxiety. 
To PASS'ION, v. 71. [pajjionner , old Fr.] To be ex¬ 
tremely agitated ; to exprels great commotion of mind. 
Obfolete. 
’Twas Ariadile paffioning 
For Thefeus’ perjury and unjud flight. Shahfpeare. 
PASS'ION-FLOWER, f. See Passifj.ora.—T he 
pajj'wji-flower, or Virginian climber : the firlt of thefe 
3 names 
