Fear operates in a variety of ways upon the human frame, and its effects depend, in a great measure, on the temperament of the body under its influence. Females, when suddenly and violently alarmed, fre quently utter a piercing cry, and faint in to total insensibility. Others are seized with hysterics, or a general convulsion of the whole system ; and in slighter de grees of fear, the eyes are fixed on the object of terror, while the feet involun tarily perform the office of flight. When the cause of fear strikes the soul without a possibility of an intervening conception of it, an universal start of the nerves and muscles is the consequence ; the con traction of the skin of the head raises the hair upright ; the blood rushes back to the heart, which palpitates most rapidly ; the mouth opens ; the eyes undergo the same operation, and are stretched in eager gaze after the dreaded object ; and an uniform trembling and faintness of the limbs take place. The best painters ex hibit terrified figures with their arms ex tended forward, as if to resist an assault, or rather to prevent a substance from rushing against them ; one of the legs set firmly back, the mouth open, the eyes glaring, the skin of the temple wrinkled, and a deadly paleness overspreading their features.
We shall support our observations on this first of the human passions by a short quotation from a late and approved writer. " Excessive fear is, by far, the most painful of all our sensations. Fear is wholly engaged in the contemplation of misery, which contains not a single particle in its nature calculated to soothe and mitigate its agonizing influence. But still it is the vigilant guardian of well being. It tries every expedient, and makes every effort to escape the evil so much dreaded. Were we indifferent about things pernicious in themselves, they would frequently seize us totally unprepared, and overwhelm us when we might have escaped from them." Fear may be generally attributed to an apprehension of we know not what ca lamity, one which may be traced to a cause, perhaps, but not to its full effects. Apprehension is a modification of the same passion, with sensations of uneasi ness and restless watchings. Terror, on the contrary, has its cause in full view; the eye sees it, the ear hears it, and the whole frame feels, by anticipation, the moment when it shall be crushed or overwhelmed by the approaching power. Consternation is a species of fear ; a discovery is dread ed, which produces punishment, guilt causes agitation, and the emotions of comsternation often occasion suspicion where none was entertained before. The indications of this passion are flushed and deranged features, hurried actions, and confused and contradictory speeches.
Each of the above designations of pas sion apply to the universal desire enter tained by man for his own preservation.
We shall next proceed to notice a passion equally destructive and perni cious in its effects upon the body, but far less innocent, anger, which is capa ble of being raised from a slight flush ing of the face to furious rage.. The discovery of an intended injury, a blow unexpectedly received, or insulting lan guage, excite what is generally termed anger. Rage, on the contrary, more par ticularly proceeds from a reiteration of either of the above causes ; such, at least, is anger founded on principles ca pable of some slight justification ; but it must be admitted, that this passion is of ten generated by causes trivial and un important difference of opinion in the course of common conversation, a dispute whether a window sash shall be opened or remain shut, have been known to produce anger, which could only be appeased by the shedding of blood. Passions arising from causes of this description, and in dulged to excess, place human nature in a most degrading point of view, and ex hibit the violence of selflove in the strong est colours. The soul in this instance gives the same warning of probable in jury which takes place in the case of fear, with the difference of suggesting means of prevention. Anger braces the nerves, the muscles become rigid, and the body rises into- a posture indicating majesty and defiance, the features are animated with a strong expression of energy, and the blood flows rapidly to the face.
Rage may be termed anger degenerat ed into the miserable state of insanity ; in some instances the first impulses of rage are too powerful fur the faculties, and the person under its influence either falls dead, or sinks into xi agitation which disarms of the power of re sistance or defence ; he becomes pale, and trembles from head to foot, and es says in vain to utter the purposes of his his soul ; in others, where the consti tntion happens to be strong, the tures are distorted, the muscles of the mouth are drawn back, the teeth grind to gether, the eyes are strained outwards, the brows are knit, the hands clenched, and every muscle indicates sudden ex ertion ; the heart palpitates, and the lungs with difficulty afford air for respi ration ; so rapid are the cries and excla mations of the unhappy being thus mov ed, who becomes an object of compas sion to the spectators, but out of pity, as it is more than probable that the yen. geance about to he taken will be more than commensurate with the injury re ceived.