PASSION, or THE PAS'SIONS, are strong feelings or emotions of the mind excited by an adequate cause, and exist ing in such strength as to engross the whole man, and resist the influence of every other cause of sensation. In order to form a clear notion of the passions, we must begin with rejecting the phrase that man is possessed of this or that number of passions, and say that he is possessed of one quality, that is, suscep tibility, which is liable to be acted upon by this or that number of causes. Man, therefore, has not so many feelings, but one feeling, assuming different forms of appearance according to the impression it receives; and the number of passions is exactly that of the circumstances that are important to a sentient creature. Now, these, in a comprehensive point of view, are only of two kinds; those that contribute to its pleasure, and those that are productive of pain. It is for this reason that, according to some, ;non has only two passions : the desire of happi ness, and the aversion to evil; but sub divided, each order has its genera, and each genus its species. The desire of happiness is separated into love, or the wish to possess that which will impart happiness ; hope, which is the expecta tion of possessing it; apd joy, which is the assurance of possession. The aver
sion to evil is separated into fear, which belongs to the dread of evil; grief, which belongs to the presence of it; and anger, which resents it. These, again, to which also other genera may be added. arc dis tinguished into species; as, to fear belong terror and horror ; and to anger, envy, jealousy, hatred, and malice. Some think the most natural division of the passions is into pleasurable and painful. --Pas sions, in painting and sculpture, the rep resentation in the countenance and other parts, of the violent emotions of the mind, produced by anger, fear, grief, AA. The expression of the passions is a language without which the painter can never hope for success ; it is in this that he has the means of appealing to the sympathy of the spectator. The close observation of nature under similar circumstances is the only mode by which his aim can be accomplished.