the first act of Electra, spreading a report of his own death in order to blind his mother and her adulterer, is even in this case affected with the presage. Such imbecility can never find grace with a modern audience. It may indeed produce some degree of compaffion for a people afflicted to such a degree with abfurd terrors, similar to what is felt in perusing a description of the Hottentotes: but manners of this kind will not interest our affections, nor excite any degree of social concern....

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O intimately connected are the foul and body, that there is not a single agitation in the former, but what produceth a visible effect upon the latter. There is, at the same time, a wonderful uniformity in this operation; each class of emotions being invariably attended with an external appearance peculiar to itself *. These external appearances or figns, may not improperly be confidered as a natural language, expreffing to all beholders the several emotions and passions as they arife in the heart. We perceive display'd externally, hope, fear, joy, grief: we can read the character of a man in his face; and beauty, which makes so strong an impreffion, is known to result, not so much from regular features and a fine complexion, as from good nature, good sense, sprightliness, fweetness, or other mental quality, expressed some way upon the countenance. Though perfect skill in this language be rare, yet so much knowledge of it is diffused through mankind, as to be sufficient for the ordinary events of life. But by what means we come to understand this language, is a point of some intricacy. It cannot be by fight merely; for upon the most attentive inspection of the human visage, all that can be difcerned are figure, colour, and motion; and yet these, singly or combined, never can reprefent a paffion or a sentiment. The external sign is indeed vifible. But to understand its meaning, we must be able to connect it with the paffion that causes it; an operation far beyond the reach of eye-fight. Where then is the instructor to be found, that can unvail this secret connection? If we apply to experience, it is yielded, that from long and diligent observation, we may gather in some measure

measure in what manner those we are ac quainted with express their passions externally. But with respectto strangers, of whom we have no experience, we are left in the dark. And yet we are not puzzled about the meaning of these external expreffions in a stranger, more than in a bofom-companion *. Further, had we no other means but experience for understanding the external figns of paffion, we could not expect any uniformity or any degree of skill in the bulk of individuals. But matters are ordered so differently, that the external expreffions of passion form a language understood by all, by the young as well as the old, by the ignorant as well as the learned, I talk of the plain and legible characters of this language; for undoubtedly we are much indebted to experience in deciphering the dark and more delicate expreffions. Where then shall we apply for a folution of this intricate problem, which seems to penetrate deep into human nature? In my

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mind it will be convenient to suspend the inquiry, till we be better acquainted with the nature of external figns and with their operations. These articles therefore shall be premised.

The

The external figns of passion are of two kinds, voluntary and involuntary. voluntary figns are also of two kinds: fome are arbitrary and some natural. Words are arbitrary signs, excepting a few fimple founds expreffive of certain internal emotions; and these sounds, being the fame in all languages, must be the work of nature. But though words are arbitrary, the manner of employing them is not altogether so; for each paffion has by nature peculiar expreffions and tones suited to it. Thus the unpremeditated tones of admiration, are the fame in all men ; as also of compaffion, resentment, and despair. Dramatic writers ought to be well acquainted with this natural manner of expreffing paffion. The chief talent of a fine writer, is a ready command of the expreffions that nature dictates to every man when any vivid emotion struggles for utterance; and the chief talent