he teacher an opportunity of
ranking them according to their merits.

SECTION III.

_Rules for expressing with Propriety, the principal Passions and Humours
which occur in Reading or public Speaking_.

Every part of the human frame contributes to express the passions and
emotions of the mind, and to shew, in general, its present state. The
head is sometimes erected, sometimes hung down, sometimes drawn suddenly
back with an air of disdain, sometimes shews by a nod, a particular
person or object; gives assent or denial, by different motions;
threatens by one sort of movement, approves by another, and expresses
suspicion by a third.

The arms are sometimes both thrown out, sometimes the right alone.
Sometimes they are lifted up as high as the face, to express wonder;
sometimes held out before the breast, to shew fear; spread forth with
the hands open to express desire or affection; the hands clapped in
surprise, and in sudden joy and grief; the right hand clenched, and the
arms brandished, to threaten; the two arms set a-kimbo, to look big, and
express contempt or courage. With the hands, we solicit, we refuse, we
promise, we threaten, we dismiss, we invite, we in treat, we express
aversion, fear, doubting, denial, asking, affirmation, negation, joy,
grief, confession, penitence. With the hands we describe, and point out
all circumstances of time, place and manner of what we relate; we excite
the passions of others, and soothe them: we approve and disapprove,
permit or prohibit, admire or despise. The hands serve us instead of
many sorts of words, and where the language of the tongue is unknown,
that of the hands is understood, being universal and common to all
nations.

The legs advance, or retreat, to express desire, or aversion, love or
hatred, courage or fear, and produce exultation, or leaping in sudden
joy; and the stamping of the foot expresses earnestness, anger, and
threatening.

Especially the face, being furnished with a variety of muscles, does
more in expressing the passions of the mind, than the whole human frame
besides. The change of colour (in white people) shews, by turns, anger
by redness, and sometimes by paleness; fear likewise by paleness, and
shame by blushing. Every feature contributes its part. The mouth open,
shews one state of the mind, shut, another; the gnashing of the teeth
another. The forehead smooth, eyebrows arched and easy, shew tranquility
or joy. Mirth opens the mouth t