the young of the anthropomorphous apes.
But the muscular system is often affected in a wholly different way;
for trembling is a frequent consequence of extreme rage. The paralysed
lips then refuse to obey the will, and the voice sticks in the
throat; [1007] or it is rendered loud, harsh, and discordant. If there
be much and rapid speaking, the mouth froths. The hair sometimes
bristles; but I shall return to this subject in another chapter, when I
treat of the mingled emotions of rage and terror. There is in most
cases a strongly-marked frown on the forehead; for this follows from
the sense of anything displeasing or difficult, together with
concentration of mind. But sometimes the brow, instead of being much
contracted and lowered, remains smooth, with the glaring eyes kept
widely open. The eyes are always bright, or may, as Homer expresses it,
glisten with fire. They are sometimes bloodshot, and are said to
protrude from their sockets the result, no doubt, of the head being
gorged with blood, as shown by the veins being distended. According to
Gratiolet, the pupils are always contracted in rage, and I hear from
Dr. Crichton Browne that this is the case in the fierce delirium of
meningitis; but the movements of the iris under the influence of the
different emotions is a very obscure subject.[1008]
Shakspeare sums up the chief characteristics of rage as follows:
In peace there s nothing so becomes a man,
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height! On, on, you noblest English.
_Henry V_., act iii. sc. 1.
The lips are sometimes protruded during rage in a manner, the meaning
of which I do not understand, unless it depends on our descent from
some ape-like animal. Instances have been observed, not only with
Europeans, but with the Australians and Hindoos. The lips, however, are
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