An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. IX. Of the External Passions.

I. Sanguine Persons are chiefly prone to Laughter. MEN of a jolly Temper and sanguine Com∣plexion, upon any the slightest occasion, burst forth into Laughter, nor are they, when any one else Laughs able to contain themselves, or when any matter of sport or merriment comes into their Mind.

This sort of Passion in Men of this Constitu∣tion arises from the moveableness of the Fibres which are stirred up, and as it were frisk at the occurrence of any sportive Object, by which af∣fection drawn through the Diaphragma or Mid∣riff a certain change of the Countenance with a sonorous and inarticulate Voice is created. For herein consists the reason of Laughter; that the Blood passing from the right Cavity of the Heart through the Vena Arteriosa suddenly, and with a repeated shaking, puffs up the Lungs, and causes the Air which they contain, to be compelled to break forth forcibly through the Aspera Arteria, in which it forms the Inarticulate and Sonorous Voice, and as well the Lungs by being inflate, as this Air by going out impel all the Muscles of the Diaphragma, Breast and Throat, by which means they mov•• those Muscles of the Counte∣nance that have any connexion with them. Where∣fore no wonder if many times persons of great Sense and Ingenuity cannot contain themselves, tho' using their utmost means to repress the said Motions.

II. Whence arises the Impulse of Animals to Venery. By the impulse of Nature it is that Animals are carried to Venery, or as it were forc'd by a certain violent inclination to a conjunction with their like, for the propagation of their Species.

This Inclination of Animals hence arises, name∣ly, because at their fit Age the Seed increast in the Vessels appropriate to Generation, and the recepti∣on of the said Seed upon some access of heat from the afflux of the Spirits, provokes Concupiscence, which in Males from the sight of the Female, and on the contrary in Females from the presence of the Male, by a vehement agitation of the Animal Spirits, impels Animals by a certain amorous rage to a Mutual Conjunction, with which they are in∣flamed, much after the same manner as a rapid Fire shut up in a close Fornace.

III. Whence Sardonie Laughter proceeds. There sometimes happens to one a Laughter against his Will, even in excess of pain, or else at the point of death; and such a kind of Laughter is called Canine or Sardonick.

Old Women impute this sort of Laughter in In∣fants to a sign of Joy, when indeed it is nothing but a Convulsion of the Muscles of the Face, which is very often attended by Epileptick Fits. So likewise among Gladiators and such sort of Combatants it is a most certain sign of instant death; forasmuch as it denotes that the Animal Spirits are no longer under the Government of the Mind, but in a tumultuary manner rush some∣times upon these, sometimes upon those Nerves, and so that the Link of the Mind with the Body is almost broken.

IV. How it come to pass the Mens Hairs stand on end who are struck with hor∣ror. When any one is struck with horror, his Hair (as it were) stands on end. Because when the Blood, by reason of the said astonishment, with∣draws to the Bowels, the external parts of the Bo∣dy, especially the Skin, are contracted; nor can it be but that by the contraction of the Skin, the pores also are comprest, and thereupon the Hairs start up. Because the pores of the Body are like Repositories in which the Hairs are disposed, which according to their different situation, obtains a va∣rious position. The same effect is stirred up in other Animals by the motion of some affection or other; as for example, Anger in a Dog, fear in a Hen, whose Feathers rise up a main, if the Enemy be at hand ready to seize her.

V. Some after a full Meal fetch deep Sighs. In some it is observed, that after Meat, from the fulness of their Stomach they fetch deep sighs, and draw their Breath from the very bottom of their Breast, like persons affected with some lan∣guishing distemper.

This I judge proceeds from a motion which Nature makes use of, the sooner to transmit the juice of the Meats through the Heart, to the end the Stomach may the more speedily be relieved by them. For sighs by agitating the Lungs, cause the Blood which is contained therein to flow the more speedily through the Arteria Venosa into the left Ventricle of the Heart, and thus the new Blood created of the Meats juice flowing from the Sto∣mach, the Lacteal Veins and Heart, as far as the Lungs may the more easily be admitted into it.

VI. Why of sad Persons, some covet Meat, others refuse it. In some Persons affected with Sadness, the Ap∣petite being quite taken away, all sorts of Meat become loathsom to them. On the other side, others languishing with sorrow, covet Meat with a more sharp and greedy propensity,

The difference arises from the different original of these two sorts of sadness. The original of the first, which affects some from their very Birth, is from hence▪ namely, because they took not in nourishment enough, but were kept short of such an allowance of Meat as might satisfie the appe∣tite. Of the Second sort, that the nourishment they first took was grievous and hurtful to them, and thereupon the motion of the Spirits in them which takes away the desire of Meat, remain'd join'd with sadness. For such is the Conjunction of Bo∣dy and Soul, that these very Cogitations which have accompanied any motions of the Body from the very first entrance into life, continue to ac∣company them.

VII. Suddain Joy causes Swooning and Faint∣ing away, and some∣times even to death. Some fall into swooning fits upon their being seised with excess of joy, as for example, that Wo∣man mentioned by VALERIUS MAXI∣MUS, who at the sight of her Son, whom she thought to have been long since slain in Battel, fell immediately dead. I have heard of a certain Mer∣chants Wife in England, whose Husband, taking a voyage into the East-Indies, was by some Friends reported to be dead, that when after three years she heard that he was returned, and even just at the very doors to enter, she running hastily to meet and embrace him, fell down dead on the Threshold at her Husbands Feet.

The cause of this I judge to be, for that the said excessive, suddain and unwonted joy, by opening the orifices of the Heart▪ forces the Blood of the Veins to enter with such violence▪ and in such abundance into the Heart, that it could not be there dilated and rarefied soon enough to re∣move those valvules which close the Orifices of the said Veins, whereby it came to pass that the Fire in the Heart was suffocated, and the Life which consists in the motion thereof perisht.

VIII. Why upon the Yawn∣ing of one Person, others also Yawn. It happens very often, that upon the yawning of one Person, the rest of the Company fall a yawning or gaping also.

Oscitation or Yawning is nothing but the de∣duction or parting asunder of the lower Jaw from the upper, which diduction proceeds from some sharp particles there sticking and gently vellica∣ting the Fibrils of the Nerves, whereby the Spi¦rits have a more copious influx towards those Mus∣cles of the Mouth, and so produce the said motion. But that upon one Persons Yawning, others should do the like, it proceeds from no other cause but this, namely, that the said diduction of the Jaws so disposes the Animal Spirits, that they rush to∣wards that part, and so excite an Oscitation or Yawning together, much after the same manner as two Musical Chords or Strings, which being screw'd up and tun'd to the same note, so sympa∣thise together, that when one being struck sends forth a sound, the other at the same time, though not struck, sends forth the same.

IX. How it comes to pass that Persons ex∣cessively grieving, fall into a Swoon. A Lipothymie or Swooning away through failure of the Spirits, oftentimes proceeds from great grief.

The original of a Lipothymie is when the Animal Spirits, be it for what cause it will, are carried im∣petuously through the Nerves to the Heart, and contract its Ventricles at that very time when they ought to be dilated by the Blood entring in; whence it comes to pass, that the fermentation of the Blood is hindred, and consequently that the Blood within the very Ventricles of the Heart can∣not be sufficiently rarefied, nor strongly enough thrust out into the great Arterie adjoining; whence it is that this Lipothymie proceeds from great grief, in regard the whole contexture of the Nerves is thereby shattered, and consequently the Arteries themselves that receive the Ramules or little Bran∣ches of the Nerves are also shattered, whereupon the Blood contained in the Arteria Magna or Great Artery is forc'd upward towards the left Ventricle of the Heart, and thereby hinders the Blood con∣tained therein from being able to pass. This is the true cause of the Lipothymie or Swooning Di∣stemper.

X. How it comes to pass that Persons af∣fected with Sadness or Grief, are apt to shed Tears. Those that are sad and dejected of Mind, are very prone and apt to shed Tears, especially if the heaviness of Heart be not very excessive, and any sense of Love attends it.

The Reason is, because tho' from all parts of the Body, Vapours exhale, yet there is no part which sends forth more than the two Eyes, both in respect of the magnitude of the Optick Nerves, as also the multitude of the little Veins through which the said Vapours tend thither. But, whereas sad∣ness by cooling the Blood, contracts the passages of the Eyes, and keeps back the agitation of Va∣pours: Sadness alone is not sufficient to draw▪ forth tears, unless there be also an accession of Love, which is an occasion of discharging the Blood towards the Heart, and of increasing the quantity of Vapours: Whence it is observable that the Sad do not shed tears continually, but only by Intervals, whilst the Object they love recurs to their Mind, and is represented anew to their Imagination. The Ancients have allowed this ex∣pression of Grief even to Brute Animals. Horses, saith PLINY, bewail the loss of their Masters, and weep for want of them; and concerning the Horse of slain Pallas, Virgil thus writes.

The War▪Horse Aethon, spurning now aside His Warlike Trappings, Ornaments of Pride, Weeps as he goes; and for resentment sour, Down from his Cheeks the great drops trickling pour.

XI. How it comes to pass that those who weep, not only shed Tears, but also send forth loud▪ Shrieks and Out-crys. A loud Outcry is oftentimes adjoined to Weep∣ing, especially in Children and Women, who, tho' they are both prone to Laughter, yet send forth louder and shriller Crys in Weeping than in Laughter.

These Shrieks are produc'd when the Lungs are in a moment puft up by the abundance of Blood entring into them, which expels from thence the Air that filled them, which Air being trans∣mitted through the Throat, produces those howl∣ings and crys which accompany weeping. But because the Nerves that are inservient to the dila∣ting or contracting the Organs of the voice to render the said Voice more acute or gracile, are joined with those, which in time of joy open the Orifices of the Heart, and in sadness contract them: Hence it comes to pass, that these Organs are at that time dilated or contracted. Hereup∣on in weeping the Brows are contracted and de∣prest, the contrary whereof we find in Laugh∣ter.

XII. Why Lo∣vers so of∣ten sigh. Lovers commonly fetch deep sighs, and as an argument of their solitude and grief, pant and draw their Breath thick from the bottom of their Breast.

The Reason is, because in Love the Imagination of Hope or Joy opens the orifice of the Arteria Ve∣nosa, which Sadness had before contracted. Where∣fore when that small quantity of Blood which re∣mained in the Lungs, is in a moment conveyed through this Vena Arteriosa, into the left Cavity of the Heart, and is impelled thither, by a desire of obtaining that Joy, where at the same time all the Muscles of the Midriff and Breast are agita∣ted; it comes thence to pass, that the Air is very quickly impelled through the Mouth into the Lungs to possess that place which is forsaken by the said Blood.

XIII. How it comes that the Sad have not always in their Counte∣nance the same Colour The Sad carry not always the same Counte∣nance; for sometimes they look Pale, other times are of a Ruddy Colour.

Sadness inclines to Paleness, when by contract∣ing the Orifices of the Heart it causes the Blood to flow more slowly into the Veins, and as being made colder and thicker, to possess less place; whereby it comes to pass, that betaking it self in∣to the broader Veins, and those nearest the Heart only, it forsakes the remoter, whereof the most conspicuous are those in the Face: And by this means the Lover is rendred the more Pallid and Macilent. But when the Sad look Red, and discover a certain Ardour in their Countenance: It is not so much to be imputed to Sadness as to other Affe∣ctions which are joined to this Passion, namely, Love or Desire, or possibly sometimes Hatred it self. Forasmuch as these Passions moving and heat∣ing the Blood which proceeds from the Liver, En∣trails, and other interiour Parts, and impelling it first to the Heart, thence through the Aorta to the Veins of the Face, cause the said Face to look Red and High Colour'd.