The Young Gentleman and Lady's Monitor, and English Teacher's Assistant Part 47

_Authority_, opens the countenance, but draws down the eyebrows a little, so far as to give the look of gravity. See _Gravity_.

_Commanding_ requires an air a little more peremptory, with a look a little severe or stern. The hand is held out, and moved toward the person to whom the order is given, with the palm upwards, and the head nods towards him.

_Forbidding_, on the contrary, draws the head backwards, and pushes the hand from one with the palm downward, as if going to lay it upon the person, to hold him down immoveable, that he may not do what is forbidden him.

_Affirming_, especially with a judicial oath, is expressed by lifting the open right hand and eyes toward heaven; or if conscience is appealed to, by laying the right hand upon the breast.

_Denying_ is expressed by pushing the open right hand from one, and turning the face the contrary way. See _Aversion_.

_Differing_ in sentiment may be expressed as refusing. See _Refusing_.

_Agreeing_ in opinion, or _Conviction_, as granting. See _Granting_.

_Exhorting_, as by a general at the head of his army, requires a kind, complacent look; unless matter of offence has pa.s.sed, as neglect of duty, or the like.

_Judging_ demands a grave, steady look, with deep attention; the countenance altogether clear from any appearance of either disgust or favour. The accents slow, distinct, emphatical, accompanied with little action, and that very grave.

_Reproving_ puts on a stern aspect, roughens the voice, and is accompanied with gestures not much different from those of _Threatening_, but not so lively.

_Acquitting_ is performed with a benevolent, tranquil countenance and tone of voice; the right hand, if not both, open, waved gently toward the person acquitted, expressing dismission. See _Dismissing_.

_Condemning_ a.s.sumes a severe look, but mixed with pity. The sentence is to be expressed as with reluctance.

_Teaching_, explaining, inculcating, or giving orders to an inferior, requires an air of superiority to be a.s.sumed. The features are to be composed of an authoritative gravity. The eye steady, and open, the eye-brow a little drawn down over it; but not so much as to look surly or dogmatical. The tone of voice varying according as the emphasis requires, of which a good deal is necessary in expressing matter of this sort. The pitch of the voice to be strong and clear; the articulation distinct; the utterance slow, and the manner peremptory. This is the proper manner of p.r.o.nouncing the commandments in the communion office.

But (I am sorry to say it) they are too commonly spoken in the same manner as the prayers, than which nothing can be more unnatural.

_Pardoning_ differs from acquitting, in that the latter means clearing a person, after trial, of guilt; whereas the former supposes guilt, and signifies merely delivering the guilty person from punishment. Pardoning requires some degree of severity of aspect and tone of voice, because the pardoned person is not an object of entire unmixed approbation; otherwise its expression is much the same as granting. See _Granting_.

_Arguing_ requires a cool, sedate, attentive aspect, and a clear, slow, emphatical accent, with much demonstration by the hand. It differs from teaching (see _Teaching_) in that the look of authority is not wanting in arguing.

_Dismissing_, with approbation, is done with a kind aspect and tone of voice; the right hand open, gently waved toward the person. With displeasure, besides the look and tone of voice which suits displeasure, the hand is hastily thrown out toward the person dismissed, the back part toward him, the countenance at the same time turned away from him.

_Refusing_, when accompanied with displeasure, is expressed nearly in the same way. Without displeasure, it is done with a visible reluctance, which occasions the bringing out the words slowly, with such a shake of the head, and shrug of the shoulders, as is natural upon hearing of somewhat which gives us concern.

_Granting_, when done with unreserved good-will, is accompanied with a benevolent aspect and tone of voice; the right hand pressed to the left breast, to signify how heartily the favour is granted, and the benefactor's joy in conferring it.

_Dependence_. See _Modesty_.

_Veneration_, or _Worshipping_, comprehends several articles, as ascription, confession, remorse, intercession, thanksgiving, deprecation, pet.i.tion, &c. Ascription of honour and praise to the peerless, supreme Majesty of Heaven, and confession and deprecation, are to be uttered with all that humility of looks and gesture, which can exhibit the most profound self-abas.e.m.e.nt, and annihilation, before One; whose superiority is infinite. The head is a little raised, but with the most apparent timidity and dread; the eye is lifted, but immediately cast down again, or closed for a moment; the eyebrows are drawn down in the most respectful manner; the features, and the whole body and limbs, are all composed to the most profound gravity; one posture continuing, without considerable change, during the whole performance of the duty.

The knees bended, or the whole body prostrate, or if the posture be standing, which scripture does not disallow, bending forward, as ready to prostrate itself. The arms spread out, but modestly, as high as the breast; the hands open. The tone of the voice will be submissive, timid, equal trembling, weak, suppliant. The words will be brought out with a visible anxiety and diffidence, approaching to hesitation; few and slow; nothing of vain repet.i.tion, haranguing, flowers of rhetoric, or affected figures of speech; all simplicity, humility, and lowliness, such as becomes a reptile of the dust, when presuming to address Him, whose greatness is tremenduous beyond all created conception. In intercession for our fellow creatures, which is prescribed in the scriptures, and in thanksgiving, the countenance will naturally a.s.sume a small degree of cheerfulness beyond what it was clothed with in confession of sin, and deprecation of punishment. But all affected ornament of speech, or gesture in devotion, deserves the severest censure, as being somewhat much worse than absurd.

_Respect_ for a superior, puts on the looks and gesture of modesty. See _Modesty_.

_Hope_ brightens the countenance; arches the eyebrows; gives the eyes an eager, wishful look; opens the mouth to half a smile; bends the body a little forward, the feet equal; spreads the arms, with the hands open, as to receive the object of its longings. The tone of the voice is eager and unevenly, inclining to that of joy, but curbed by a degree of doubt and anxiety. Desire differs from hope as to expression, in this particular, that there is more appearance of doubt and anxiety in the former than in the latter. For it is one thing to desire what is agreeable, and another to have a prospect of actually obtaining it.

_Desire_ expresses itself by bending the body forward, and stretching the arms toward the object, as to grasp it. The countenance smiling, but eager and wishful; the eyes wide open, and eyebrows raised; the mouth open; the tone of voice suppliant, but lively and cheerful, unless there be distress as well as desire; the expressions fluent and copious: if no words are used, sighs instead of them; but this is chiefly in distress.

_Love_ (successful) lights up the countenance into smiles. The forehead is smoothed and enlarged; the eyebrows are arched; the mouth a little open, and smiling; the eyes languishing, and half shut, doat upon the beloved object. The countenance a.s.sumes the eager and wishful look of desire, (see _Desire_ above) but mixed with an air of satisfaction and repose. The accents are soft and winning; the tone of voice persuasive, flattering, pathetic, various, musical, rapturous, as in joy. (See _Joy_.) The att.i.tude much the same with that of desire. Sometimes both hands pressed eagerly to the bosom. Love, unsuccessful, adds an air of anxiety and melancholy. See _Perplexity_ and _Melancholy_.

_Giving_, _Inviting_, _Soliciting_. and such-like actions, which suppose some degree of affection, real or pretended, are accompanied with much the same looks and gestures as express love, but more moderate.

_Wonder_, or _Amazement_, (without any other _interesting_ pa.s.sion, as _Love_, _Esteem_, &c.) opens the eyes, and makes them appear very prominent; sometimes raises them to the skies; but oftener, and more expressively, fixes them on the object, if the cause of the pa.s.sion be a present and visible object, with the look, all except the wildness, of fear. (See _Fear_.) If the hands hold any thing, at the time when the object of wonder appears, they immediately let it drop, unconscious, and the whole body fixes in the contracted, stooping posture of amazement; the mouth open; the hands held up open, nearly in the att.i.tude of fear.

(See _Fear_.) The first excess of this pa.s.sion stops all utterance; but it makes amends afterwards by a copious flow of words, and exclamations.

_Admiration_, a mixed pa.s.sion, consisting of wonder, with love or esteem, takes away the familiar gesture and expression of simple love.

(See _Love_.) Keeps the respectful look and gesture. (See _Modesty_ and _Veneration_.) The eyes are opened wide, and now and then raised toward heaven. The mouth is opened. The hands are lifted up. The tone of the voice rapturous. This pa.s.sion expresses itself copiously, making great use of the figure hyperbole.

_Grat.i.tude_ puts on an aspect full of complacency. (See _Love_.) If the object of it is a character greatly superior, it expresses much submission. (See _Modesty_.) The right hand pressed upon the breast, accompanies, very properly, the expression of a sincere and hearty sensibility of obligation.

_Curiosity_, as of a busy-body, opens the eyes and mouth, lengthens the neck, bends the body forward, and fixes it in one posture, with the hands nearly in that of admiration. See _Admiration_. See also _Desire_, _Attention_, _Hope_, _Enquiry_, and _Perplexity_.

_Persuasion_ puts on the looks of moderate love. (See _Love_.) Its accents are soft, flattering, emphatical and articulate.

_Tempting_, or _Wheedling_, expresses itself much in the same way, only carrying the fawning part to excess.

_Promising_ is expressed with benevolent looks, the nod of consent, and the open hands gently moved towards the person to whom the promise is made, the palms upwards. The sincerity of the promiser may be expressed by laying the right hand gently on the breast.

_Affectation_ displays itself in a thousand different gestures, motions, airs and looks, according to the character which the person affects.

Affectation of learning gives a stiff formality to the whole person. The words come stalking out with the pace of a funeral procession, and every sentence has the solemnity of an oracle. Affectation of piety turns up the goggling whites of the eyes to heaven, as if the person were in a trance, and fixes them in that posture so long that the brain of the beholder grows giddy. Then comes up, deep grumbling, a holy groan from the lower parts of the thorax; but so tremendous in sound, and so long protracted, that you expect to see a goblin rise, like an exhalation through the solid earth. Then he begins to rock from side to side, or backward and forward, like an aged pine on the side of a hill, when a brisk wind blows. The hands are clasped together, and often lifted, and the head often shaken with foolish vehemence. The tone of the voice is canting, or sing-song lullaby, not much distant from an Irish howl, and the words G.o.dly doggrell. Affectation of beauty, and killing, puts a fine woman by turns into all sorts of forms, appearances and att.i.tudes, but amiable ones. She undoes by art, or rather by aukwardness, (for true art conceals itself) all that nature had done for her. Nature formed her almost an angel, and she, with infinite pains, makes herself a monkey.

Therefore, this species of affectation is easily imitated, or taken off.

Make as many and as ugly grimaces, motions and gestures as can be made, and take care that nature never peep out, and you represent coquetish affectation to the life.

_Sloth_ appears by yawning, dosing, snoring; the head dangling sometimes to one side, sometimes to the other; the arms and legs stretched out, and every sinew of the body unstrung; the eyes heavy, or closed; the words, if any, crawl out of the mouth but half formed, scarcely audible to any ear, and broken off in the middle by powerful sleep.

People who walk in their sleep (of which our inimitable Shakespear has, in his tragedy of MACBETH, drawn out a fine scene) are said to have their eyes open; though they are not, the more for that, conscious of any thing, but the dream which has got possession of their imagination.

I never saw one of those persons, therefore cannot describe their manner from nature; but I suppose their speech is pretty much like that of persons dreaming, inarticulate, incoherent, and very different, in its tone, from what it is when waking.

_Intoxication_ shews itself by the eyes half shut, sleepy, stupid, inflamed. An idiot smile, a ridiculous surliness, an affected bravado, disgraces the bloated countenance. The mouth open tumbles out nonsense in heaps, without articulation enough for any ear to take it in, and unworthy of attention, if it could be taken In. The head seems too heavy for the neck. The arms dangle from the shoulders; as if they were almost cut away, and hung by shreds. The legs totter and bend at the knees, as ready to sink under the weight of the reeling body. And a general incapacity, corporeal and mental, exhibits human nature sunk below the brutal.

_Anger_, (violent) or _Rage_ expresses itself with rapidity, interruption, noise, harshness, and trepidation. The neck stretched out; the head forward, often nodding and shaken in a menacing manner, against the object of the pa.s.sion. The eyes red, inflamed, staring, rolling, and sparkling; the eyebrows drawn down over them; and the forehead wrinkled into clouds. The nostrils stretched wide; every vein swelled; every muscle strained; the breast heaving, and the breath fetched hard. The mouth open, and drawn on each side toward the ears, shewing the teeth in a gnashing posture. The face bloated, pale, red, or sometimes almost black. The feet stamping: the right arm often thrown out, and menacing with the clenched fist shaken, and a general end violent agitation of the whole body.

_Peevishism_ or _Ill-nature_ is a lower degree of anger; and is therefore expressed in the above manner, only more moderate, with half sentences, and broken speeches, uttered hastily; the upper lip drawn up disdainfully; the eyes asquint upon the object of displeasure.

_Malice_ or _Spite_, sets the jaws, or gnashes with the teeth; sends blasting flashes from the eyes; draws the mouth toward the ears; clenches both fists, and bends the elbows in a straining manner. The tone of voice and expression, are much the same with that of anger; but the pitch not so loud.

_Envy_ is a little more moderate in its gestures than malice, but much the same in kind.

_Revenge_ expresses itself as malice.

_Cruelty_. See _Anger_, _Aversion_, _Malice_ and the other irrascible pa.s.sions.

_Complaining_ as when one is under violent bodily pain, distorts the features; almost closes the eyes; sometimes raises them wishfully; opens the mouth; gnashes with the teeth; draws up the upper lip; draws down the head upon the breast, and the whole body together. The arms are violently bent at the elbows, and the fists strongly clenched. The voice is uttered in groans, lamentations, and violent screams. Extreme torture produces fainting, and death.

_Fatigue_ from severe labour, gives a general languor to the whole body.

The countenance is dejected. (See _Grief_.) The arms hang listless; the body (if sitting or lying along be not the posture) stoops, as in old-age. (See _Dotage_.) The legs, if walking, are dragged heavily along, and seem at every step ready to bend under the weight of the body. The voice is weak, and the words hardly enough articulated to be understood.

_Aversion_, or _Hatred_, expressed to, or of any person or thing, that is odious to the speaker, occasions his drawing back, as avoiding the approach of what he hates; the hands, at the same time, thrown out spread, as if to keep it off. The face turned away from that side toward which the hands are thrown out; the eyes looking angrily and asquint the same way the hands are directed; the eyebrows drawn downwards; the upper lip disdainfully drawn up; but the teeth set. The pitch of the voice loud; the tone chiding, unequal, surly, vehement. The sentences short and abrupt.

_Commendation_, or _Approbation_ from a superior, puts on the aspect of love (excluding desire and respect) and expresses itself in a mild tone of voice; the arms gently spread; the palms of the hands toward the person approved. Exhorting or encouraging, as of an army by a general, is expressed with some part of the looks and action of courage.