them ¶ The speech of Reuben to his father Jacob about Benjamins delivering into his Hands hath reference to this signification of trust And that speech of Judah unto his Father about the same busines I will be surety for him of my Hand shalt thou require him ¶ In the sense of fidelity all the Princes men of power and all the sons of David GAVE THE HAND unto King Salomon And the Prophet Ezekiel emphatically declaring the perjury and infidelity of the King of Jerusalem who had broken the oath made with the King of Babel which he had confirmed BY GIVING HIS HAND denounceth these punishments That he should dye in the midst of Babel in the place of the King that had made him King whose oath hee had despised and whose covenant made with him he brake Neither should Pharaoh King of Aegypt in whom he trusted deliver him For hee hath despised the Oath and broken the Covenant YET LOE HE HAD GIVEN HIS HAND And verily all Nations have ever had a naturall respect unto the mystery of Faith which hath her firme existence in the Hand and have so esteemed the Right Hand they thought the touch thereof to be the most lively significant and expresse pawne or pledge of faithfulnesse whence all compacts leagues Grants combinations truces proviso's bargaines covenants and entercourses whatsoever are held to be inviolably ratified and to stand in full power force and virtue by the TOUCH of the insuring Hand For when we GIVE OUR HAND we doe seal◠as it were an obligation or reall contract by which presents we deeply ingage our selves to a punctuall accomplishment of that which our Hand had protested to the Hand being bound as a surety that our deeds shall bee forth-comming and be found answerable to our words for whosoever forfeits the Recognizance of his Hand he breaks the most sacred and strongest band of of Truth and by falsifying his manuall faith proves a kinde of Renegado to himselfe Caelius Rhodiginus thinkes there is some Pythagoricall mystery in this authenticke guise of the Hand in warrantizing faithfull dealings and that the gesture flowes from a secret and religious reverence to that comprehensive number Ten for while each Hand doth extend five fingers which move to the comprehension of each other they premit a resemblance of the Decades mystery since meeting in their formall close they seem to greet one another in that number Callymachus and Varro endeavour to render another reason drawne from the naturall authority and command that consists in the virtue of the Right Hand And verily Faith consists wholly in the Right Hand and the left hath no obligatory force or virtue in it For to give the left hand or to take anothers given Right Hand with the left is not binding in point of naturall Faith And therefore when Josippus Gorio the Jew desired a Roman Souldier to give him his Right Hand in signe of Faith he gave him his left and drawing his sword with his Right Hand slew him and yet he cannot properly be said to have falsified his promise since he gave him but his left hand whose touch hath no assurance but was ever held deceitfull and ominous Therefore the oath of Faith in all adjurations was taken and required by the Right Hand Hence Plautus Haec per dextram tuam dextrate retinente manu obsecro infidelior mihi ne sis quam ego sum tibi To which may be referred that adjuration of Cicero per dextram ipsam quam hospes hospiti porrexisti For the Ancients were wont by this gesture of faith to put their last will and commandement into the obliged Hand of their heirs or executors To which intent Masinissa sent to Manilius Proconsull of Africa requesting him to send unto him then at the point of death Scipio Aemilianus who then served under his command as a Souldier supposing his death to prove more happy if he dyed embracing his Right Hand and adjured him thereby to performe his last wil and testament Tarquinius Priscus sent for Servius to this purpose Thus the friends of Germanicus touching his Right Hand swore to revenge his death And Micipsa King of Numidia after he had adopted Jugurth upon his death-bed used these words unto him I adjure thee by this Right Hand which he held and by the allegigiance thou owest to thy Country that thou estrange not thy love and service from these thy kinsmen whom by favour and adoption I have created thy brethren To this Virgil alluding to the generall custome Fata per Aeneae juro dextramque potentem Tibullus alludes to this gesture Te teneam moriens deficiente manu The wilde Irish doe ordinarily use to sweare by this seat of faith and minister of virtue the Right Hand who at every third word are wont to lash out an oath and among the rest these By my God fathers Hand by my gossips Hand or by thy Hand and for the performance of promise and that a man may beleeve them these are of greatest weight to binde them If one sweare by the Hand of an Earle or of his owne Lord or some mighty person for if he be forsworne and convict of perjury the said mighty man will wring from him perforce a great summe of money and a number of cowes as if by that perjury the greatest abuse and injury that might be were offered to his name And the Hebridian Scots and Mountainiers in their contracts sweare by the Hand of their Captaine an ordinance observed among them ever since Evenus the first King that exacted the oath of Faith at their Hands ¶ But the indissoluble soder and inviolable bond of society which old sincerity instructed by reason in the tacit force thereof thought the great oath and the strongest hold the Re-publick hath to keep the honour of her estate is Faith then which there was never any thing held to be of greater credit or antiquity Hence Xenophon hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est publicam fidem And Numa by his dedication of the Hand to Faith and commanding the Flamins to execute their functions with their Hands covered and wrapped close to their fingers ends gave a notable testimony that he held Faith for holy and sacred after touching of the Right Hand that it ought be kept and preserved and that her seate was sacred and consecrated even upon the Right Hands and therefore that it ought by no meanes to be violated wherefore in particular contracts among the Romans there was not any oath more religious and holy then the oath of Faith a point of naturall doctrine that Numa did but enforce with his rituall additions But the authority reputation consequence and dignity of the Publicke Faith was had in such singular estimation that men held their money no where so safe as in the Hands of the Publicke State Hence it is that we may see many ancient
a Hand which is the sourse of so many charities Reservatione saluto Gestus LXII TO OFFER THE BACKE OF THE RIGHT HAND TO BE KISSED by others which Plinie calls a religious ceremony used by all Nations is an expression of state used by proud and scornfull persons who affect the garbe of great ones and are willing to afford a sleight respect to one they thinke unworthy of a higher touch Martiall very acutely jeers at the condition of such over-weening magnifico's Basia das aliis aliis das posthume dextram Dicis utrum mavis elige malo manum Many such apes of sovereignty our times afford who arrogate to themselves more honour then either their birth or fortunes can chalenge such may see a copy of their improper expression in Marcellinus who describing the corrupt state of Rome in the dayes of Valentinian and Valens shews how the Nobility some of them when they began to be saluted or greeted breast to breast turned their heads awry when they should have been kissed and bridling it like unto curst and fierce bulls offered unto their flattering favourites their knees or Hands to kisse supposing that favour sufficient for them to live happily and be made for ever Indeed the favourites of fortune and great Commanders of the world with a little more reason have thought them much to wrong their majesty who in kissing presumed above their Hands Examples of which imperious expression we have in Caligula who as Dion reporteth of him was very sparing of his Hand except it were to Senatours and to whom he offered this favour they gave him publicke thanks in the Senate for it whereas all men saw him daily allowing this favour to dancers and tumblers And Domitian to Caenis his fathers concubine newly returned out of Istria and offering to kisse his lippes hee PUT FORTH HIS HAND And the younger Maximin is noted to have used the said stately expression in his demeanour towards them that came to salute him and not to have admitted any above his Hand A piece of state that hath been as improperly usurped by the proud Prelates of the Church who have expected the same symbol of subjection from the humble mouths of their adorers A reserved carriage which begat envy in the people to the greatest Emperours Wherefore Pliny comending Trajan the Emperor in forbearing this expression of state condemning it in those that used it saith I am quo assensu senatus quo gaudio exceptus es cum canditatis ut quemque nomina veras osculo occurres devexus in planum quasi unus ex gratulantibus te miror magis an improbem illos qui efficerunt ut illud magnum videretur cum velut affixi curulibus suis manum tantum hanc cunctanter pigrè imputantibus similes promerent Yet in Princes whose tempers did enrich them with their peoples love this demonstration of the Hand was held to be a note of Royall plausibility Of this kinde of benigne and courteous Princes was Marcus Aurelius as Herodian noteth who was of so sweet a temper and debonaire behaviour towards all men that he would GIVE HIS HAND 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to every man that came to him commanding his guard to keepe backe none that came unto him The same Author speaking of the Emperour Severus his entrance into Rome with his Army and noting his plausibility the next day when he came to the Senate where he made a smooth and plausible speech and then saith he he GAVE HIS HAND to all the company where he useth the same Greeke word as before Absolon used this popular action of his Hand as a bait to entice and steale away the hearts of the people from his father David for the text saies it was so that when any man came nigh him to doe him obeysance he put forth his Hand and tooke him and kissed him Otho was of the same courtly complexion and as Tacitus observeth was well skilled in the facit force of this popular insinuation very ready to STRETCH FORTH HIS HAND and to bow himselfe to every meane person neither did he reject any though comming single The humanity of Alexander the Great King of Macedon a Prince of an invincible spirit and noble temper is most renowned in Histories who although he was weakned with the violence of a disease a thing most incredible to be spoken or heard raising himselfe upon his couch PUT FORTH HIS DYING HAND to all his souldiers that would to touch it and holding it in that posture untill all his Army had kissed not untill then taking in his wearied arme Upon which unimitable act of Alexander Valerius Maximus breaks forth into a most patheticall interrogatory Quis autem manum osculari non curreret quae jam fato oppressa maximi exercitus complexui humanitate quam spiritu vividiore suffecit Nor was the affability of Cyrus King of Persia much lesse remarkable who declaring upon his death-bed how they should dispose of his body after his a to wit to bury it presently in the earth and not to inclose it in any gold or silver urne wherefore saith he if there be any of you that would either touch my Right Hand or behold my eye while I am yet alive let them come neare but when mine eyes are once closed I crave of you my sonnes that my body may be seene of no man nor of you your selves and having spoken these and other things when he had given them all his Hand he closed his eyes and so dyed Great Princes at this day expose not their Right Hand to be kissed but to such whom they would welcome with some especiall grace For when great Potentates intend to admit a friend into protection or in their Royall goodnesse are pleased to re-admit some exile from their love and would dispense with greater majesty a pardon royall for some passed offence they use openly to offer and PRESENT THE BACKE OF THEIR RIGHT HAND permitting them by that favour to reverence their power and high command or the signification of that touch and honourable favour is as much as a firme signe of reconciliation and a gracious league obtained at their Hand Furacitatem noto Gestus LXIII TO PUT FORTH THE LEFT HAND AS IT WERE BY STEALTH is their significant endeavour who have an intent unséene to purloine and convey away something From which fellonious action the Adage is derived Utitur manu sinistra which translated in the proverbiall sense is tooke up against cheates and pilfering fellowes who by a théevish sleight of Hand and slie way of robbery can bereave one of a thing unperceived for such Mercurialists who addresse themselves to filch and lurching closely assay under-Hand to steale a thing Hand-smooth away doe in the cursed Handicraft of theft out of a kinde of cunning choice imploy the left hand which is the hand that lyes more out of sight and
summam scriptis imposuisse Manum Expansâque Manu Capitis mysteria pandes Hoc te facturum das mihi Chirographum Ad eundem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad eundem SEe here appeares a Hand one limbe alone Borne to the World a perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And marke how well 't is muscled how it speakes Fresh from the Presses wombe and view the freakes Of this emphatique silence which doth sound Onely to 'th Eye beyond which ovall round It roves not and this mute Vocalitie Is practic'd where there wants abilitie Of mutuall knowledge of each others tongue The Hand alone doth intimate our strong Or faint desires In this garbe long ago We spake with th' Indian Apochankano Thus may we trade with the dumb Ginnie Drills By Exercise and make our secret wills Known to those rationall Brutes and thus we May make the World one Vniversitie Bacon the Britaine-Stagerite found fault With all the Ancients 'cause they never taught This in their Schooles Now the Worke is ended Which best of all is by it selfe commended So our Briareus of whose new designe By Chiromancies leave I must divine He need not feare bold Atropos her knife For in his Hand each line 's a line of life JO HARMARUS Oxoniensis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To his excellent Friend the Author on his CHIROLOGIA CAn swelling rage without a Genius streine To the true pitch of a Poetique veine And shall not Loves harmonious heat inspire My thoughts and set them to Apollo's lyre I feele my Hand deep struck in friendships veine With rich invention flowing out amaine And where such force the Pens ingagement drawes There an unskilfull Hand may give applause Were I Bellona's Dâ—rling I would fight But at that Spirits rate that Thou dar'st write Mercuriall valour in Thy conquering Pen Equalls the Hand of War in ord'ring men I find Thee Friend well armed to repell Th'affronts of any scoffing Ismael Whose carping Hand 'gainst ev'ry man is bent And each mans Hand 'gainst his Hands crosse intent Thou may'st such blowes without a Gauntlet ward Or any Second of Thy Fames lifes Guard But if a Viper through the glove invade Thy harmlesse Hand shake'â— off and to Thy aide Raise Thy own new Militia Thy Hands Natures best squadron and Arts Trained Bands I. W. Meissimo in deliciis CHIROLOGIAE Authori Amanuensi Musarum Polihymniae Alumno Motistarum Clarissimo MANUS publicè praehensantium Candidato INdigitare tuas per ter tria nomina laudes Nomenelatorem Turma Novena jubet Chirologus manibus signas gestuque loquaci Exempla Historici multa notantis habes Chirophilus pangis rapti modulamen amoris Verbaque Palmari saepe canenda choro Chirocrates nodosa Manu subjecta potenti Arguta Digiti calliditate valent Chirographus miranda notas subscripta coloras Talia nec poterit Penelopea Manus Chiromantis acutus ab apparentibus infers Mores Manibus pectora ferre facis Chirocrites Criticis Digitalia dicta profaris Gestu Philologis Oedipus alter eris Chirimimus agis variatas dicere formas Pollice multiplicem Protea vincis acer Chiromysta orare doces penetralia signi Scrutaris praxi stat pietatis honos Chirodorus opem Musis das munere Dextram Tendens doctrinae magna docentis opus Sed palmata novo nutans Polihymnia voto Omnia complectens nomen omen erit Assensere omnes Palmis te digna locutum Pleronymi titulo dicere Chirosophum R. G. Nomenclator Chiro-musae Chirologia OR THE NATVRALL LANGVAGE Of the HAND IN all the declarative conceits of Gesture whereby the Body instructed by Nature can emphatically vent and communicate a thought and in the propriety of its utterance expresse the silent agitations of the minde the Hand that busie instrument is most talkative whose language is as easily perceived and understood as if Man had another mouth or fountaine of discourse in his Hand So proper and apt to make signes and work great matters is the Hand of Man It seems to me observable that when Moses covertly desired a signe of God to make the Aegyptians believe He had appeared unto him God presently asked him what he had in his Hand and commands him naturall gestures which had thence the force of miraculous signification and to these signes God attributes a voice for He saith If they will not hearken to the voice of the first signe they will believe the voice of the latter signe and as there is in the supernaturall so there is a signifying voyce in the naturall signes of the Hand Althusius calls these miraculous expressions of the Hand habitus portentosos which by their rare and illustrious action denote and expresse some singular and memorable intention by the command of God besides their naturall signification For the Hand being the Substitute and Vicegerent of the Tongue in a full and majestique way of expression presents the signifying faculties of the soule and the inward discourse of Reason and as another Tongue which we may justly call the Spokesman of the Body it speakes for all the members thereof denoting their Suffrages and including their Votes So that whatsoever thought can be delivered or made significantly manifest by the united motions and connative endeavours of all the other members the same may be as evidently exhibited by the sole devoyre and discoursing gestures of the Hand The intendments of which demonstrative gestures being naturall signes have no dependance on any ordinance or Statute of Art which may be broken off or taken in hand as it is either repealed or stands in force but these being part of the unalterable Lawes and Institutes of Nature are by their owne perpetuall constitution and by a native consequence significant As smoke which in darke vapours expires from incensed fuell is a certaine signe of fire or as rich smells by whose aromatique breath the ayer 's perfum'd doe sweetly declare the presence of the ascended odour and as the blushes of Aurora bewray the early approach of the bright Emperour of the day So that in these Art hath no Hand since they proceed from the meere instinct of Nature and all these motions and habits of the Hand are purely naturall not positive nor in their senses remote from the true nature of the things that are implyed The naturall resemblance and congruity of which expressions result from the habits of the minde by the effort of an impetuous affection wrought in the invaded Hand which is made very plyant for such impressions But whereas these speaking Organs are couplets an active paire sometimes they both and not seldome one alone doth by a neat insinuation of speech make and accomplish the habit Sometimes differing words which visibly grow on one root of action goe for Synonima's in gesture and we shall sometimes see contrarietie of patheticall expression in identity of posture Nor doth the Hand in one speech or kinde of language serve
in his Hand from the Right-hand of Charity and the Left-hand of Zeale both joyn'd together to make their intentions more acceptable as from the living censer or incense-pan of prayer there ascends in a sweet kind of articulated silence the speaking savour of these significations O Parent of the World God the maker of all things this soule all that I am a thousand times due to thy majesty and gracious Goodnesse I render and refer to its Fountaine and Originall What e're my Hands can doe or my tacite understanding and industry endeavour let it be Thine Thee seduced by ill counsell I have withstood and like a wretch rejected thy Gifts and by wicked machinations repelled and throwne them from mee Behold my Hands which it thou please command to be bound and mee an unworthy Traytor who have sinn'd with a high hand to be drawne to punishment who had not liv'd unlesse Thou hadst lent mee life which I have abus'd and rebelliously stretched out my Hand against Thee to my owne destruction and the reproach and dishonour of Thy Name All these significant expressions as Cresollius hath happily observ'd are contain'd in this Gesture S. Augustine very elegantly and sweetly gives us the retionality and religious conveniency of this manuall expression When men in prayer STRETCHT OUT THEIR HANDS or use any visible expressions they doe that which is agreeable to the case of a suppliant although their invisible will intention of their heart be known to God neither doth hee stand in need of such declarations that the minde of man should bee laid open before him but by this gesture man doth more rouze up himselfe to pray and groane more humbly and fervently And I know not how whereas these motions of the body cannot be done unlesse the inward motions of the mind precede the same thing againe being made externally visible that interiour invisible which caused them is increased and by this the affection of the heart which preceded as the cause before the effect for so much as they are done doth encrease And indeed this outward addition or adjunct of Piety the OPENING and LIFTING UP OF THE HANDS is a naturall manifestation of the uprightnesse and integrity of the heart and of the sincerity of the affections For deceit naturally hath no wil though hypocrisie sometimes may affect to dilate and extend the Hand And the sympathy is so strong betweene the Heart and the Hand that a holy thought can no sooner inlarge the erected Heart but it workes upon the Hands which are RAISED to this expression and EXTENDED OUT TO THE UTTERMOST OF THEIR CAPACITIES Upon this naturall motion or exposition of the minde Saint Chrysostome sets a morall glosse This LIFTING UP OF OUR HANDS should put us in mind to take heed of sin lest we defile our Hands therewith Since it is very absurd that those who are to bee the Trouchmen and Interpretours of prayer and divine administrations should also be the instruments of wickednesse for if we say it is not honest for a man to pray with dirty and unwashen Hands how much more naughtinesse will that expression be tainted with to LIFT UP HANDS not dirty but defiled with the pollutions of sin And in this sense washing of Hands was used by most Nations before prayer This Manuall of Prayer as a helpe at Hand the Christians in all ages have diversly used for the furthering their devotion as may be collected out of the Ecclesiasticall records of Time Tertullian renders a reason thereof thus Christians pray with SPREAD OUT HANDS because our Hands are harmlesse bare-headed because we are not ashamed and without a monitor because we pray from the breast For the most part they LIFTED THâ—M UP Which Tertullian would have modestly done not as mad-men who pray Hand over Head For this grave Father reporting and praising the modesty and humility of the Primitive Christians hath left this caution for a rule in prayer Adoring with modestie and humilitie we doe more commend our prayers to God not so much as our Hands more loftily held up but temperately and honestly erected Sometimes Christians did not indeed lift up their Hands on high but did EXTEND THEM OUT HERE AND THERE into the figure of Christs suffering Hence in a Medall of Gordian the godly there is an Image LIFTING UP THE SPREAD OUT HANDS TO HEAVEN with this inscription fitted to the device Piet as Augusta And Eusebius hath left a memoriall that Constantine was wont to be figur'd in Coines and painted Tables with his HANDS HOLDEN ABROAD and his eyes lift up to Heaven which he calls The habit and composition of Prayer Doctor Donne in reference to the Symbolicall signification of the Gesture calls it Constantines Catechisticall Coyne The same Author in a Sermon upon Iob 16. 17 c. upon these words Not for any injustice in my Hands also my Prayer is pure according to his elegant way of descanting upon the emphaticall expressions of holy Writ hath many notions about nocturnall and diurnall cleannesse and foulnesse of Hands and observing that the holy Ghost hath so marshalled and disposed the qualifications of prayer in that place as that there is no pure prayer without cleane Hands which denote righteousnesse towards man comming to speake of the gesture and observing that Moses prayer had no effect longer then his HANDS WERE LIFTED uâ— All this saith he perchance therefore especially that this LIFTING UP OF THE HANDS brings them into our sight then we can see them and see whether they be cleane or no and consider that if we see impurity in our Hands God sees impurity in our prayer Can we thinke to receive ease from God with that Hand that oppresses another mercy from God with that Hand that exercises cruelty upon another or bounty from God with that Hand that with-holds right from another And to adde by a little enlarging his owne words in another place How can we expect God should open with his Hands of benediction who shut up our Hands and that which is due to another in them How much more then if we strike with those Hands by oppression or as Esaiah we lift up the bloudy Hands of cruelty At this day the common habit of praying in the Church is as pertaining to the Hands TO IOYN THE HANDS MODERATELY LIFT THEM up or religiously cut them by ten parts into the forme of the letter X holding them in that manner before the breast which manner of prayer Cresollius calls Manus decussatas In the Romish Church which doth superabound in the externall adjuncts of Devotion and where the Rubriques direct to varying formes of manuall expressions at the word Oremus there is alwayes annexed some emphaticall behaviour of the Hand Hence in the Masse when the Priest saith Oremus hee EXTENDETH and then IOYNS HIS HANDS By the extension of his Hands he gathereth as it were the hearts of the people by the joyning of
through the preasse So with much adoe Flavius came at length unto him and bewray'd a conspiracy against him ¶ Valentinian with good successe used this gesture of pacification and rebuke when hee was pronounced before the whole Army Soveraigne Ruler of the Empire For when hee addressed himselfe to make a premeditated speech as he PUT FORTH HIS ARME that he might speake more readily there arose a great mumbling that out of Hand there might a second Emperor be declared w th him Valentinian fearing to what the Souldiers confident boldnes might prove HOLDING UP HAPPILY HIS RIGHT HAND as a most hardy and redoubted Prince daring to rebuke some of them as seditious and stubborne delivered his minde without interruption of any The Emperour having ended his speech which an unexpected authority had made more confident appeared them and won them all to his minde which was to choose his companion who took afterwards unto him to be Colleague in the Empire his brother Valens ¶ That this gesture is significant to protect appeares by most passages of holy Writ intimating the powerfull and gracious protection of God Where the expressions by an Anthropopeia are taken from this gesture Thus God having put Moses in the cleft of the rocke covered him with his Hand while he passed by And 't is Noverinus his observation that with the Hebrewes Caph signifies both the Hand or the hollownesse of the Hand and a cloud Hence Pagninus turns protegam te manu mea into operiam te nube mea a good coherens saith he manus nubis nexus In this sense that of the Prophet Isaiah is to bee taken Under the shadow of his Hand hath he hid me That is he hath taken me into his protection and defence And the Metaphors of an OUT-STRETCHED ARME and HIGH HAND are very frequent in Scripture to shadow out the powerfull protection of God in the two degrees of it the ordinary and extraordinary For in this representation of power there is the Hand and the Arme the mighty Hand and out STRETCHED ARME two degrees of power both great but one greater that of the Hand is great but ordinary that of the Arme is greater and commeth forth but upon extraordinary occasions every thing we put not to the Armes end And their Hands are properly said to be shortned that have lost the power to save and protect a phrase much used in holy Writ by the Prophets speaking in His Name who made the Hand the naturall Hieroglyphique of power ¶ This gesture doth naturally import command Hence Kings are said to have LONG HANDS as the Romane Poet Quiâ— nescit longas Regibus esse manus The Hand found under the Table as Vespasian was at dinner signified as the Southsayers did then interpret that command should one day come to his Hand and this was before he was Emperor And Crinagoraâ— a Greeke Poet very learnedly praising Caesar sayes his Right Hand was mighty to command which by its majestique power and authority did quell the fiercenesse and presumptuous audacity of barbarous men The second fall of Dagon the Idoll before the Arke of God by a flat acknowledgement confirmes this naturall signification in the Hand For his head falling off from his body and the Hands from the armes shewed that it had not power nor understanding in the presence of God since the head fell off which is the seat of Reason and knowledge and the Hands by which wee exâ—â—â—â— strength were sundred from the armes ¶ In the sense of direction Jeroboam STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND from the Altar saying Lay hold on him but his Hand hee put forth against the Prophet dried up and hee could not pull it in againe unto him ¶ Foelix the Governour made this signe unto Paul to give him leave to speake ¶ And thus when Agrippa said unto Paul Thou art permitted to speake for thy selfe Paid STRETCHED OUT THE HAND and anâ—wered for himselfe Triumpho Gest. XV. TO PUT OUT THE RAISED HAND AND TO SHAKE IT AS IT WERE INTO A SHOUT is their naturall expression who exalt brag boast triumph and by exultant gesture expresse the rapâ—ures of their joy they also who would declare their high applause or would congratulate and they who have drunke doe commonly use the same gesture In congratulatory exclamations either in the behalfe of our selves or others welfare it is usuall and naturall Examples whereof are yet fresh in the life of Memory For we read that when the Antiochians understood that Tiâ—ns was comming to their City they could not containe themselves within their walls for â—â—y but all went out to meet him and not only men but women and children expecting his comming 30. stounds off and when he approached neerâ— unto them they HOLDING UP THEIR HANDâ— unto him â—aiâ—ted him with great joy and acclamations Hence Israel is said to have gone out of Aegypt with a HIGH HAND that is with great joy and boldnesse And this â—ROTENSION AND EXALATION OF THE HAND in signification of mirth jollity pleasure and delight is so grounded in Nature that it is the common custome of all Nations when they are tickled with joy that cannot be contained from breaking out into gesture OUT GOES THE HAND So the Prince and Father of Poets Deficiunt risu tâ—lluntque per aera palmas For the Hand anointed as it were with the same oyle of gladnesse where with the heart is replenished signifies its sensibility of the enlargement of the heart by this amplification of gesture and naturall periphraâ—â—s of joy Silentium postulo Gest. XVI THE BECKING WITH THE RAISED HAND hath beene ever with all Nations accounted a signe of traâ—ing and 〈◊〉 and intreating a favourable silence And how considerable an expression this gesture of the Hand was ever accounted in this businesse may be collected out of the office of the common Cryer whom wee finde in the monuments of the Ancients commanding silence by the Hand alone without the voice Whence that of Dion may receive illustration Praeâ—o cum manum porreâ—â—sset esset que ob eam causam silentium consequutum ut est consuetudo c. Which gesture if it were used by the Cryers of Courts of Justice would be more proper and significant to procure silence then by making more noise to engender peace and their loud way of reclaiming one auricular disturbance with another The learned inventions of the Ancients do ordinarily allude to this expression Seneca that witty contriver of that abusive Play of the death of Claudius Caesar which he called Apocolocynthosis or Immortality gotten by Mushromes very elegantly brings in Claudian the Emperour commanding silence with this â—â—CKING OF THE HAND Heliodorus in his History which hee preferred before his Bishopricke in that passage where the people affected with joy and pittie at the strange hap that Cariclia was knowne to be Hydaspes daughter would not heare the Cryer that
thereof For Suetonius reports that Octavius Augustus Caesar by occasion of a vision by night begged yearly upon a certaine day money of the people and HELD OUT HIS HAND HOLLOW to those who brought him brazen dodkins or mites called Asses And the same Author hath observed as much in Vespasian who was so famous for raising profit out of his Subjects urine and his dulcis odor lucri ex re qualibet For when certaine Ambassadours brought him word that there was decreed for him at the common charges of thè state a Giant-like image that hee would cost no meane summe of money he commanded to raise the same immediately SHEWING therewith HIS HAND HOLLOW Here is the basis quoth he and pedestall for it ready Munero Gestus XXV TO PUT FORTH THE RIGHT HAND SPREAD is the habit of bunty liberality and a frée heart thus we reward and friendly bestow our guists Hence TO OPEN THE HAND in the Hebrew phrase implyes to be frée-hearted munifâ—cent and liberall For the Hebrewes when they would expresse a profuse munificence they say Jadpethucha that is Manum apertà m from whence perchance the Turkes borrowing the conceit are wont to set forth Liberality by an OPEN HAND The sonne of Sirach knowing that the exercise of Bounty and Prodigality requires in a manner the like gesture and expression of the Hand speaking of the unjust spend-thrift wasting of his goods saith That while he OPENETH HIS HAND he shall rejoyce And the Greekes in old time saith Pliny called the span or space of the Hand from the thumb to the little fingers end Doron which is the reason that gifts be in their language called Dora because they bee presented with the Hand Hence Phisiognomists say such who customarily use to hold the Hand extended out are of a liberall complexion of minde arguing from this liberall property of the Hand And there is a tradition our Midwives have concerning children borne OPEN HANDED that such will prove of a bountifull disposition and franke-handed Infants indeed for the most part come into the world with their Hands clos'd thereby notifying as a Rabbi observes that God hath given them the riches of this world and as it were shut them up in their Hands whereas on the contrary dying men are wont to EXTEND AND STRETCH OUT THEIR HANDS AND FINGERS thereby willing to signifie that they relinquish the world and have no longer to doe with the things thereof Which is the only good action the close-handed Miser doth who when death opens and unlockes his Hand doth by this necessary posture of bounty give away and bequeath and as it were manumit what he could no longer with-hold from the next possessor Bellarmine relates a story of Stephen King of Hungary whose Hand was found whole and uncorrupt after his death And casting in his minde what might be the reason why God was pleased miraculously to preserve his Right Hand onely with the skinne bones and nerves when the other members were resolved into their first elements delivers his opinion thus Truly I thinke that in this miracle God was willing to shew the depth of his divine councell that charity excells all other vertues Deservedly therefore did the Right Hand of this holy King remain uncorrupt which was alwayes flourishing with the blossomes of mercy and which in relieving and distributing gifts to the poore was never empty or indisposed God indeed who OPENS ' WITH HIS HAND and filleth every living thing with his blessings out of his infinite bounty deales out liberally his divine Almes to his creatures with both his Hands Whence Divines distinguish the gifts of God into those of his Right Hand and those of his Left to wit into spirituall and temporall Dextra Dei est unde grata proveniunt Hence the Aramites by a Right Hand understand the effuse â—enignity of God Maldonat commenting upon the words of our Saviour Let not thy left Hand know what thy right Hand doth gives a reason why in this place contrary to the enstome of Scripture the Left Hand is named before the Right and action attributed to the Right Hand and knowledge to the Left For it is therefore done saith hee because wee are wont to reach out our almes which our Saviour there speakes of with our Right Hand hence called Manus eleemosinaria and not with our left and al other works that are done with the Hand the Right Hand does them the Left as a helper doth assist so that if it had eyes it could not bee ignorant what the Right Hand did wherefore Christ would have us so to exercise this Hand with workes of charity that our Left Hand which is wont to be not onely conscious but accessory to all the actions of the Right Hand should not so much as know or take notice thereof Cresollius judiciously scanning these words of our Saviour Let not thy left Hand know what thy right Hand doth tells us that it is a symbolicall expression very like to the Hieroglyphiques of the Aegyptians and therefore the force and sense of this admonition is to be sought out of the nature and usuall signification of both the Hands As for the Right Hand it is altogether OPEN free and manifestly put in action Wherefore for its part it denotes an ingenuous candor and virtue whose glory is most perspicuously set out by action but more especially the Right Hand signifieth liberality and for that cause chosen to bee the hieroglyphique of a most beneficent and plentifull largesse whereas the Left Hand hath a contrary Genius and is observed to be of a close and retired nature this Niggard out of a skulking disposition affecting secresie and the subtile leisure of a thrifty vacation So that this Symboll of our Saviour insinuates thus much If thou art disposed to communicate thy goods to relieve the wants of thy brother and to shew forth the liberality of thy minde take not counsell of thy Left Hand minde not what the covetous desire of goods and the thirst of having require at thy griping Hand let the Right Hand prevaile with thee the index of beneficence and pledge of commiseration the accuser of covetousnesse Let that muck-worme the Left Hand earth it selfe in avarice and keepe silence by an uncharitable retention which doth not love to scatter but to snatch away not to bestow but a long time to retaine How many Scaevola's or Left-handed Donatists in matter of bounty doe our times afford within the frozen hold of whose sparing Hand Charity is quite starv'd with cold And how many who fearing the Moralists Bis dat qui cito dat with the old Courtiers glosse that the sooner suiters are dispatched the sooner they will returne againe by sinister delay hold them in suspence while their courtesies hang to their fingers ends like Bird-lime and will not come away These the Heathen man would call viseata beneficia we left-handed favours These men as if they were
Hand of Cyrus for what it promised it performed And the Danes Swedes and Norwegeans in whom the honest impressions of nature flow from their Hands pure and unmixt without any fucus of dissimulation or affectation of art doe most faithfully retaine the naturall sincerity of this expression of faith for of those Northerne Nations our learned Barclay gives this commendation They breake no promises when their HANDS ARE GIVEN Such Religious observers of their manuall faith were the ancient Medes and Persians Hence Plethon Genistus manus porrectio maxima inter Persas censetur fides Wherefore Cyrus in Xenophon in an Oration he made unto the Medes saith Hyrcanis quibus jusjurandum dextras dedi fidem servabo nunquam hoc deprechendar prodidisse And Xenophon relating an agreement between the Persian and the Grecian Armies for a peaceable departure and safe conduct having recited the Articles saith Haec utrinque jurejurando sancita sunt dextra datae vicissim A royall example of this declaration of the Hand we have in Darius who after he was wounded by Bessus and the other conspirators to the souldier of Alexander who found him sore wounded in his litter but as yet alive recommending in a speech he made of his master touching his love and acknowledgement of courtesie and that he dyed his debter in token whereof as a Kingly pledge of his faith he gave the souldier HIS RIGHT HAND to carry unto Alexander and these words being uttered having STRETCRED OUT HIS HAND hee gave up the ghost Florus Josephus proves this expression of the Hand to have been in very great force and virtue among the Ancients Artabanus saith he King of the Parthians STRETCHING OUT HIS RIGHT HAND swore to Anilaeus the Jew that his brother Asinaeus might have safe accesse unto him which with the Barbarians about to assemble is a most certaine argument of trust For after the RIGHT HAND GIVEN with them it is neither lawfull to deceive or difficult all suspitions and diffidence ceasing Wherefore when he was moved by the master of his Horse that he might kill Asinaeus he denyed to permit that against a man who had committed himselfe to his Faith conâ—â—nied BY GIVING THE RIGHT HAND with an oath To this expression that passage also of the Romane History may be referred where Flavius cometh to the Romane Generall Gracchus enforming him that hee had begunne an enterprise of great consequence for the accomplishing and full perfecting whereof hee needed the helping Hand of Gracchus himselfe namely that he had perswaded all the Fretors and Governours who in that universall trouble of Italy had revolted to Annibal to returne into the league and friendship of the Romanes by many arguments I have used to them Thus and thus were my words unto them and indeed but my words Mary they had liever heare Gracchus himselfe speake and heare the same from his owne mouth they would more gladly talke with him in person and TAKE HOLDOF HIS RIGHT HAND which as the assured pawne of his faithfull promise he carryeth alwayes with him wheresoever he goeth and they desire no more This may bee further illustrated by another passage of Livic where Syphax King of Numidia having contracted a new alliance with the Africans by marrying Sophonisva the daughter of Asdrubal allured by the faire words of his new Spouse sent into Sicily to Scipio to advise him not to passe over into Africke nor rely upon any confidence of him or build upon his former promises Scipio in his Letters which he dispatched by the same Ambassadours requested him earnestly to be advised and bethink himselfe that he breake not the rights either of friendship or hospitable league with him or the league and society entred with the people of Rome nor violate Justice and faithfull promise made BY GIVING RIGHT HANDS nor yet beguile and abuse the gods the Witnesses and Judges of all covenants and agreements made ¶ Isidore saith the surety of Peace is given with the Hand And indeed all leagues truces and compacts are confirmed by this gesture of the Hand Thus the league Trium-virat betweene Antonius Lepidus and Caesar was established at Confluents betweene Perusia and Bononia they IOYNE HANDS and their armies embrace Which league they symbolically expressed by three Right Hands embracing each other with this Motto Salus generis humani a strange Impresse to gull the world with and to cloake their ambitious confederacy The King of Persia commanded his Ambassadours to make this expression in his name And in the same manner the ancient Emperours and Kings of Germany were wont to send their great men to conclude a peace and determine affaires when they could not goe themselves Apollophanes Cyzicenus who had in former times beene bound to Pharnabazus by the lawes of Hospitality and was a guest at that time with Agesilaus promised him to bring Pharnabazus to a parly for confirmation of a Peace which Agesilaus hearing of consented so he having received faithfull promise of safe conduct and THE RIGHT HAND BEING GIVEN brought Pharnabazus into the appointed place where having saluted one another Pharnubazus first of all PUT FORTH HIS RIGHT HAND to which Agesilaus also IOYN'D HIS Of this language of assurance expressed by the GIVEN HAND there called Dextra securitatis The Bookes of the Macchabees are very pregnant Thus when the 3. thousand Souldiers that Jonathan had sent to Demetrius to Antiochia at his request when the Citizens saw that the Jewes had gotten the upper Hand and they were disappointed of their purpose of staying their King made their supplication unto the King saying GIVE US THE RIGHT HAND or grant us peace Thus they of Gaza made supplication unto Ionathan and he GAVE THEM THE RIGHT HAND or made peace with them When Simon had besieged Beth-sura and fought against it a long season and shut it up at last they desired RIGHT HANDS TO BE GIVEN THEM to whom GIVING THE RIGHT HAND c. that is they desired peace which he granted When Simon had besieged Gaza the people of that City cried with a loud voice beseeching Simon TO GIVE THEM RIGHT HANDS that is to grant them peace So they in the Castle at Jerusalem besought Simon that he would IOYNE RIGHT HANDS which he gave them or make peace with them which he did Thus Andronicus comming to Onias who had fled to the Sanctuary at Daphne hard by Antiochia counselled him craftily GIVING HIM HIS RIGHT HAND with an oath by that faire show of peace perswaded him to come out whom incontinently without any regard of righteousnesse he slew according to Meuelaus instigation So the Nomades of Arabia being overcome besought Judas A RIGHT HAND TO BE GIVEN THEM which Iudas giving them thereupon they SHOOâ— HANDS and so departed to their Tents And thus Antiochus Eupater communed with the men in Beth-sura and GAVE AND TOOKE THE RIGHT HAND or tooke truce with
is farre lesse observed then the Right Hand is A Hand which if it once grow dexterious by habituall theeving will not be left for if it once affect to keep it selfe in ure it turnes to an incurable felon And it may be worth our inquiry why the Law doth so expressely order theft to be punished in this Hand for that the brawn of the left thumbe is branded in malefactors a kinde of penall pardon for the first transgression And if it may be lawful to divine of the legality of this law-checke I should thinke that there lyes some concealed symboll in the device and that the estates assembled had regard to the fellonious procacity and craft of this guilefull Hand which is prone by a slie insinuation with more subtile secrecie to present it selfe to any sinister intention doth no sooner move to such actions but every finger proves a limetwig which the ancient Aegyptians implied in their way of Hieroglyphique when they figured furacity or theft by a light fingured left hand put forth as it were by stealth To open and unfold the subtile and occult conceptions of antiquity about the nature and disposition of the left hand and to collect what hath been noted touching the sinister inclinations of this hand whereby its naturall properties have propagated themselves and by action insensibly spread into the manners and customes of men First it is the noted property of the left hand to be coverd and to keep as it were a recluse in the bosome or to be carried wrapped up in a cloake lurking closely and lying as it were in ambuscado to entrap and by a crafty fetch imperceptibely to make a prize of all that comes to Hand Whence the Greeks from whom the facetiousnesse of manners and elegancie of learning as some thinke were first derived signifie as much who will therefore have the left hand named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lavam manum because for the most part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tegi occultari soleat whereupon this hand being more idle for idlenesse is a maine cause of theft it is consequently more prone to this manuall transgression This light-fingered hand being called by Isidor Laeva quod aptior sit ad levandum to wit to beguile elude lessen and diminish anothers goods And Theocritus following herein the opinion of antiquity having noted the particular quality and behaviour of this hand and the private vice to which it is propense concludes from the pitchy temper thereof that the left hand signifies the captivity of unlawfull desire and rapacity so that it hath for this cause been consecrated to Laverna the goddesse of theeves as being by reason of its wily genius more fit and convenient for cousenage and clandestine theevery for being commonly hid and involved in the bosome of a gown or cloake and waiting in obscurity it comes to passe for the most part men suspecting no such thing that doing nothing and devoted to rest yet being at liberty and ready to handle it will be doing and somewhat of other mens suffers for it while this purloining hand thinkes it selfe the proprietary of anothers goods Hence that elegant recorder of the ancient fictions with a Poeticall touch of his pen sets a glosse upon this businesse thus Nataeque ad furta sinistrae And that quaint Comoedian long before him pointing out as it were with his finger the genuine deceitfulnesse of this hand called it Furtificam laevam the close and cunning pilferer And Euphormio alluding to the same properties of this hand saith Turgentes occulos furtiva manu exfrico And indeed laeva or sinistra according to the ancient manner of speaking used with the Ancients notes one to be a thiefe That subtill knave Asinius who was experienced in the crafty handling of things and drawing them to his owne private advantage used this hand as least suspected when he had watched an opportunity at a feast to steale away some of the linnen against whom Catullus in his stinging stile slings these words out of his crisped pen Maruccine Asini manu sinistra Non belle uteris sed in ioco atque vino Tollis lintea negligentiorum Hence also when Sophiclodisca the baud in Plautus upon suspition of felony demanded to see the Hand of Paeginum and the lad like a crafty wag had put forth his Right Hand she replied to him ubi illa altera furtisica laeva where is that other close and cunning pilferer the left hand Autolicus was expert in the slie feats of this hand of whom Martial Non erat Autolici tam piceata manus And we read in Catullus of Porcius and Socratio duae sinistrae Pisonis the two left hands of Piso that is instruments of his by whose private conveyance he received bribes for although in regard of their imployments under him they might be said to be his Right Hands yet in this sense of bribery and close conveyance they were properly called his left hands The Aegyptians in Hieroglyphique painted justice by an open left hand as the colder weaker and slower hand and therefore lesse prone or able to apply it selfe to offer or doe any injury But it is better for the Common-wealth that Judges should be without Hands as the Theban Statues of Judges were then in this sense to have a left hand Benedico Gestua LXIV THE IMPOSITION OF THE HAND is a naturall gesture significantly used in condemnation absolution pardon and forgivenesse benediction adoption initiation confirmation consecration ordination sanation and in gracing our meales That this gesture is of importance in condemnation is apparent by the commands of the old Law in case of temptation to Ethnicisme and practicall Idolatry So when the sonne of Shelomith the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan which she had by an Aegyptian had blasphemed the Lord by the hand of Moses commanded him to be brought forth without the campe and all that heard him were to LAY HIS HAND ON HIS HEAD And the laying of the Hand on the sacrifices head that was condemned in the offerers stead so often commanded in the Leviticall Law points to the signification of this gesture ¶ In absolution pardon and forgivenesse notwithstanding the identity of gesture there is a proper contrariety of expression and this seems to be a naturall and paraphrasticall gesture very sutable to that petition in the Lords prayer Forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive them their trespasses against us For AS Nature teacheth us to raise our Hands to beg pardon and forgivenesse at the Hand of God so she likewise moves us to the same expression of gesture as most proper and significant to seale our pardons to others implying that who forgives shall be forgiven and neither Nature nor Grace doth move us to aske pardon on any other terms The phrase of this gesture is significantly tooke into the formes of the Civill Law and
also observed in the Inauguration of Kings And the finger was used in all dippings and sprinklings of the Leviticall Law The ground and foundation of this typicall expression seems to be laid in nature for the Hand is conceived to be as it were a shadow or image of the Trinity for the arme that proceeds from the body doth represent the second Person who proceeds from the Eternall Father who is as it were the body and spring of the Trinity and the fingers which flow both from the body and the arme doe represent the Holy Ghost who proceeds both from the Father and the Sonne Hence Hierom upon the passage of Isaiah To whom is the Arme of the Lord revealed saies that the Arme of the Lord is mystically the Son proceeding from the Father To which some refer that of the Psalmist He made strong his Arme. And the arme shadowes out the second Person in the Trinity in these respects in coessentiality with the body coevallity Ability Utility Agility and Flexibility The fingers give an umbrage of the Holy Spirit in regard of their procession proceeding from the Arm and Hand operation the body working by the Hand and fingers conjunction taction ostention aspertion distinction of joynts equall numeration c. Hence the Finger of God in Scripture signifies the Holy Spirit If in the Finger of God I cast out divells but then the word Finger must be in the singular number for in the plurall it hath other senses ¶ It is also their gesture who would solemnly confer some spirituall or temporall honour upon some person This in the sacred language of Scripture is Chirothesia and is a matriculating gesture and the formall preposition proper to those who are to be openly installed or inaugurate in some new place of duty or of command all creations relying on the honorarie touch of the giving Hand as the enduing ensigne that by evidence ensures the priviledges of investiture And this manuall expression is so naturally important that it proves in honorarie initiations a fitter vestment to cloath the intention in then the airy texture of words for it hath ever had a sacred efficacy to move the understanding by the sense and to facilitate the overture of sacred affaires as being of good note and consequence conducing and inviting to the knowledge of things abstruce there being no other part of man that can so lively and emphatically present by gesture the solemne images of â—is intention since by the motion of the Hand there is wrought in the minde of the beholder something that is ex congruâ— significant unto a thought as that which suggests more unto the minde then what is expressed unto the outer sense for it hath more sollidity and weight then appeares in the bare 〈◊〉 relation And all gestures of the Hand being known to be of their very nature signs of imitation the mystique property close intention of this gesture is not alone to represent it self but to conduct and insinuate something else into the thought which being as it must ever be an intelligible notion as it is a signe or token it falls short and abates of the perfection of the thing that is implied by its outward signification wherefore a Hand is but improperly said to be the shadow of its counterfeit which is wrought by a pencill in imitation of the life although upon sight thereof we know and conclude it to have the semblance of a Hand to be a draught or copy of the originall so this gesture is but a manuall vision of the mind most conformable to expresse divine notions which else would lose much of their lustre and remaine invisible to the conceit of man This forme of expression in ordination as it is agreeable to the canon of Nature so it hath received confirmation by the Hand of God since it first appeared in the Hand of the Patriarchs the first dispensers of personall benediction who used it to betoken the restrained intention of their votes unto them on whom they conferred their blessings For we finde Moses by command PUTTING HIS HAND UPON Joshua the sonne of Nun to appoint him governour who is said to be full of the Spirit for Moses had LAID HIS HANDS UPON him And when Moses and Joshua had prayed and LAID THEIR HANDS ON the seventy Elders the Holy Spirit came upon them In choosing of Deacons this gesture was used by the Apostles And in the separation of Barnabas and Saul to be the Apostles of the Gentiles this gesture is againe used And Timothy is put in minde by St. Paul of the gift he received by this IMPOSITION OF HANDS for not only the office but the ability were together conferred upon many by this gesture of which acquist we must not conceive the solemne gesture to be a naturall but a morall cause as being the true manner form of impetration God assenting and by successe crowning the prayers of religious Hands and shewed that what they did was by prayer and blessing in his name they being indeed Gods Hands by which he reacheth Counsell and Religion which as through their Hands are conveyed unto men Christ having promised to open and shut them to stretch them out and draw them in as the Hand of man is guided by the spirit that is in man This Chirothesia vel Chirotonia for both occur in the new Testament is used as an Ecclesiasticall gesture at this day in token of elevation or ordination election and separation And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est manus tendo seu attollo in signum suffragii To which appertains that cautionary symboll of St. Paul Lay the Hand suddenly on no man which Interpreters expound of the care that is to be used that none should be admitted into roomes of divine calling but such who are called and are fit Tam doctrina quam moribus For no man can lay the Hand upon himselfe and be as Basil tearmes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own ordeiner for that is parallel unto the crime of Jeroboam who filled his owne Hand that is ordained himselfe ¶ To the signification and externall effects of IMPOSITION OF HANDS in confirmation Tertullian elegantly Caro * manus impositione adumbratur ut anima spiritu illuminetur ¶ In sanation or conferring a corporall benefit on any IMPOSITION OF HANDS is very naturall significant and agreeable to the mysterious intention for the Hand is the generall salve that is applied and applies all remedies for naturally ubi dolor ibi digitus and necessarily in point of topicall application whose very approach doth most sensibly import reliefe and ease Our Blessed Saviour the great Physitian of soule and body who did most of his miracles for restauration of bodily health though he were the truth and substance who gave an end to all legall shadowes yet he most commonly used the shadow of this naturall
Manus id est experientia est causa sapientia But in regard of the Rhetoricall properties of the Hand Man may well be called Chiresophus id est Manu sapiens Hand-wise Galen excellently observes Man to be armed by Nature with three weapons Reason the loud weapon of the Tongue and the Hand which may be gave the hint to the President of the Colledge of Critiques to make them all three Hands in that golden saying of his wherein he subtilly sets forth the Rhetoricall force and dignity of the Hand Ratio est manus intellectus rationis oratio orationis manus Hence the Hand the famous companion of Reason hath ever obtained the preheminence in gesture and been the Domius fac totum in all matters of corporeall eloquence as appeares by the cleare testimony of the learned Sages and the Chirogrophie of elder Time Hippocrates calls the Hand Optimum dicendi magistrum The brother of Basil very copiously sets out the Rhetoricall worth of this goodly Scepter and Caduceus of ingenuity Rectè statuitur manus esse proprium quoddam naturae loquendi facultate praeditae instrumentum hunc potissimum ad finem effict as ut earum opere expiditior in nobis sermonis esset usus Cassiodorus saw also the force of this Hand-maid of wisdome and living implement of elocution Manus singulariter datae ad multas cogitationes nostras communitur explicandas The younger Plinie would have this saying marked and registred Recitantium propria pronunciationis adjumenta esse manus And one taking his hint out of the Poesie of Homer makes this honourable mention thereof Desectis manibus pereunt quoque Palladis artes Hence the Latines significantly call the Hand Manum à manando quod hoc instrumento potissimum actiones è nobis emanent Therefore the Greeks for good cause seem to have called the Hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab utilitate for that they are not only assistant to eloquence but doe incredibly conduce to all the offices of Reason and Humanity For it is the choisest Friend of Art the Artificer of Elocution the Brother of the phansie and Remembrancer to her that dwells backwards in the high Towre of Pallas the Bodies will and Intellect the Gift the wit and ingenuity of the outer man and the better Genius of the Microcosme In which Minerva's darlings the Phalanx of the Muses and the Pierian Band are trained exercised as in a convenient Palestra or Gymansium The Logisticall motions that appear in the Hands of Disputants as they demonstrate the large command of the signifying faculty of the Body which flows not only into the vocall organs but proceeds so far as to the Hands so they significantly argue the Hand to be a peculiar instrument of reasonable nature especially ordeined to set a glosse upon the vocal expressions of the mind The Hand being a part so prompt officious to afford the Tongue necessary aid so powerfully inclined by its naturall gifts and abilities to bring reliefe to reason so apt and fit on all essayes to deale in matters of expression and to affect the hearers mindes that whereas Man by a happy endowment of nature is allowed two instruments Speech and a Hand to bring his concealed thoughts unto light the Tongue without the Hand can utter nothing but what will come forth lame and impotent whereas the Hand without the discourse of the Tongue is of admirable and energeticall efficacie and hath atchieved many notable things All Histories abound with the exploits of the Hand which hath performed and brought to passe more things by a significant silence then the Tongue hath ever done by an audible demonstration Apollonius Tyaneus by his most famous example alone shall serve to cleare this point who when he had with an incredible religion observed the Pythagorean silence neither had suffered any word to fall from him during the space of five whole yeares yet when he came into Cities labouring of sedition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manu atque vultu sedabat discordias After which manner hee travelled through Pamphylia Cilicia and other regions of the earth For whatsoever is exprest by the Hand is so manifestly spoken that men of the most obtuse understanding that are not able to conceive of the words pronounced in an unknown Tongue to whom an Oratours spent oyle is meerly lost because their rich and elegant expressions in conceits transcend the pitch of their capacity yet these may see and perceive the intention of the Hand which by gestures makes the inward motions of the minde most evident for all men a thing nature hath so appointed are stirred moved by the same motives of the mind and doe in others understand and take notice of the same moving demonstrations by experience judging and approving in themselves those affections that outwardly appeare to worke upon others Hence the ingenious are forced to confesse that all things are more expressive in the Hand as that which doth garnish the sense of words and gives the shape figure and winning glory unto eloquence This strengthens Speech with nerves and the sinewed cords of twisted Reason Speech divided from the Hand is unfound and brought into a poore and low condition flags and creeps upon the ground The babling Tongue indeed may have a long and spacious walke and the full mouth may prate and run ore with large and loud impertinencies but without the concurrence of the Hand the mouth is but a running sore and hollow fistâ—â—a of the minde and all such ayery trash but the cracks of an uprofitable lip that wants the assistance of those native Orators which were designed to attend the perfect issue of a well delivered cogitation for what can we expect from that eloquence that neglects the motions of the Hand or what can we conceive can be wrought out of that which is maimed and deformed that should bee able to worke upon the affections Whence a grave Father an Author of Classicall authority the high pitch of whose fancie some may chance to admire borne on the rapture of his thought run so high in his expressions that he denies that man could have enjoyed the honour of an articulate voice had not nature planted this magazine of Speech in the body and stored it with native ammunition for the defence and arming of orall reason And verily if Man were disarmed of this native weapon or organ intended for the speciall advancement of utterance wanting the subtle force of his Hand and Fingers the expression of his Tongue would be very weake and unhewed for the motions of the Hand in pronunciation doe much enrich and endeare the expressions of the Tongue which without them would many times appeare very meane And if we consider the orations yet remaining among the ruines of former ages which were publickly pronounced wee may cease to admire the advantages they have had over others or themselves only penned so that we may
a caveat entered for the interposing of some intervall or pause as 't were a measure of the expression or stay of the active elocution of the Hand some that are skilfull and curious in this matter would have three words to make the intervall of every motion in the Hand But Quintilian condemnes this for too nice a subtilty as that which neither is nor can be observed Cautio XII NO gesture that respects the rule of Art directs it selfe to the hinder parts Yet otherwhiles the Hand being as it were cast backe is free from this prohibition for whereas there are seven parts of motion To the Right Hand To the left upwards downwards forward backward and circular the first five are only allowed a Rhetorician Cautio XIII TAke heed of a Hand Solecisme or of transgressing against the rule of Action by the incongruity of your Hand and Speech For to speake one thing with the Tongue and to seem to meane another thing by a contrarient motion in the signifying Hand and so to thwart and belie a mans selfe hath been ever accounted a grosse absurdity in Rhetoricke and the greatest solecisme of pronunciation Which makes to this purpose Wee read how at the Olympique Games which in times past were celebrated at Smyrna where Polemon that skilfull Sophister was present there enters the Stage a ridiculous Player who when in a Tragedy he had cried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ô Coelum he put forth his Hand to the earth and againe pronouncing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ô Terra erected his face towards Heaven The learned Sophister laughed at the absurd Actor withall alow'd so that all were neare might heare him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hic manu solaecismum admisit Wherefore being President of those Games he by his censure deprived that rude and ignorant Mimique of all hope of reward For reconciling of the Hand and Tongue and bringing them to an uniformity of signification and for maintaining their naturall and most important relations Rhetoricians have agreed upon many Canons and Constitutions And the Hand then only accords and complies with Speech when it moves to verifie our words for if the motions of the Hand doe dissent from the expressions of the Tongue it may contradict and convince the tongue of vanity for so we may commend even when we doe reprove if the gainsaying Hand should have a contrarient motion seem to confirme when we are in doubt when we forbid our Hand may deport it selfe into the forme of an exhortation we may acquit when we accuse accept when we refuse and abhor comply in words yet by our disordered Hand bid defiance be sad with a rejoycing Hand affirme and grant what we deny and many other waies thwart and belie our selves No true construction can be made of any speech nor can we evade such dull absurdities of this voucher of our words do move in opposition to their meaning for without judgement and advice which should set in order and support the thought into the Hand that is ever ready to maintaine that trust that the Tongue endeavours to obtaine Truth wants her warrant and is so absurdly crost that the efficacie of Speech is utterly defac'd and all the credit that such language amounts unto is the pittance of a doubtfull faith Cautio XIV SHun similitude of gesture for as a monotone in the voyce so a continued similitude of gesture and a Hand alwayes playing upon one string is absurd it being better sometimes to use a licentious and unwarrantable motion then alwayes to obtrude the same Coleworts Cresollius sayes he once saw an eminent man one who had a name for the knowledge of honest Arts and indeed there was in the man much learning and that of the more inward recondit a great Antiquary and one that had a certain large possession of Divine and Humane Lawes goodnesse of words soft and pellucent and decked with flowers adorned and polished with the sayings of wise men and a speech flowing equally after the stile of Xenophons But it can scarce be imagined how much the ill composed and prevaricant gestures of his Hands tooke off from the common estimation of his accomplished wit For when he had turned himselfe to the left Hand he powred out a few words with little gesture of his Hands then reflecting himselfe to the Right Hand he plainly did after the same manner againe to the left Hand strait to the Right Hand almost with the like dimension and space of time he fell upon that set gesture and univocall motion his Hands making circumductions as it were in the same lineall obliquity you would have tooke him for one of the Babylonian Oxen with blinded eyes going and returning by the same way which for want of variation gave an incredible distaste to his ingenious Auditors which did nauseat that ingratefull saciety of Action if he might have followed the dictate of his owne Genius he would either have left the Assembly or given him money to hold his peace But he considered there was but one remedy that was to shut his eyes or to heare with them turned another way yet hee could not so avoid all inconvenience for that identity of motion entring at his ears did disturbe his minde with nodious similitude Cautio XV. TAke care that variety of gesture may answer the variety of the voyce and words which that it may be better done foure things are to be observed First see to the whole cause whether it be joyfull or sad then look to the greater part for in an Exordium a gentle motion is most commodious Narration requires the Hand a little spread and a quick freer motion Confirmation a more sharpe and pressing Action the conclusion of an Oration if it be composed to excite must have rowsing motions if to pacifie gentle and sweet if to sadnesse slow and short and broken motions if to joy liberall cheerfull nimble and briske accommodations Then the sentences are to be weighed which vary with the affections in expressing which diligence must be used Last of all the words some whereof are now and then to be set off with some emphasis of irrision admiration or some other signification yet those gestures which fall from the slow Hand are most patheticall Cautio XVI TAke heed of levitie and a scrupulous curiositie in a pedanticall and nice observation of these gestures of the Hands and Fingers Cautio XVII SHun affectation for all affectation is odious and then others are most moved with our actions when they perceive all things to flow as it were out of the liquid current of Nature Cautio XVIII VSe some preparation and meditate before-hand of the action you intend to accommodate your voyce with Cautio XIX ALthough an Orators art should not altogether consist in imitation yet remember that Imitation is one of the great Adjutants and chief Burnishers and Smoothers of Speech it having been an ancient and laudable custome for ingenious Sparks of
to intimate and expresse our mind It speakes all languages and as an universall character of Reason is generally understood and knowne by all Nations among the formall differences of their Tongue And being the onely speech that is naturall to Man it may well be called the Tongue and generall language of Humane Nature which without teaching men in all regions of the habitable world doe at the first sight most easily understand This is evident by that trade and commerce with those salvage Nations who have long injoy'd the late discovered principalities of the West with whom although their Language be strange and unknowne our Merchants barter and exchange their Wares driving a rich and silent Trade by signes whereby many a dumb bargaine without the crafty Brocage of the Tongue is advantageously made Hence 't is apparent that there 's no native law or absolute necessity that those thoughts which arise in our pregnant minde must by mediation of our Tongue flow out in a vocall streame of words unto which purpose we must attend the leisure of that inclosed instrument of speech Since whatsoever is perceptible unto sense and capable of a due and fitting difference hath a naturall competency to expresse the motives and affections of the Minde in whose labours the Hand which is a ready Midwife takes oftentimes the thoughts from the forestalled Tongue making a more quicke dispatch by gesture for when the fancy hath once wrought upon the Hand our conceptions are display'd and utter'd in the very moment of a thought For the gesture of the Hand many times gives a hint of our intention and speakes out a good part of our meaning before our words which accompany or follow it can put themselves into a vocall posture to be understood And as in the report of a Piece the eye being the nimbler sense discernes the discharge before any intelligence by conduct of the vocall Wave arrive at the eare although the flash and the report are twins born at the instant of the Pieces going off so although Speech and Gesture are conceived together in the minde yet the Hand first appearing in the delivery anticipates the Tongue in so much as many times the Tongue perceiving her self forestall'd spares it selfe a labour to prevent a needlesse Tautologie And if words ensue upon the gesture their addition serves but as a Comment for the fuller explication of the manuall Text of utterance and implyes nothing over and above but a generall devoyre of the minde to be perfectly understood A notable argument we have of this discoursing facultie of the Hand in our common Jesters who without their voice speaking onely by gestures can counterfeit the manners fashions and significant actions of men Which may be more confirm'd by that wonder of â—â—cessity which Nature worketh in men that are borne deafe and dumbe who can argue and dispute rhetorically by signes and with a kinde of mute and logistique eloquence overcome their amaz'd opponents wherein some are so ready excellent they seeme to want nothing to have their meanings perfectly understood T is parallel to this what Natures grand Inquisitor reports of certaine Nations that have no other language wherein to impart their mindes the common tongue of Beasts who by gestures declare their senses and dumb affections For although Seneca will not allow their motions to be affections but certain characters impressions ad similitudinem passionum like unto passions in men which he calleth impetus the risings forces and impulsions of Nature upon the view of such objects as are apt to strike any impressions upon it yet as Montaigne in that elegant Essay of his where he in imitation of Plutarch maintaines that Beasts participate with us in the rationality of their discourses shewes that even they that have no voyce at all by their reciprocall kindnesse which we see in them we easily inferre there are some other meanes of entercommunication their gestures treat and their motions discourse Non alia longè ratione atque ipsa videtur Protrahere ad Gestum pueros infantia linguae No otherwise then for they cannot speake Children are drawne by signes their mindes to breake And why not saith he as well as our dumbe men dispute and tell histories by signes Certainly as he well observeth there is a society and communion of justice fellowship good wil and affection betweene us and Brutes they being not so remote from good nature gentlenesse and sweet converse but that they can expresse their desire of honour generositie industrious sagacity courage magnanimity and their love and feare neither are they void of subtilty and wisedome For by reason of their affinity as it were and daily conversation with men they get a tincture from us of our manners and fashions and consequently enjoy a kinde of nurture and teaching discipline and apprentising by imitation which does enable them to understand and expresse themselves in this language of gesture teaching us by learning of us that capable they be not onely of the inward discourse of Reason but of the outward gift of utterance by gesture and if there be some gestures of ours that they doe not understand so there are some of theirs which need an Interpretor a greater Critique in their language then Democritus Melampus or Apollonius Thyaneus were who understood all the idiomes of Birds and Beasts to expound them unto us Plato in setting out the golden Age under Saturne reckons among the chiefest advantages this kinde of communication And indeed it is a kinde of knowledge that Adam partly lost with his innocency yet might be repaired in us by a diligent observation and marking of the outward effects of the inward and secret motions of beasts This naturall Language of the Hand as it had the happinesse to escape the curse at the confusion of Babel so it hath since been sanctified and made a holy language by the expressions of our Saviours Hands whose gestures have given a sacred allowance to the naturall significations of ours And God speakes to us by the signes of his Hand as Bernard observes when he works wonders which are the proper signes of his Hand Hic est Digitus Dei say the astonished Magi when they acknowledged the expression of a Divine Hand These signes in Bernards language are notae stelliferae blazing and Starrie expressions In another Dialect of his Divine Hand he expresses his revealed will to his Prophets by inspiration as Ribera notes which the Prophets in Scripture acknowledge to be the still voice of the Hand of the Lord. Bede takes notice of another Dialect or way of expression which God useth with his Hand when he perswades men working upon them by the examples of good workes After this manner Christ our Lord to his doctrine added the signes of his Hand that is his workes according to that of the Evangelist Iesus began to doe and teach And as God speakes to us with his Hand by a supernaturall
way so we naturally speake to Him as well as unto men by the appeale of our Hands in admiration attestation and prayer Nay when we are beyond the vocall lines of communication with men and that distance of place hath made the highest tone of our Tongue too low to reach the auditory nerve of one that is remote or when the noise of some eare-deafing crowd hath rendred our Tongue unserviceable to declare our minde we use the visible expressions of our Hand as more loud and demonstrative which are afarre off perceived and understood by those who were uncapable of an auricular intimation And as concerning those manuall expressions which we use to those are lesse distant from us the Hand is so ready and cunning to expound our intentions abounding in a sense so copious and so connaturall a kind of eloquence wherein all things are so lively exprest the Hand seemes to enter into contestation and to vie expresses with the Tongue and to over-match it in speaking labours and the significant varietie of important motions that it almost transcends the faculty of Art to enumerate the postures of the Hand and the discoursing gestures which present the interpretation of the Minde Whose manifest habits rise to so high an account in the Hand that if their totall summe could be cast up they would seeme to exceed the numericall store of words and the flowry amplifications of Rhetoricall Phrases For with our Hands we Sue intreat beseech sollicite call allure intice dismisse graunt denie reprove are suppliant feare threaten abhor repent pray instruct witnesse accuse declare our silence condemne absolve shew our astonishment profer refuse respect give honour adore worship despise prohibit reject challenge bargaine vow sweare imprecate humour allow give warning command reconcile submit defie affront offer injury complement argue dispute explode confute exhort admonish affirme distinguish urge doubt reproch mocke approve dislike encourage recommend flatter applaud exalt humble insult adjure yeeld confesse cherish demand crave covet blesse number prove confirme congee salute congratulate entertaine give thankes welcome bid farewell chide brawle consent upbraid envy reward offer force pacifie invite justifie contemne disdaine disallow forgive offer peace promise performe reply invoke request repell charge satisfie deprecate lament condole bemoane put in minde hinder praise commend brag boast warrant assure enquire direct adopt rejoyce shew gladnesse complaine despaire grieve are sad and sorrowfull cry out bewaile forbid discomfort ask are angry wonder admire pittie assent order rebuke favour slight dispraise disparage are earnest importunate referre put to comprimise plight our faith make a league of friendship strike one good luck give handsell take earnest buy barter exchange shew our agreement expresse our liberality shew our benevolence are illiberall aske mercy exhibit grace shew our displeasure fret chafe fume rage revenge crave audience call for silence prepare for an apology give liberty of speech bid one take notice warne one to forbeare keepe off and be gone take acquaintance confesse our selves deceived by a mistake make remonstrance of anothers errour weepe give a pledge of aid comfort relieve demonstrate redargue perswade revolve speake to appeale professe a willingnesse to strike shew our selves convinced say we know somewhat which yet we will not tell present a check for silence promise secresie protest our innocence manifest our love enmity hate and despight provoke hyperbolically extoll inlarge our mirth with jollity and triumphant acclamations of delight note and signifie anothers actions the manner place and time as how where when c. A COROLLARIE Of the Speaking motions discoursing gestures or habits of the Hand WITH AN Historicall Manifesto exemplifying the naturall significations of those Manuall Expressions Supplico Gestus I. THE STRETCHING OUT OF THE HANDS is a naturall expression of gesture wherein wee are significantly importunate intreat request sue solicite beseech and ask mercy and grace at the Hands of others History the grave Mistris of the Rolls of Action and manuall expressions from whose Hand we receive the placard of Time subscribed by the reverend Hand of Antiquity and made letters Patents under the Broad-seale of Truth as she is the most faithfull guide to the exemplary knowledge of any matter of Fact passed so she presents a lively image of the Hands present estate and by reflection of her light affords subsidiarie presidents and patternes of significant actions to come For this Schoole-mistris of our discoursing gestures contending with a high Hand that no Chiramnestia or act of oblivion should passe against Nature by transcripts out of her owne Chiridiographicall observations hath sufficiently testified the naturall signification of this Chiridiome or proper form of speech in the beseeching Hand An example of this naturall gesture and expression we finde to have appeared in the Hand of Julius who endeavouring to satisfie the desires of Constantius but the souldiers forcing him to accept of the stile of Augustus with a resolute and well grounded minde withstood them all and some one time shewing himself to be wroth and highly displeased other whiles STRETCHING FORTH HIS HANDS requesting and beseeching them to forbeare their unseasonable offer When Annibal after the battaile of Cannae had granted the Romanes the favour and liberty to redeeme their prisoners and M. Junius had ended his Oration in the Senate immediately the multitude that were gathered together in the common place set up a lamentable and piteous cry and HELD OUT THEIR HANDS to the Councell-house beseeching the Lords of the Senate that they might have and injoy their children their brethren and kinsfolkes againe The Noblemen in the behalfe of Coriolanus used this gesture of the Hand when Sicinius the Tribune had pronounced sentence of death upon him for some of them HOLDING FORTH THEIR HANDS to the people besought them not to handle them so cruelly Thus Manlius and Fulvius comming unto Tiberius with teares in their eyes and HOLDING UP THEIR HANDS besought him to let the Law Agraria alone which he would then have passed And Plutarch in that notable description of Aemilius triumph relates how King Perseus children were led prisoners with the traine of their Schoolmasters and other Officers and their servants weeping and lamenting HOLDING OUT THEIR HANDS unto the people that looked upon them and taught the Kings young children to doe the like to aske mercy and grace at the peoples Hands The force of this expression hath sometimes remained in the Arme when the Hand hath beene lost For Amynias the brother of Aeschylus the Tragedian when the people of Athens would have stoned his brother for some impiety brought on the Stage he held up his Elbow and Arme without a Hand lost at the fight at Salamis by which spectacle the Judges calling to minde the merits of Amynias dismissed the Poet. Scripture the most sacred Spring of pregnant Metaphors and lending gestures among other of these kind of speaking apparitions or divine elegancies which are able to
his Hands together he doth amasse them into one which is the glosse of Huelamus upon this Romish rite The many gesticulations of the Hands and Fingers so ceremoniously troublesome in the Masse whose mysterious senses Bellarmine Durandus in ritibus Ecclesiae and Gavantus in his large Comment upon their Rubriques hath so copiously explained was one thing that made the Masse so uneasie to bee said of old by the Hands of every Sir Iohn as requiring one very well trained up in their Schoole of divine complements This is the Manuall of Prayer and Practice of Picty commended by Nature unto us as a faithfull assistant to our private devotions which expressed in one of the most significant Dialects of the generall language of the Body is more vocall and effectuall then the explications of the Tongue and more religiously true to the soule in case of extremity which is manifest by their use in â—his Christian exercise when the voice cannot expresse or performe her office for the Hand inabled by Nature to supply the defect of a vocall Interpretour hath continued the act of prayer and presented many visible petitions to the eye of Compassion which understands the groaning Gestures and dumb ejaculations of the Hand And this is often observed in religious men in extremity of sicknesse whose Hands in the time of health having beene used to accompany and exhibit their requests to heaven as the last service they can doe the soule and body offer themselves in this Evening Sacrifice of life To passe by common instances it is reported of that learned and reverend Doctor of our Church that he was totus in his sacrifiâ—â—is alwayes imploy'd in this reasonable service God requires at our Hands and toward the time of his dissolution his Hands were never empty of prayer and when he could pray no longer voce with his voice yet manibus oculis by LIFTING UP THE HANDS and eyes hee prayed still and when weaknesse and necessity of Nature had excluded these externall accidents of devotion the Hands and voyce failing in their function with his heart he prayed still as was perceived in him by some outward tokens Ploro Gest. III. TO WRING THE HANDS is a naturall expression of excessive griefe used by those who condole bewaile and lament Of which Gesture that elegant Expositour of Nature hath assign'd this reason Sorrow which diminisheth the body it affects provokes by wringing of the minde teares the sad expressions of the eyes which are produced and caused by the contraction of the spirits of the Braine which contraction doth straine together the moisture of the Braine constraining thereby teares into the eyes from which compression of the Braine proceeds the HARD WRINGING OF THE HANDS which is a Gesture of expression of moysture This COMPECTINATION or WEEPING CROSSE of the Hand is elegantly described by Apulcius in these words Palmulis inter alternas digitorum vicissitudines super genua connexis sic grabatum cessim insidens ubertim flebam Where as Cresollins observes hee hath rightly conjoyned this Gesture of the Hands with weeping and teares For 't is the declaration of a mind languishing for grief and almost spent and wearied with some vehement affliction Which the brother of Basil the Great elegantly setting out to our eyes saith Complodis manus digitos complicas atque tuis cogitationibus angeris So also Dio Chrysostomus among the arguments and signes of mourning and lamentation puts down manum complicationes humilemque sessionem Indeed the FOLDING and WRINGING OF THE HANDS in the naturall equipage of sorrow hath ever passed for a note of lamentation History the mistris of life and right Hand of experience which is the mother of Prudence holding up the Mirrour to Nature wherein she may see her own actions represented in their true and lively colours affords some confirming reflection of this Gesture Wee reade that when Heliodorus that hated favourite of the Emperour Valens was dead and his corps carried forth to bee buried by the Beir-bearers Valens commanded that many should attend on foot bare-headed yea and some also with HAND IN HAND and FINGERS CLUTCHED ONE WITHIN ANOTHER to go before the cursed coarse of that bloudy villaine Who had not the Emperours command extorted this formality of sorrow from their Hands had missed of so solemne exequies and interment Admiror Gest. IV. TO THROWUP THE HANDS TO HEAVEN is an expression of admiration amazement and astonishment used also by those who flatter and wonderfully praise and have others in high regard or extoll anothers speech or action The first time that this expression appeared in the Hand of Man was certainly upon occasion of some new unexpected accident for which they gave thankes to God who had so apparently manifested the act of his beneficence And as it is a signe of amazement 't is an appeale unto the Deity from whose secret operation all those wonders proceed which so transcend our reason which while wee cannot comprehend wee RAISE OUR HANDS TO HEAVEN thereby acknowledging the Hand and Finger of God And that this is a naturall and so by consequence an universall expression of the Hand appeares by the generall use of this Gesture with all Nations That passage of Catullus is well known Admirans ait hac manusque tollens Dii boni c. To which intention of gesture Horace alludes Importunus amat laudari donec ohe jam Ad coelum manibus sublatis dixerit To this appertaines that of Cicero Hortensius auteÌ„ vehementer admirans quod quidem per petuo Lucullo loquente fecerat ut etiam manus saepe tolleret And that of his in another place Sustulimus manus ego ut Balbus ut illud nescio quid non fortuitum sed divinum videretur And to this is referred that of Livie Ad quam vocem cum clamor ingenti alacritate sublatus esset ac nunc complexi inter se gratulentesque nunc manus ad coelum tollentes c. Applaudo Gest. V. TO CLAP THE RAISED HANDS ONE AGAINST ANOTHER is an expression proper to them who applaud congratulate rejoice assent approve and are well pleased used by all Nations For applause as it is a vulgar note of encouragement a signe of rejoycing and a token and signe of giving praise and allowance doth wholly consist in the Hands Whence Cicero Populus Romanus manus suas non in defendenda libertate sed in plaudendo consumit Which hee spake of theatricall applause exhibited by the Hand of old Xenophon expresseth this affection of the minde in a very cleare and eloquent kinde of speech in these words Primipulus qui nos proxime discumbebat rem intuitus manus invicem complosit ridensque laetabatur And Histaspas in the same Author speakes unto Cyrus in these words Unum solum ignoro quinam modo ostensurus sim me gaudere bonis tuis utrum manuum concussione utendum est an
ridendum an aliuà faciendum This publique token hath beene of old and is so usuall in the assembly of a multitude when they cannot contain their joy in silence that there is nothing more common with them then by CLAPPING THEIR HANDS to signifie their exceeding joy and gladnesse of heart in so much as all Histories both prophane and sacred abound with examples of this expression out of which infinite store I shall produce but one or two for confirmation of this point When Iehoiadah the Priest caused Ioash the sonne of Ahazia to be crowned King and had brought him out and given him the testimony they made him King and anointed him and they CLAPPED THEIR HANDS and said God save the King Which gesture retaines the same signification in divers other places of Scripture When Caius Valerius entred the City of Rome ovant the affectionate favour of the people that stood in the streets appeared by CLAPPING OF HANDS and great applause striving a vie to exceed the songues chaunted by the Souldiers When the Senate had granted the peoples desire that a Commoner should be chosen Consull with a Nobleman and the Dictator had published the Decree of the Senate confirming their desire the common people were so joyfull that they brought Camillus home to his house with great shouts of joy and CLAPPING OF HANDS When Alcibiades had one day in the market place given a largesse to the people out of his owne purse the people were so glad at it that they fell to shouting and CLAPPING OF THEIR HANDS for thankfulnesse The fourth day after the battaile fought by Perseus King of Macedon even as the Playes and Games were exhibited in the shew-place there was heard suddenly at first a confused humming noise which spread all over the companies of the spectators that a field was fought in Macedonie and Perseus vanquished afterwards arose a more cleare and evident voice which grew at length to an open shout and CLAPPING HANDS as if certaine newes had been brought of the same victory The Magistrates wondred thereat and made search after the author of so sudden a gladnesse but none would be found and then verily it passed away as the momentany joy of some vaine and uncertaine occurrence howbeit a joyfull presage of some good luck setled in mens hearts and remained behinde which was after confirmed by the true report of Fabius Lentulus and Metellus sent from the Consull Indignor Gest. VI. TO SMITE SUDDENLY ON THE LEFT HAND WITH THE RIGHT is a declaration of some mistake dolour anger or indignation for so our learned Humanicians understand this Gesture usurping it often in this sense Seneca attributes this passion of the Hand to anger for in his description of an angry man he hath Parum explanatis vocibus sermo praeruptus complâ—sae saepius manus And in another place shadowing out anger in her proper colours he sets her out thus Dentes comprimuntur horrent ac surriguntur capilli spiritus coaâ—tus ac stridens articulorum ipsos torquentium sonns And in another place Adjice articulorum crepitum cum seipsae manus frangunt Petronius that great Doctor of iniquity and pleasure conspiring in the like sense of the same expression presents us with this gesture thus habited Manibus inter se usque ad articulorum strepitum contritis And in another place he thus gives us the garb of anger and griefe Infraâ—t is manibus ingemnit Neither are examples wanting in Histories to confirme the senses of this naturall expression Philo Judaeus of Caius the Emperour boiling with anger and grievously fretting with indignation Excandescebat legens multam praese ferens iracundiam ubi vero desiit complosis manibus Euge Petroni inquit non didicisti audire Imperatorem To confirme the naturall practice here of by divine Authority and presidents taken out of the most Sacred History Thus Balack in token of anger smote his Hands together when he was wroth with Balam that he would not curse the Israelites as hee desired To which answers that of the Prophet Ezekiel Thou therefore Sonne of Man prophesie and SMITE HAND TO HAND c. that is strike thy Hand as men in griefe and anguish are wont to doe The same signification of gesture hath that of the same Prophet Behold therefore saith the Lord I have smitten mine Hands upon thy covetousnesse that thou hast used and upon the bloud that hath beene in the midst of thee that is in token of my wrath and vengeance Explodo Gest. VII TO CLAP THE RIGHT FIST OFTEN ON THE LEFT PALME is a naturall expression used by those who mocke chide brawle and insult reproach rebuke and explode or drive out with noise commonly us'd by the vulgar in their bickerings as being the Scolds saunting dialect and the loud naturall Rhetorique of those who declame at Billingsgate Hence Ovid not unskilfull in this brawling property of the Haud very ingeniously seignes the Plerides as they were about to scould and to CLAP THEIR HANDS with a disgracefull noise to have beene turned into Pies and made Sylvan Scoulds This which is but the repetition of that stroake used in anger and indignation is used in this sense by the mirrour of patience Every man shall CLAP THEIR HAND' 's at him and hisse at him out of their place And the good man when his patience was tryed beyond sufferance fell into this habit of contention with his miserable comforters as appeares by the accusation of Elihu He addeth rebellion unto his sinne hee CLAPPETH HIS HANDS amongst us and multiplieth his words against God That is as the glosse on our Bibles hath it he standeth stubbornly in maintenance of his cause To this may bee referred that of the Prophet Ieremiah All that passe by CLAP THEIR HANDS they hisse and wag the head at the daughter of Jerusalem The same signification hath that of the Prophet Ezekiel Because thou hast CLAPPED THINE HAND and stamped with the feet and rejoyced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel Behold therefore I will stretch out mine Hand upon thee Despero Gestus VIII TO appeare with FAINTING AND DEIECTED HANDS is a posture of feare abasement of minde an abject and vanquished courage and of utter despaire The Prophet Isaiah calls this habit of deâ—ection or consternation the faint Hand or the HAND FALLEN DOWNE The Prophet Ezekiel and Iâ—remiah call this apparition of feare the feeble Hand And the Authour to the Hebrewes most appositely THE HANDS THAT HANG DOWN. The old Annals of Time and the Journalls and Diaries of common life which containe a narration and exposition of things done give the best patternes of the Hands expressions as being the most naturall Registers thereof in so much as there are no interpretours so proper or able to informe us of the validity and use of this languishing carriage and behaviour of the
Hand An expression by gesture wee finde to have appeared in the Hands of Prusias King of Bithynia a man of a most faint heart and abject spirit who when he came to Italy to see the mansion place of the Empire of the world when he entred into the Senate standing at the gate of the Court right over against the Fathers Demissis manibus limen salutavit which are the words of Polybius rehearsing a thing unworthy of Royall Majesty Otio indulgeo Gest. IX TO FOLD THE HANDS is a gesture of idlenesse an expression often seene in the Hands of lazy Lubbers amus'd with â—loath who keepe their dull Hands so knit together to maintain a drowsie league with sleepe for being loath to forgoe the pleasure of ease they by this gesture doe as it were allure and play the bawds to indulge and procure their lusts delight more sweetly to cease upon their lyther bodies Hence the Aegyptian Priests when they would exhibit an expresse character of lazinesse or of a sluggish fellow good for nothing one who would scarce entertaine a busie thought lest it should worke some disturbance in his breast or rowze his Hands from the complacency of their embosom'd rest they use to decipher a dull Sloe-worme of this lowzy Tribe with his Hands thus enterlac'd as parallels in his bosome as if they had there taken up their habitation or did lye skulking to avoid worke which is a Lion in their way This gesture of the Hands as it is the sluggards common guise who demands a little more FOLDING OF THE HANDS and out of love to ease often neglects what his mouth requires at his Hands contented so he have from Hand to mouth as if hee hated the more provident extension of a thought is significantly brought in Sacred Writ by a metaphor to upbraid and note out the despicable state of fooles and sluggards time-spending loyterers of no esteeme since the wisdome of man doth much consist in his Hands Salomon unfolding the nature of a sloathfull person who FOLDETH UP HIS HANDS each Hand holding as it were the other from worke and hideth his Hand in his bosome in this last posture he excellently sets out the nature wickednesse and punishment of floath The nature of it in noting the sweetnesse of it to a sluggard in that his Hand is in his bosome hugging as it were his owne lazinesse The wickednesse of it in that his Hand is hidden sloathfulnesse being so shamefull a thing that it needeth to be concealed The punishment of it in that the sloathfull man starveth himselfe And in another place he is said to hide his Hand in his bosome that none might finde it lest by taking him thereby hee might raise him up or else as if he feared some Catâ— Censorius who calling to see the Hands of men refused those that had soft Hands as unworthy to be Citizens of Rome Emphatically in one place of the Proverbs of Salomon the slacke Hand of the sluggard is most directly translated the Hand of deceit Rightly doth the Originall call it a Hand of deceit because for the most part the lazy Hand being not able to sustaine it selfe betakes it selfe to cousenage and deceit The originall word in the fore part of the verse properly signifies the bowing of the Hand because deceit is hollow and 't is with the hollow of the Hand that the sleights of deceit are practised In the latter part of the verse the word signifies the whole hand the strength of the Hand for that it is which diligence useth and by that it maketh rich The garb of such men who sit crowching in the world with their arms a-crosse their mouths gaping and their feet in one shooe leading rather a bestiall then a humane life a famous Lawyer doth graphically describe out of Eccles. thus En sedet ignavus manibus per mutua nexis Pigritiae donec merces accedat egestas Praestat enim palmis inquit palma una duabus Unica cui requies gemina quibus anxia cura To this personall character Westmerus and other Commentators referre that Anthropopeia of the Royall Prophet Draw thy right Hand out of thy bosome Tristem animi recessum indico Gest. X. TO HOLD THE FINGERS INSERTED BETWEEN EACH OTHER A-CROSSE is their sluggish expression who are fallen into a melancholy muse To the signification of this Gesture accords the Oration of Sextus Tullius unto Sulpitius Dictator You our Generall deem us your Army to be Handlesse heartlesse and armourlesse c. for what else may we thinke of it that you an old experienced Captaine a most valiant Warriour should sit as they say with one Hand in another doing nothing Hence manibus compressis sedere in the Adage is all one with Nihil facere otio indulgere aliis obesse For this gesture is thought to have a tacite force to damp the lively spirit of mirth and friendly communication Hence 't is in vulgar practice to accuse such men whose Hands in company fall into this posture as Remora's unto the happy birth and wish'd-for progresse of conceit and for dull Schismatiques that deny themselves to those with whom they converse for such whose thoughts stray out of season minding not what others doe or say by a mentall sequestration withdraw their soules as 't were from their bodies and while they over-prise their private thoughts exprest oftentimes by this disrespect of the Hand they seeme no other then to make a Soloecisme in society Hence this gesture by the superstitious Ancients was held a note of impediment and hath passed time out of minde for a kinde of secret sorcery Whereupon the Romane Senate gave out a solemne prohibition that in all consultations held by any Prince or Potâ—ntate or any Generall of an Army or any person that was present at any mysticall solemnity none should presume to fit or stand crosse-legged or in the foresaid manner HAND IN HAND Supposing this gesture did hinder the progresse and event of any act in Hand or any consult which by advice was to bee ripened for an expedition They thought it also witchcraft but to sit by one that had a practicall designe upon health by the receit of any medicine either inwardly or outwardly appli'd Nay they thought this posture was of force alone to hinder such who were in labour and did then need Lucina's Hand and that such could not bee delivered as long as any one present held the Hands thus mutually inwrapped which piece of forcery was the worser in case the party did hold them about one or both his knees This was well seene by the Lady Alcmena when jealous Juno set one CROSSE-HANDED and crosse-legged to hinder her delivery as the story goes But the contrary gesture implyed quicke labour or the felicity of being delivered Thus in a Medall of Julia the Godly the happy fruitfulnesse of childbirth is implyed wherein Venus holdeth a Javelin in her left
commanded silence makes Hydaspes himselfe to STRETCH OUT HIS HAND to appeare them and did them be still And Barclay brings in Euphormio when there was a noise that he could not bee heard with THIS GESTICULATION OF HIS HAND signifying that he had somewhat to say unto them Prophane Histories that containe a relation of things really done are not barren in this expression of the Hand For when Titus was returned to Rome after the destruction of Jerusalem and his Father Vespasian and hee triumphed in common as soone as they were set in their ivory Tribunals the Souldiers with loud voice declared their valour and fortitude Vespasian having received their prayses they offering still to speake on in his commendations he BECKNED WITH HIS HAND and made a signe unto them to bee silent When Commodus the Emperour was set in his throne to behold those famous Actors which were to celebrate a sacred Agon or Pageant in honour of Jupiter Capitolinus and the Theater full of spectatours before any thing was said or acted on the Stage suddenly there starts out one in a Philosophers habit with a staffe in his Hand and a scrip on his shoulder halfe naked who running to the midst of the Stage stood still and Bâ—CKONING WITH HIS HAND for silence discovered the treason of Perennius to Commodus Thus Drusus being sent to appease the rebellion in Pannonia standing up upon the Tribunall BECKONED WITH HIS HAND for silence to be made And after Constantine the Emperor was baptized having caused a Throne to bee erected in the Palace of Trajan he declared with the eloquence of a Monarch the reason which had moved him to alteration of Religion His Oration being heard of all the world with great applause in such sort that for the space of two houres the cryes of a great many were heard which made acclamations at length the Emperour rose up and MAKING A SIGNE WITH HIS HAND required silence which instantly made all that great multitude hold their peace The most sacred History is not without examples of holy men who have significantly made use of this expression of the Hand For wee reade that Peter BECKOND with his Hand unto them that were gathered together in Maries house to hold their peace Thus Paul stood up and BECKOND with his Hand and said Men of Israel and ye that fear God hearken c. And when Claudius Lysiâ—â— the chiefe Captaine had given Paul licence to speake unto the people Paul stood upon the greices of the Castle into which they were leading him and BECKOND unto the people and when there was made a great silence he began his Apology in the Hebrew tongue Alexander likewise used this BECKING with the Hand when hee would have excused the matter unto the people In the Originall Peter is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manu silentio postulato as one Translation anxuere manu ut tacerent as Beza in the others the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is left out for the BECKING MOTION OF THE HAND upon such occasions cannot well be understood otherwise then for a signe of reaving audience Juro Gestus XVII TO LIFT UP THE RIGHT HAND TO HEAVEN is the naturall forme and ceremony of an oath used by those who call God to witnesse and would adjure confirme or assure by the obligation of an oath An expression first used by the Hands of the ancient Patriarchs and is thought to have flowed from God himselfe who in many places of holy Writ is brought in speaking of himselfe to have used this gesture for confirmation of his gracious promises by the outward solemnity of an oath Hence it was that Abraham said unto the King of Sodome I have LIFTED UP MY HAND UNTO THE LORD that is I have sworne that I will not take from a thread even to a shooe latchet c. Unto this naturall expression the Psalmist alludes HE LIFTED UP HIS HAND that is he swore And to the signification of this gesture of the Hand some referre that passage of the Psalmist Whose Right Hand is a Right Hand of falshood that is they have forsworne and broke their vow Hence by a forme of speech taken from this expression TO LIFT UP THE HAND in the Scripture phrase is the same as to sweare and take a solemne oath With reference to the manifest attestation and significant obligatory force of the Hand in this businesse the late nationall Covenant was expresly ordered to be tooke with the Right Hand held up on high The Angels also when they sweare doe it not without this manuall asseveration for the Angell in the Apocalyps that Iohn saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth when he sware that there should be time no longer lifted up his Hand to Heaven ¶ This vowing expression of the Hand Marius used in the battaile of the Cymbres when he promised and vowed a Hecatomb or solemne sacrifice of an hundred Oxen. Thus also Catulus vowed to build a Temple to Fortune for that day Asseveratione Deo attestor Gestus XVIII TO EXTEND AND RAISE UP BOTH THE HANDS TO HEAVEN is an expression of establishment and a most strong kinde of asseveration implying as it were a double â—ath There is a passage in the prophesie of the Prophet Daniel which doth confirme and illustrate this expression And I heard the man cloathed in linnen which was upon the waters of the rivers when he HELD UP HIS RIGHT HAND AND HIS LEFT UNTO HEAVEN which was a double oath as our Glosse hath it Lauretus upon this place saith that the lifting up of the right and the left Hand signifies an oath with a commination and a promise Ovid well knowing this double forme of an oath describing Philomela frighted at the comming of her sister Progne as she strove to sweare and call the gods to witnesse to the purity of her thoughts and that she was compelled to that dishonourable fact very elegantly makes her HOLD UP HER HANDS for spéech Such an asseveration of gesture I lately observed in some at the publique taking of the last Nationall Covenant who as I conceived rather out of a zealous earnestnesse to ingage themselves in the Cause then out of any affectation or privity to this double formality of a Vow tooke the Covenant with BOTH THEIR HANDS HELD UP In the same posture of expression we finde Gadatas the Eunuch in Xenophon LIFTING UP HIS HANDS TO HEAVEN taking an oath Suffragor Gest. XIX TO HOLD UP THE HAND is a naturall token of approbation consent election and of giving suffrage An expression of the Hand so common that Chirotonia which properly is this gesture of the Hand is usurped per metalepsin connexi pro suffragio To this declaration of the Hand that elegant metaphor of the Prophet Zephanie is referred The deepes made a noise and LIFT UP THEIR HANDS ON HIGH that is shewed signes of
of this gesture where he saith The slothfull man is compared to the filth of a dunghill every man that takes it up will SHAKE HIS HAND Castigo Gestus XXXIV TO SHAKE OR HOLD THE STRETCHED AND RAISED HAND OVER ANY is their expression who offer to chastise and thew a willingnes to strike or take revenge Hence the prohibition of the Angel to Abraham about to sacrifice his son after he had STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND to that intent lay not thine Hand upon the childe The Prophet Isaiah respective to this signification of gesture saith That the King of Assyria should SHAKE HIS HAND against the mount of the daughter of Sion And because men are wont to use this expression by gesture to those they hold worthy of rebuke and punishment that being terrified thereby they might reclaim them from vice Hence by an Anthropopeia in many places of Scripture this gesture implies the chastizing Hand of God To this signification belongs that of the Prophet Isaiah In that day shall Aegypt be like unto women and it shall be afraid and feare because of the SHAKING OF THE HAND of the Lord of Hosts which he shaketh over it To this also belongs that of the same Prophet With his mighty wind shall he SHAKE HIS HAND over the river And the Prophet Zechariah to the same signification Behold I will SHAKE MINE HAND upon them Pugno Gestus XXXV TO STRIKE ONE WITH THE FIST is their Gesture who would be avenged of those that have offended them and would right themselves by this wilde vindictive justice of their Hands The Hand thus closely shut and the fingers all turned in is called in Latine Pugnus quoniam manus quae ante erat passa mane unde manus contracta clausis digitis effecta est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est densae The nether part of this Hand in this posture Chiromancers call the pomell or percussion of the Hand the Greeks Hypothenâ—r seu ferieus manus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 percutere Galeâ— observes that the outside of the Hand was deprived of flesh that the FIST might be more confirmed to supply the place of a weapon And indeed they naturally and easily finde this thicke weapon who would BUFFET or fight at fisticusses with others This was the gesture of the Hand that first begun the fray or skirmish in the world before time had brought in the use of other weapons Hence the Latines say Pugnam in manu esse and pugna hath its denomination from this posture of the Hand Lucretius alludes to this primitive expression of anger Arma antiquâ— manus ungues dentesque fuerunt And when we see men together by the ears we know what they intend thereby The Prophet Isaiah condemning the injurious use of this smiting expression of the Hand in 〈◊〉 and debate calls it the Fist of wickednesse Reprchendo Gestus XXXVI TO BOX OR SMITE ONE WITH THE PALM OF THE HAND is their expression who would rebuke or correct another for some saucie speech or action Hence the Hand with the fingers stretched out which Isidor calls the palme hath its name in Hippocrates from a word that signifieth to strike Agellius useth the word depalmare for this smiting expression of the palme The Greeks to the same signification of gesture use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This contemptuous expression of anger the officer of the high Priest used to our blessed Saviour for the Text saies He strooke him with the palme of his Hand taking upon him to rebuke Christ for answering the high Priest irreverently as he cursedly supposed To the naturall signification of this offensive gesture may that of the Prophet Isaiah be referred Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people and He hath STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND against them and hath smitten them c. for all this his anger is not turned away but his HAND IS STRETCHED OUT still Apprehendo Gestus XXXVII TO LAY HAND UPON ONE is their expression who with authority apprehend and lay hold of one as a delinquent to secure their person This is one of the properest expressions of the Hand apprehension being the proper action of the Hand for Hand and Hold are conjugates as they terme them in the Schooles from which gesture the Hand is called Organon antilepticon for it is the first use of the Hand to TAKE HOLD With the Ancients this gesture is manucaptio and manus injicere This is a dangerous Habeas Corpus in officers who are the Hands of the Law without words obtains the force of an arrest and hath a spice of their authority more strong then their emblematicall Mace These actions are frequently entered in the Counter of Time Thus the officers of the high Priest LAID HANDS on Christ and tooke him Manumitto Gestus XXXUIII TO LET GO ONES HOLD AND TAKE OFF THE HAND FROM ANY ONE is their gesture who would signifie a willingnesse to release one that was before in their possession and power as having some reason to grant them their liberty This with the Ancients is manumittere and from the signification of this naturall gesture the Ancients tooke their formes of manumission used when they did enfranchise their bond-men of which the Civill Law takes much notice and the observation of Critiques are very large in that matter There is in this naturall expression of the Hand a certaine forme of the thing signified Hence the Aegyptian Priests who alwayes had their eyes fixt upon the Hand of nature in their Hieroglyphique expressed liberty by a HAND EXTENDED OUT AT LARGE in which lively symbole of gesture the fingers seem to be made frée of the Hand The medall of Tiberius Claudius Caesar in which a little graven image hath the LEFT HAND OPENED TO ITS UTTERMOST EXTENT with this inscription Libertas Augusta implies as much since the left Hand the most retentive appears fréely to manumit for as the Hand in this posture implies the naturall liberty of its owne proper and individuall body so it most properly expresses the gift of the same priviledge to others by the same freedome of gesture Incito Gestus XXXIX TO CLAP ONE ON THE BACK OR SHOULDER WITH THE HAND is their expression who would hearten and encourage others a gesture obvious in the Hand that takes part with those that are in fight and desires to set men or beasts together by the ears Significantly respective unto this is that gesture among others used in installing the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem whereby he that gives him Knight-hood LAYING HIS HAND ON HIS SHOULDER doth exhort him to be vigilant in the Faith and to aspire unto true honour by couragious and laudable actions Foveo Gest. XL. VVE USE TO STROKE THEM GENTLY WITH OUR HAND whom we make much of cherish humour or affectionately love an expression very obvious among the actions of
common life being a kinde of indulgent declaration of the minde used to pacifie and please others performed by drawing our Hand with a sweetning motion over the head or face of the party to whom we intend this insinuation This the Ancients call mulcere caput alterius a gesture often used by men in signe of favour and encouragement to ingenious and towardly youths Admoneo Gest. XLI TO TAKE HOLD GENTLY Of ANOTHERS HAND is a gesture used by those who admonish and perswade which hee that shall set himselfe to observe the actions of men may upon such occasions finde used to the same intents and purposes Mithropaustes used this gesture in admonishing Demaratus the Lacedemonian who being in the Court of Persia the King willing him to aske what gift he would Hee besought the King to grant him this favour to licence him to goe up and downe the City of Sardis with his royall Hat on his head as the Kings of Persia do For Mithropaustes the Kings cozen TAKING HIM BY THE HAND said unto him Demaratus the Kings Hat thou demandest and if it were on thy head it would cover but little wit Nay though Jupiter should give thee his Lightning in thy Hand yet that would not make thee Jupiter And we finde Timon surnamed Misanthropos as who would say Loup-garou or the man-hater using this expression who meeting Alcibiades with a great traine as he came one day from the Councell and Assembly of the City not passing by him nor giving him way as hee did to all other men but went straight to him and TOOKE HIM BY THE HAND and said O thou doest well my sonne I con thee thanke that thou goest on and climbest up still for if ever thou be in authority woe be unto those that follow thee for they are utterly undone Such an intention of gesture but with more vehemency of expression the Angels used to Lot while he lingred in Sodome LAYING HOLD UPON HIS HAND and UPON THE HAND of his wife and UPON THE HAND of his two daughters to admonish and perswade them to a sudden departure from that accursed City Confido Gestus XLII TO LEAN UPON ANOTHERS HAND is their gesture who make a confiding use of the staffe of their age or affection an expression importing that they much rely upon their faith and friendship and often seene in the Hand of great Princes when for greater state and ease they goe supported in this wise The signification of which countenance of Majesty doth in effect shew that the Nobleman on whose Hand the King leaned was next and subordinate in authority to himself and that the waight of all the principall affaires of State did lye on his Hands Thus in the Booke of the Kings of Judah we reade of a Prince the same that mockt at the words of Elisha when he foretold of the releefe of Samaria on whose Hand Iohoram King of Israel lean'd that is as the Glosse upon our Bibles hath it a Prince to whom the King gave the charge oversight of things as doth more plainly appeare by the 27. verse of the same Chapter And the speech of Naaman to Elisha after hee had cured him of his Leprosie makes it more apparant Onely herein let the Lord be mercifull to thy servant that when my Master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship and leane upon my Hand c. Where Naaman craveth to bee pardoned of zeale without knowledge as M. Junius saith it being no such thing as should trouble his conscience to bow himselfe in an officious sort and civill duty to bend his body that his Lord might leane upon his Hand when he went into the Temple of the Idol Rimmon to adore Thus Libo Drusus sustained by the Hand of his brother entred into the Senate house to answer to that enormity hee was accused of who when hee saw Tiberius a great way off he held up his Hands imploring mercy with great humility Which statelinesse of gesture was much used in Asia by great persons and is at this day by your Italian Ladies Impedio Gestus XLIII TO HOLD FAST ANOTHERS HAND in the signification of hindrance and restraint is a gesture so obvious in the cholericke perturbations of humane life that it needs no illustration by example since we may every day meet with satisfaction in the publique streets for in quarrells where there is any moderation or over mastering power on one side this restraint of the Hand is used both with signification and advantage To this gesture may be referred that of the Prophet Zechariah A great tumult from the Lord shall be among them and they shall lay hold every one on the Hand of his neighbour and his Hand shall rise up against the Hand of his neighbour and Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem c. Recordo Gestus XLIV TO IOG ONE ON THE ELBOW is the usuall intimation of those who put others in minde and take upon them the part of a Remembrancer a gesture very frequent in the common passage of humane affaires much practised by the Hands of the ancient Romane Nomenclators as appeares by the testimony of Horace Mercemur servum qui dictet nomina laevum Qui fodiat latus Recommendo Gestus XLV TO TAKE ONE BY THE HAND in courtesie to recommend them unto another by way of presentation is an usuall expression in the Hands of men a gesture significant and remarkable having beene tooke notice of by ancient Chronologers for the Hand according to the primitive intention of Nature having by a necessary consent of Nations beene ever chosen Chronologer of al remarkable actions hath consequently proved its own Biographer If therefore we but cast an intuitive eye upon those memorials the Right Hand of Time hath left fairly noted in the Left Palme of Antiquity even by the old autography of the Hand wee may spell out the sense of this naturall expression For when Valentinian had a full purpose to adorne his sonne Gratian a pretty young stripling and well growne with the Imperiall Ensignes when he had wrought the Souldiers to accept thereof hee ascended up the Tribunall and taking the youth by the Right Hand hee brought him up before them and in a publique Oration recommended him as ordained Emperour to the Armie Another Copie of this naturall gesture we finde in the Hand of Pertinax refusing in modesty the Empire pretending his age and meane descent who taking Glabrio by the Hand and pulling him forth placed him in the Imperiall Throne recommending him as more fit for the Empire And Commodus in a speech he made unto the Souldiers of his Army puts them in minde how his father Marcus when hee was an infant carried him in his armes and delivered him into their Hands recommending him as it were to their tutelage and fidelity Thus also Tiberius though with dissimulation tooke Nero and Drusus Germanicus children by the Hands and recommended them
HIS LOINES as a woman with travell and all faces turned into palenesse upon which place they who are curious may consult with Ghislerius Indignatione timeo Gest. LV. THE SMITING OF THE HAND UPON THE THIGH in the practise and conversation of common life was ever frequent and is so deeply imprinted in the maners of men that you shall in vaine perswade a man angry and inraged with griefe to contain his Hand from this passion Seneca the Philosopher attributes this expression of the Hand to anger where he saith Quid opus femur ferire In griefe it is also significant as they who are versed in Homer doe well know when they meet with those places wherein he describes his Heroes provoked to anger and dolour whom he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the sacred oracles of the Prophets we have this expression noted described for that holy Prophet speaking of Ephraim lamenting Surely after I was converted I repented and after that I was instructed I SMOTE UPON MY THIGH c. which gesture in that Prophet hath the signification of repentance with others of anger dolour and indignation In the same sense it appeares in the Prophesie of the Prophet Ezechiel Cry and howle son of man terrours by reason of the sword shall be upon my people SMITE THEREFORE UPON THY THIGH Tully indeed ascribes it to mourning Feminum capitis percussiones The registers of common life Histories are full of examples of this habit of the Hand bearing the character of this sense Thus Cyrus in Xenophon hearing of the death of Abradatas SMOTE HIS HAND UPON HIS THIGH And Flaccus President of Aegypt and Syria bannished by Caius the Emperour when he arrived at the Island Andros most miserably howling in his calamity SMOTE HIS HANDS AND THIGHES Fabius Dictator when his Generall of the Cavaliere Minutius had almost cast away himselfe and his Army at the sight thereof is said to have uttered his anger and dolour this way And when Pompey had received letters from Rome advertising him what great matters the people had passed in his behalfe some say that at the receit of them in the presence of his familiar freinds and they that were about him rejoyced with him for congratulation he knit his brows and CLAPPED ON HIS THIGH as though it grieved him to have such great offices and charge laid upon him one in the neck of another by this dissimulation cloaking his ambition ¶ This gesture of the Hand is significant also in fear admiration and amazement Hence Plutarch relating the injuries that the Pirates whom Pompey vanquished did the Romans saies the greatest spite and mockery they used to the Romans was this That when they had taken any of them and that he cried he was a Citizen of Rome and named his name then they made as though they had been amazed and afraid of that they had done for they CLAPPED THEIR HANDS ON THEIR THIGHS and fell downe on their knees before them praying him to forgive them Data fide promitto Gest. LVI TO STRIKE ANOTHERS PALM is the habit and expression of those who plight their troth give a pledge of faith and fidelity promise offer truce confirme a league buy sell grant covenant bargaine give or take handsell engage themselves in suretiship refer their controversies to an arbiter put to comprimise or chuse an umpier engage themselves to be true and trusty warrant and assure That this gesture hath the sense and signification of faith and a solemne promise is apparent by the frequent intimations of the Roman Poets who by this gesture doe often imply faith Thus the Prince of Latine Poesie in this of Dido En dextra fidesque And in that of Anchises Dat dextram atque animū presonti pignore firmat Ovid no way ignorant of any matter of manuall expression brings in Pandion taking his leave of Tereus and his daughter Philomol demanding this pledge and pawn of faith Ut fidei pignus dextras utraque popossit Inter seque datas junxit And that lofty Tragedian brings in Licus suing for marriage with Megara saying Sociemus animos fidei hoc pignus cape continge dextram Martial according to the acute way of Epigramatists taking a hint from the peculiar property of the right Hand in making promise brings in Caesar in the whiske of one of his Epigrams answering two petitioners at once by promising with both his Hands Dum peteret pars haec myrinum pars illa triumphū Promisit pariter Caesar utraque manu Isidor saith this gesture is the witnesse of faith and trust In faith saith Pliny we put forth our Right Hand or when we make a faithfull promise The Cynique in his symbole advising men to adde benignity to their courtship covertly alludes to the propriety of this free expression Give not unto thy friend a clinched Hand And the symbole of Pythagor as Doe not to every man extend thy Hand wills us not promiscuously to prostitute this friendly token of expression To which that of Lypsius may be referred Vis dextram fidei mei testem habes hic impressum etsi coram ipsam dare jungere mihispes est cum aulam vestram videbo When the Hyrcanians of Cyrus Army expostulated with him in regard he seemed to distrust them Cyrus in Xenophon is said to have answered him thus Cogito nobis omnibus fidem esse in anim is nostris atque in nostris manibus This expression of the Hand the Greeks very elegantly note in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Stoicks say faith is derived of the word facere to doe because all things that are faithfully promised ought to be performed most aptly therefore implied by the Hand the symbole of action And faith is strengthned by this expression of REACHING OUT THE RIGHT HAND How did Cicero condole the violation of promise made by this speaking paction of the Hand Dextrae qua fidei testes esse solebant perfidiae sunt scelere violatae Virgil for an expression of breach of promise symbolically useth the prevarication of this gesture Fallere dextram And in this sense some take that of the Prophet Isaiaeh Is there not a lie in my right Hand And to this that of the Psalmist may be referred whose Right Hand is a Right Hand of falshood that is as the glosse on our Bibles hath it Though they STRIKE HANDS yet they keep not promise Caius Ligarius used this expression of promising his aid assistance and concurence in any secret confederacy with Brutus who when Brutus came to see him being sicke in his bed and said unto him O Ligarius in what a time art thou sicke Ligarius rising up in his bed and taking him by the Right Hand said unto him Brutus if thou hast any great enterprise in Hand worthy of thy self I am whole Gobrias in Xenophon praiseth the Right
that he who did oblige himselfe unto another or offered his faith gave his wrest to wit the joynt whereby the Hand is joyned to the wrest to be apprehended and wrung to signifie that he was held oblig'd custome having a little chang'd the most naturall forme without impeachment of signification ¶ That this gesture is significant to licence warrant and assure is not difficult to prove For thus Artaxerxes King of Persia by giving his Right Hand to Mithridates the brother of Ariobarzaneâ— promising to kill Datamen gave him licence and an open warrant with pardon of punishment to doe what he would in that businesse And Saint Paul when he would warrant and assure the Galatians Corinthians Colossians and Thessal onians to whom he writ that those Epistles were his his salutations in the close intimate that they were witten with his owne Hand ¶ This gesture is also significantly used when we chuse an Umpire put to arbitration and comprimise To which that of Job may be referred Neither iâ— there any dayes-man betwixt us that might lay his Hand upon us both To which expression of gesture that also of the Apostle Saint Paul seems to appertaine The Law was given by Angels in 〈◊〉 Hand of a Mediator as if that Law of the Old Testament about keeping whereof the people of Israel had covenanted with God had as by giving the Hand come to that people by mediation of Moses and did prefigure what was to be done by the Angel of the Testament or Mediator of a better Testament to wit that a better Law established between God and Man the Mediator of the new Covenant mediating between both the parties and stretching out his armes in his suffering had LAID HIS HANDS UPON THEM TO CONFIRME a more holy league and covenant Reconcilio Gestus LVII TO SHAKE THE GIVEN HAND is an expression usuall in friendship peacefull love benevolence salutation entertainment and bidding welcome reconciliation congratulation giving thanks vnlediction and wel-wishing This loving declaration of the Hand the Greeke expresse in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An expression usuall between those who desire to incorporate comâ—â—iâ— or grow into one and make a perfect joynt The most happy point of amity a naturall forme very rich in signification since they who thus professe communion of goodâ— while they willingly EMBRACE EACH OTHERS HAND signifie that they are both content that their works shall be common by this gesture speaking plainly as if they in effect should say What damage happens unto thée I shall esteeme as my owne losse and thy emolument and profit I shall entertaine as mine owne and thou shalt finde me ready prest with a consonant and willing minde both to yéeld to thée a share of my welfare and reciprocally to beare a part of thy calamity For all this is the more significantly implied by this gesture in regard that works are the words of love and the Hand is the Tongue of hearty good-will The minde of man naturally desirous by some symbole or sententious gesture to utter and disclose herselfe in the affections of love doth manifestly set forth her disposition by this courtly declaration of the Hand a naturall complement where with she commonly sweetens her affectionate respects to others And this naturall expression seems to result from the sympathy between the will and the Hand for the will affectionately inclined and moved to stretch forth her selfe the Hand that is moved by the same spirit willing to goe out and set a glosse upon the inward motion casts it selfe into a forme extending to a semblance of the inward appetite neither is the Hand at any time found too short for such an expression if the will be disposed to cooperate with it For nature who hath ingeniously thought on many conveniences of expression for the use and benefit of common life among others seems to have ordained the Hand to be the generall instrument of the minde and endued it with a courteous appetite of closing with anothers Therefore when the minde would disclose the virtue strength and forcible operation of her favour and good-will out of the abundance of her love she puts forth the Hand and in that as it were the heart it self with affectionate love and receives them againe by a naturall bill of exchange in the Hand of another which verily is a signe of mutuall agréement and of a perfect conjunction for which cause Pindarus a Poet of an aspiring wit placed the heart and Hand as relatives under one and the same parallel To the naturall sense of this gesture appertains divers passages of Tacitus The Lingones saith he according to their accustomed manner had sent gifts to the Legions right Hands in token of mutuall love and hospitality The Centurion Sisenna carried in the name of the Syrian Army to the Souldiers of the guard right Hands in token of concord And Ambassadours came from Artabanus King of the Parthians calling to minde their friendship and allyance with the Romans and desiring to reniâ—e Right Hands To bring this important gesture of the Hand in friendship a little nearer to the authenticke light of sacred History So John to Jonaâ—â—â— when he asked him whether his heart were right give me thine Hand So James and Cephas and John gave to Barnabas the Right Hand of fellowship that is they gave him their Hands in token of agreement in matters of doctrine ¶ That this gesture is significant in salutation bidding welcome and entertainment is apparent by many testimonies of the Ancients Virgil in the first place witnesseth the same complaining to his mother thus Cur dextrae jungere dextram Non datur And in another place 〈◊〉 speaking to 〈◊〉 concerning his affection to Anchises Milâ—i 〈◊〉 jâ—venili 〈◊〉 amare Campâ—â—â—are virum 〈◊〉 conjungert dextrâ— Horacâ— also concerning himselfe Aâ—â—â—rrit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mihi â—mine tantum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quid aâ—iâ— dulcissime rerum To this signe of salutation and entertainment appertaines that medall whose inscription is Traâ—â—â—us Adrianus wherein you may see the Emperour himselfe joyning his Right Hand with the Hand of Iâ—piâ—er sitting with this inscription placed under the base ADVENTUS AUG We read of Richaâ—d the second to have used this expression of welcome to his Nobles when they appeared at Westminster Mâ—â—ichans delivered this gesture as a certaine secret to his disciples that when they met one another they should salute by joyning Hands by which signe they declared that they were delivered out of darknesse as Epiphâ—â—iâ—s reporteth And there is no expression of love more frequent in the entercourses of common life then this Thus Abradâ—â—uâ— in Xenophon comes to Cyrus and taking him by the Right Hand makes use of this gratefull expression and both Xenophon and all other Authors are full of such loving occurrences of the Hand and mutuall declarations of hospitable love Thus Pallas in Virgil entertaining Aeneas and bidding â—im welcome
hearts in the common bond of friendship he would have the Hands of others to be laid hold on and wrung with the fingers for that saith he the Hands put forth a sting or goad and are many times a convenient spur to future amity Hereupon beauties pale vassalls led by the forcible instinct of their passion in preferring their amorous insinuations doe much use this speaking touch of the Hand a piece of covert courtship whereby they seem to strive to imprint upon their mistrisses Hand a tacit hint of their affection suggested in this pressing flattery of the Hand for lovers I know not by what amorous instinct next to the face direct their passionate respects to the Hand of those they love to this part they most usually accommodate their significant expressions this they devoutly wring and embrace and by the discoursing compressions thereof intimate and suggest the eagernesse of desire and their inexplicable apprehensions of joy griefe Hence the great Master in the Art of love understanding the naturall force of this tacit conference and humble supplication brings in Jason exhibiting his request to Medaea softly wringing her fair Hand Ut vero caepitque loqui dextramque prehendit Hospes auxilium submissa voce rogavit But this Chirothripsia or griping anothers Hand was never held a safe or warrantable expression in the Hand of any man taken for the most part for a wanton essay or sly proofe of a tractable disposition and a lascivious prologue and insinuation of lust I willingly heare saith Cresollius Gregory Nyssen whose voyce and admonitions I prefer before all the learned Schoolmen in the world Solent manus ipso contactu validae animae robur effoeminare a proofe and experiment of whose observation may be understood out of a certaine short narration of Philostratus There were in the stately Seraglio of the King of Persia many of the Kings concubines of excellent beauty who for their rare perfection of parts and outward endowments of nature might well have stood in competition for the golden ball of Paris upon one of which when a certain Eunuch had more curiously cast his eyes he began to be tickled with desire and so netled with the itch of concupiscence that he placed all his felicity in enjoying of her wherefore he made frequent visits carried himselfe very obsequiously unto her sprinkled his discourse with amorous and alluâ—ing words and which he thought would most of all availe to set forward his designe and to stir up and quicken the flame of affection he WRUNG HER HAND which when the over-seer of the Eunuchs perceived he commanded him especially in no wise to touch the neck or Hand of the woman good counsell which when he refused to follow he fell into that foule action which proved fatall unto him ¶ This gesture as it is a token of duty and reverentiall love Coriolanus used towards his mother Volumnia when overcome by her earnest perswasions to withdraw his Army from Rome he cried out Oh mother what have you done to me for HOLDING HER HARD BY THE RIGHT HAND Oh mother said he you have wonne a happy victory for your Countrey but mortall and unhappy for your sonne for I see my selfe vanquished by you alone ¶ This WRINGING OF ANOTHERS HAND doth sometimes naturally imply peace and a loving forgivenesse of all injuries And how faithfull an interpretor of the minde the Hand hath continued even when the tongue hath failed and men have been deprived of all wayes of delivering their mindes but by signes and tokens and how intelligible this expression by gesture which we have now in Hand hath been apprehended to be in the extremity of silence may sufficiently appeare by preferring the examples of two great Princes lying both speechlesse on their death-beds The first example shall be in Philip Duke of Burgundy the father of Charles slaine at the battell of Nancie Charles having absented himselfe from his father for some faults and his father falling very sicke in the City of Bruges so that his speech failed him Charles hearing of it came from Gant in post to Bruges and falling on his knees before his father did with warme teares beg humble pardon for all the griefes he had put him to and besought him with lowly reverence that he would vouchsafe him his fatherly blessing his Confessour having told him in his ear that if he could not speak he should at least-wise give his sonne some token and testimony of his good will towards him The good Prince opened his eyes and TAKING HIS SON BY THE RIGHT HAND clasped it within his owne so hard as he could a signe of love and forgivenes To match this with another of our own History to wit of Henry the eight who falling sick commanded the Archbishop then at Croyden should be sent for in all haste who using all possible speed came not untill the King was speechlesse as soone as he came the King TOOKE HIâ— BY THE HAND the Archbishop exhorting him to place all his hopes in Gods mercies through Christ beseeching him that if he could not in words he would by some signe or other testifie this his hope who then WRINGED THE ARCHBISHOPS HAND AS HARD AS HE COULD a signe of faith and hope of mercy and forgivenesse and shortly after departed Suspicionem odium noto Gest. LIX TO DRAW BACKE THE UNWILLING HAND INSTEAD OF REACHING IT OUT TO IMBRACE THE HAND OF ANOTHER is a sign of enmity likely to prove inveterate used by those who flatly refuse to agrée reject that proffered amity which they have in suspition The example of Caius Popilius may seem very aptly to belong unto this gesture who when he had met Antiochus foure miles distant from Alexandria after greeting and salutation at the first comming Antiochus PUT FORTH HIS RIGHT HAND to Popilius but he delivered unto him a scrole written and wished him before he did any thing to read that script after he had read the writing through he answered he would devise with his friends and consider what was best to be done But Popilius according to his ordinary blunt manner of speech which he had by nature made a circle about the King with the rod he had in his Hand and withall make me an answer quoth he I advise you such as I may report to the Senate before you passe the compasse of this circle The King astonied at this so rude and violent a commandement after he had stayed and paused a while I will be content quoth he to doe whatsoever the Senate shall ordaine then and not before Popilius GAVE THE KING HIS HAND as a friend and ally The stoutnesse of Sylla and his resolution to be reconciled upon no other tearmes then his own discovered it selfe by the same neglectfull carriage of his Hand towards Mithridates who when he came to him and OFFERED TO TAKE HIM BY THE HAND Sylla asked him first if he did
hath been practised in Ecclesiasticall absolution Parisiensis for this reason would have it a sacrament because it hath a sacring and sanctifying signe to wit a sign having a naturall resemblance with inward sanctification it self which is the Hand To this gesture as it is cunningly made an Appenage to the Papall policie of auricular confession I have nothing to say only I finde that the ancient form of absolution was to hold both the Hands conjoyned over the parties head which was to be absolved which may be also exhibited by one Hand laid in sequence of the other or both conjoyned and held above the head so appearing in the aire without any residence at all upon the head The manner of performance at this day it seems is to lay on both the extended Hands upon the head so that they touch the crowne and rest and settle downe thereon ¶ As this gesture is significant in benediction it was used by Isaac upon his death-bed when he blessed his sonne Jacob who supplanted Esau of his blessing by counterfeiting the rough Hands of his elder brother And thus Jacob about to dye blessed his twelve sonnes every one of them with a severall blessing Our Blessed Saviour who with the sacred gestures of his Hand hath sanctified the expressions of ours and made them a holy language was often seen to use this expression of the Hand whence the Church commenting upon his action saith He by his outward gesture and deed declared his good will to little children in that He embraced them in His Armes LAID HIS HANDS UPON THEM and blessed them And the very last expression that flowed from His sacred Hand was blessing for at the time of His ascention He LIFTED UP HIS HANDS and blessed His Apostles and while they beheld Him in this posture blessing them He departed bodily from them ascending up into Heaven Hence in all tacit posies of His ascention this figure of the sacred property of His Hand is most emphatically significant ¶ That in conferring the blessings of primogeniture and adoption this gesture of the Right Hand is more peculiarly significant is excellently illustrated by the adoption of Ephraim unto the birthright of Manasseth by Jacob when he blessed Joseph sons For Joseph bringing his sonnes to be blessed of his father tooke Ephraim in his Right Hand towards Israels left hand and Manasses in his left hand towards Israels Right Hand so he brought them unto him But Israel STRETCHED OUT HIS RIGHT HAND and laid it on Ephraims head which was the younger and his left hand upon Manasses head directing his Hands on purpose for Manasses was the elder But when Joseph saw that his father laid his Right Hand on the head of Ephraim it displeased him and he staid his fathers Hand to remove it from Ephraims head to Manasses head And Joseph said unto his father not so my father for this is the eldest put thy Right Hand upon his head But his father refused and said I know well my sonne I know well he shall be also a people and shall be great likewise But his younger brother shall be greater then he and his seed shall be full of Nations So he blessed them that day and said In thee Israel shall blesse and say God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseth And he set Ephraim before Manasseth For the Historicall sense of this expression see Tiraquel and Dr. Field Pererius Rupertus and Isidorus affirme that in a mysticall sense this cancelling or crossing of the Patriarchs Hands in exhibiting his blessing and transferring the right of primogeniture to the younger was representatively done to prefigure a mystery of the calling of the Gentiles and the preferring of them before the Jewes and that this was the first type or prefiguration of the manner of the promised Messiahs passion in the decreed way of redemption ¶ The same gesture we use in gracing our meals an expression very proper and significant For the Hands reverently erected without any other forme of speech annexed seem naturally to pronounce this Grace O Thou supreame Power the giver of all good things who openest with thy Hand and fillest every living thing with thy blessings vouchsafe O Lord benedicendo benedicere to let thy Right Hand blesse sanctifie and confirme unto us the blessings of thy left And it is a brand of prophane unmannerlines in the rough Hand of Esau that he was readier to strike Hand with a chapman to sell Gods blessing for his meat then with his Hand to invite it to his meate Whereas our Blessed Saviour thought blessing bid by this reverend invitation of the Hand a considerable guest at a feast who to shew that man liveth not by bread only upon all such occasions used the signification of this gesture Thus He blessed the five loaves and two fishes wherewith he wrought his feeding miracle And from this Chireulogia or act of blessing and giving thanks the Sacrament used at His last supper is called the Eucharist And in the tearmes and stile of School-men or naturall Divines to speake to the fundamentall point of this gesture now in Hand The Hands and Blessing seem to be conjugates in the Schoole both of Nature and Grace Benediction being a naturall rite neare allied unto the Hand and of spirituall affinity with prayer For Religion and Grace disaâ—â—â—â— not the powers of naturall expressions but advance them to a full and purer perfection improving the corporeall sense of those manifestations to a more spirituall and sanctified signification That inexhaustible fountaine therefore of Blessing our Blessed Saviour having ordained himselfe a Hand and having taken upon Him the corporeall nature of man was constantly pleased to honour the nature He had so taken and to enforce by the precept and authority of His owne example the significant convenience religious use and decent importance of this property of blessing annexed to the Hand ¶ In consecration this gesture hath the like congruity of signification for there was never any thing by the expresse command of any legislator to be hallowed by a dedication but the Hand was called to and injoyned to attend as a proper addition to confirm and sanctifie all other rites not that there is any inherent holinesse in the Hand or solemne forme of expression but an adherent only The very heathens have acknowledged a significant vertue in this expression of the Hand for we read that Numa was consecrated upon mount Tarpeian by the chiefe of the southsayers called Augures laying his Right Hand upon his head a piece of superstitious apishnesse they learned from the grand spirituall Impostor Moses a man skilfull in all the learning of the Aegyptians among which some secrets of our Chirosophie were judiciously veyled by inspiration commanded the Right Hand of the high Priest to wit the thumbe thereof or vice-hand to be hallowed with the oyle in his left palme from thence called the Holy Finger a forme
gesture to the more visible and significant application of his miraculous cures He gave sight to the blinde yet not without touching the eye Hearing to the deafe not without thrusting his Finger into the eare and speech to the dumbe yet not without wetting the tongue most with this gesture of IMPOSITION Thus by TOUCHING Simons wifes mothers Hand He cured her of her feaver Thus by PUTTING FORTH HIS HAND AND TOUCHING the leper He healed him of his leprosie Thus by LAYING HANDS on the woman that was troubled with a spirit of infirmity he loosed her from her diseâ—se and made streight her bowed body And it is said of Him that he could doe no great workes in his owne Countrey by reason of their unbeleefe save that HE LAID HIS HANDS UPON a few sicke folkes and healed them And indeed their sutes that came unto him for helpe were commonly tendered and expressed in such formes of speech as shewed that he much used this significant expression of gesture For although as Fonseca truly observes the flesh of our Saviour for that it was the flesh of God gave life and health to all that touched it for a certain vertue went out from all parts of Him and cured all men as the woman that had the issue of bloud experimentally found yet He was pleased so to honor the Hand to use his Hand in the conveyance and application of that curative vertue as that which in nature is the most important significant member of the body he could have said the word only and it had been done but he would speak reliefe with his Hand Thus Jairus besought him to come and LAY THE HANDS UPON his sicke daughter that she might be healed and live And they who brought the deafe and stammering man unto Him besought Him to PUT HIS HAND UPON him whose requests were graciously answered in this desired and his accustomed formeof expression with his healing Hand And Expositors agree that they required no expression of pity from our Saviours Hands then what they had observed him to use thereby attributing unto him the honour and right of the chiefe Prophet For it was an expression used by the ancient Prophets as a holy charme against bodily infirmities And of the practice of this gesture attended with a visible successe the Heathens were not ignorant apparent by the speech of Naaman who was halfe wroth with Elisha for omitting this expression or pledge of health for the thought with himselfe that the Prophet would have come out and stood and called upon the name of the Lord his God and PUT HIS HAND UPON the place and heale the leprosie After the ascention of our Saviour his promise was fulfilled that they should LAY THEIR HANDS ON the sicke and they should be cured Thus Paul received his sight by the LAYING ON OF Ananias Hands And thus Paul healed the father of Publius Governour of the Islle of Melita now Malta Thus Peter TAKING the Cripple that sat at the gate of the Temple called Beautifull BY THE RIGHT HAND recovered him of his lamenesse But of all the curetorie miracles wrought by the vertue of this expression of the Apostles the casting out of Divells and freeing the possessed most astonished the people especially after those sons of one Sceva a Jewish exorcist had took in Hand to counterfeit that powerfull gift by an unwarrantable imitation and were soundly beaten for their apish and vain attempt After the Apostles times the exorcists an order in the Primitive Church used this curatorie adjunct in commending those to God who were disquieted with Divells ¶ The curative adjunct with a tangit te Rex sana te Deus is used in the conveyance of that Charisme or miraculous gift of healing which derived from the infancie of the Church the inaugured Monarchs of this Land so happily enjoy In which expression of their sanative vertue they not only surpasse the fabulous cures of Pyrrhus or Vespasian of which Plinie and others make mention but the pretended vertues of other Christian Monarchs And indeed it is a maxime Ecclesiasticke that no miracle is wrought out of the Church And this miraculous imposition of the Hand in curing the disease called the Struma which from the constant effect of that Sovereigne Salve is called the Kings Evill His sacred Majesty that now is hath practised with as good successe as any of His Royall Progenitours An Index of reference to the following Table or Alphabet of naturall expressions Which Gestures besides their typicall significations are so ordered to serve for privy cyphers for any secret intimation A Figures out the I Gesture B Figures out the II Gest. C Figures out the III Gest. D Figures out the IV Gest. E Figures out the V Gest. F Figures out the VI Gest. G Figures out the VII Gest. H Figures out the VIII Gest. I Figures out the IX Gest. K Figures out the X Gest. L Figures out the XI Gest. M Figures out the XII Gest. N Figures out the XIII Gest. O Figures out the XIV Gest. P Figures out the XV Gest. Q Figures out the XVI Gest. R Figures out the XVII Gest. S Figures out the XVIII Gest. T Figures out the XIX Gest. V Figures out the XX Gest. W Figures out the XXI Gest. X Figures out the XXII Gest. Y Figures out the XXIII Gest. Z Figures out the XXIV Gest. The necessary defect of these Chirograms in point of motion and percussion which Art cannot expresse must be supplied with imagination and a topicall reference to the order and number of their Gestures A Supplico B Oro. C Ploro D Admiror E Applaudo F Indignor G Explodo H Despero I Otio indulgeo K TristitiaÌ„ animi signo L InnocentiaÌ„ ostendo M Lucri apprehensioneÌ„ plaudo N Libertatem resigno O Protego P Triumpho Q Silentium postulo R Iuro S Assevero T Suffrago V Respuo W Invitoo X Dimittoo Y Minor Z Mendico An Index to the following Alphabet of naturall Gestures of the HAND Which Gestures besides their typicall significations are so ordered to serve for privy cyphers for any secret intimation A Figures out the XXV Gesture B Figures out the XXVI Gest. C Figures out the XXVIII Gest. D Figures out the XXXIII Gest. E Figures out the XXXIV Gest. F Figures out the XXXV Gest. G Figures out the XLII Gest. H Figures out the XLIII Gest. I Figures out the XLV Gest. K Figures out the XLVI Gest. L Figures out the XLVII Gest. M Figures out the XLVIII Gest. N Figures out the XLIX Gest. O Figures out the L Gest. P Figures out the LII Gest. Q Figures out the LIII Gest. R Figures out the LV Gest. S Figures out the LVI Gest. T Figures out the LVII Gest. V Figures out the LIX Gest. W Figures out the LX Gest. X Figures out the LXI Gest. Y Figures out the LXII Gest. Z Figures out
out of Claudian Gaudet metuens pollice monstrat Indico Gest. VI. THE FORE-FINGER PUT FORTH THE REST CONTRACTED TO A FIST is an expresse of command and direction a gesture of the Hand most demonstrative This Finger being called Index ab indicando Deicticos by the Greeks id est Demonstrator Hinc indigitare verbum pro re satis idoneum hoc est digito ostendere vel digitum intendere And hence some of the Heathen gods were called Dii indigiti because it was unlawfull to name them or point them out as it were with this Finger The force of this Finger in pointing out men of note and quality Poets and Historians the accurate observers of the naturall expressions of the Fingers doe every where acknowledge in their writings alluding thereunto Thus the sinewie Epigrammatist Rumpitur invidia quod turba semper ab omni Monstramur digito Thus Horace Quod monstror * digito praeteriuntium Thus the Schoole-Amorist Saepe aliquis digito vatem designat euntem Atque ait hic hic est quem ferus urit amor Thus that obscure Satyrist At pulchrum est digito monstrari dicier hic est Where the Satyrist as Lubentius comments upon the place taking an argument from the adjunct seems to have respect unto the History of Demosthenes which Cicero toucheth at who was much affected with the mute encomium of this Finger directed towards him by certaine women that were drawing water and saying this is Demosthenes yet this is the same man Diogenes the Cinique pointed out in way of derision not with the Index but the middle Finger To parallel this with another example drawne out of Historicall antiquity The first time that Themistocles came to the Olympique games after the victory obtained over Xerxes navie at Sea he was no sooner come into the shew-place but the people looked no more at them that fought but all cast their eyes on him shewing him unto the strangers that knew him not with their Fingers and by clapping of their Hands did witnesse how much they esteemed him who being a man ambitious by nature and covetous of honour was so much tickled with this publick demonstration of their loves that he confessed to his familiar friends he then did begin to reap the fruit and benefit of his sundry and painfull services he had taken for the preservation of Greece The naturall validity of this indigitation of persons and pronominall vertue of this Finger when accentively put forth appeared in the malipert demonstration of Diphilus the Tragedian when he acted in the Playes dedicated to the praise of Apollo who when he came to that verse in his part Miseria nostra Magnus est directing his Hand and pointing to Pompey sirnamed the Great he gave it a remarkable pronunciation and being constrained by the people who with their Hands loud applause encouraged him to repeat the same divers times continuing in that demonstratâ—ve gesture he drove out him that was guilty of too great and intollerable a power But Pylades for such a speaking pranke of his Finger came not off so well for Octavius Augustus Caesar banished him out of the City of Rome and Italy because he had POINTED WITH HIS FINGER at a spectatour who hissed him of the Stage and so made him to be known The valiant Boucicaut instead of speech used such a POINT OF DECLARATION with his Finger and as it is likely shewing some other of his Fingers afterwards to signifie that he was a kin to him he pointed at as the Fingers of his Hand which are brethren For in that furious battell that Bajazet the Turkish Emperour waged against the King of Hungarie where there were many French-men and the Count of Nevers the Count of Ewe and March and the valiant Marshall Boucicaut who the next day being brought before Bajazet sitting under a pavilion spread for him in the field Bajazet having heard by his Interpretour that the Count Nevers Ewe and March were neare kinsmen to the King of France caused them to be reserved commanding they should sit on the ground at his feet where they were inforced to behold the lamentable but cherie of their Nobility The valiant Marshall Boucicaut in his turne was produced he who was wise and particularly inspired by God in this extremity made a signe with his Finger before Bajazet who understood not his language as if he would declare himselfe the kinsman of the Count of Nevers who beheld him with an eye so pitifull that it was of power to rent rocky hearts Bajazâ—t being perswaded by this signe that he was of the bloud Royall caused him to be set apart to remaine a prisoner where he after wards by his great prudence endeavoured the liberty of those noble Gentlemen and his owne ¶ Sometimes this Fingers ibi stands for an Aduerbe of place And it was the custome of the Romans in the meetings of divers waies to erect a statue of Mercurie with the Fore-Finger pointing out the maine road in imitation whereof in this Kingdome we have in such places notes of direction such is the Hand of St. Albans And the demonstrative force of this Finger is such that we use to forewarne and rebuke children for pointing at the Pallaces of Princes as a kinde of petty treason The Roman Histories afford us a notable example of the practice of this moving Adverbe of place in Marcus Manlius Capitolinus for when he was accused for moving sedition and his matter came to pleading the sight of the Capitoll troubled his accusers much for the very place it selfe where Manlius had repulsed the Gaules by night and defended the Capitoll was easily seen from the Market-place where the matter was a hearing and he himselfe POINTING WITH HIS HAND shewed the place unto the gods and weeping tenderly he laid before them the remembrance of the hazard of his life in fighting for their safety This did move the Judges hearts to pity so as they knew not what to doe neither could they use the severity of the Law upon him because the place of his notable good service was ever still before their eyes wherefore Camillus finding the cause of delay of Justice did make the place of judgement to be removed without the City into a place called the Wood Petelian from whence he could not shew them the Capitoll and having deprived him of this advantage he was condemned ¶ As it is a gesture of command and direction imperious masters with a stately kinde of arrogancie often use it to their meniall servants who stand ready expecting but the signall of their commands when they call them not without a taunt to execute the tacit pleasure of their lordly will an expression flowing into their Hand from the hautinesse of spirit and an insolent humour of dominéering And the signe of pride is the greater when men affâ—ct to have their mindes thus discried and â—u others to gueste at
increase as the hand more fitting to retaine for though it want the diligence and insinuating labour peculiar to the Right Hand and hath not the faculty to scrape and get by such dexterious endeavours notwithstanding being more dull and sluggish the retentive appetite thereof is thereby increased and it is the Misers maxime and as it were the signet on his wretched hand Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri This hand by the grave testimony of Solinus which Camerarius also affirmes to doe any thing is lesse agile but to beare burdens and to comprehend any thing strongly is more fit for Jael tooke the hammer in her Right Hand but the naile in her left which she smote through the temples of Sisera and the three hundred Souldiers of Gedeon held their lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their Right Hand which Marius hath drawne into an allegorie of other significations Offensiunculam resentio Gest. XX. TO GIVE ONE A RAP WITH THE FINGERS HALF BENT OR KNUCKLES is their expression who would vent their sleight anger or dislike upon others or would softly and modestly knocke at some doore This posture of the Hand was called by the Ancients Condylus Scilicet digiti articulus aut nodus in curvitura quae digitis flectitur The stroake inflicted with the Hand thus composed hath from antiquity retained the name of Condyl this the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We read of a boy who attended at the banquet of Aeneas slaine by Hercules with a stroake of his Condyl called Archias as Hellenicus writes other Eunomius the sonne of Architeles but in Phoronidos 2. he is named Cherias who dyed of that blow in Calydon although Hercules intended not his death but chastisement The Greeks also write that Thersites was slaine by the Condyles of Achilles because he had strucken out the eye of Penthisilea slaine by him with his speare This gesture is sometimes used by those who would signifie their desire of being let in at a doore and in this sense it was modestly used by Bagoas the Eunuch at the tent doore of Holofernes his master whom he supposed to have slept with Judith Dorleans upon Tacitus saith he did plausum facere manibus to awaken his master but it is most likely he used the sound of this gesture as a mannerly watchword to intimate his attendance without and a desire to come in and speake with him an expression that hath been ever used by such who came to salute or speake with great persons in a morning to intimate their modest and obsequious attendance which they seemed by that low knock to desire their patrons to take notice of Iram impotentem prodo Gestus XXI TO PUT THE FINGERS INTO A GRIPE OR CLAW-LIKE ASPECT and to SCRATCH or CLAW another therewith is the impotent expression of a curst heart that eagerly desires to set a marke of its displeasure upon those that have provoked it to a splenitique use of its pounces But this is no manly expression of the Hand as more properly appertaining to children and vixens who are prone upon any provocation to wreak their despite upon others with the talons of their indignation Fury that hath furnished all men with weapons left the tongue the nail to the impotent part of humanity two venemous weapons and apt to wranckle where they fasten And if we see this naile-rubricke in the face of any we are apt to infer that it is the marke of some such impotent creature Stultitiae notam infigo Gestus XXII TO PRESENT THE INDEX AND EARE-FINGER WAGGING WITH THE THUMB APLIED UNTO THE TEMPLES is their expression who would scornfully reprove any for failing in any exercise of wit or for some absurd stumble of a tripping and inconsiderate lip or for some errour in manners and behaviour For this most ridiculous affront implies such men to be Asses The reason is for that man only by natures provident donation hath received cares fixt and immoveable whereas that which appears most moveable and stirring in that dull animall is his eares and the WAGGING OF THE FINGERS goes for the WAGGING OF THE EARES which cannot be done otherwise by reason of this naturall prohibition Perseus alludes to this ironicall signification of the Fingers Nec manus auriculas imitata est mobilis albas Hence Manum addere the Adage a metaphor taken from this gesture The same gesture if you take away the motion is used in our nimblefingered times to call one Cuckold to present the badge of Cuckoldry that mentall and imaginary horn seeming to cry O man of happy note whom fortune meaning highly to promote hath stucke on thy fore-head the earnest-penny of succeeding good lucke all which upbraiding tearmes many understand by this gesture only of the Fingers for in this sense the common use hath made it the known signall of disparagement so naturally apt are the Fingers to speake scoffes For lacivious disdaine masked by scorn under the disguise of a facetious wit out of an itching disposition hath been ever very prone to devise and happen upon waies to vent her conceited bitternesse it being the guise of overweening wit to despise and undervalue others Hence comes your scornfull frumpe and drie scoffe keen jeers that wit hath turned up trump wherein the dealer rubbeth with a gibe making another his laughing stocke which cunning game is received into Rhetoricke and called an Ironie a Trope which gives a man leave closely to carpe at the manners of men wherein what which is expressed by words the contrary is shewn by the gesture nay we may make a wity board without the helpe and concurrence of an unhappy word and your broad verball jest is nothing neare so piquant as these foule habits of reproach by gesture which broch men as it were with a spit and having once entred into the quicke like shafts with barbed heads a long time gaule with a sticking mischiefe and to this feat of mockery the Fingers have been proclive to fashion out contempt provoked forward by a naturall dicacity Improbitatem objicio Gestus XXIII TO LOCKE THE THUMBE BETWEENE THE NEXT TWO FINGERS is an ironicall vulgarisme of the Hand used by Plebeians when they are contumeliously provoked thereunto and see that they cannot prevaile by vieing words their spleene appealing to their Fingers for aid who thus armed for a dumbe retort by this taunting gesture seem to say avant This position of the Fingers with the Ancients was called Higa and the moderne Spaniards by objecting the Hand formed to this reproachfull expression imply as much as if they should say paedicavi te with us it is usually their garbe who mocke little children Parcè do Gest. XXIV TO GIVE VVITH TWO FINGERS is a parcimonious expression of the Hand often seen in clutch-fists niggards and pinch-pennies from whose gesture the Adage came Dare contracta manu id est parce frigide aliquid
not so much wonder how they having been armed by discourse and voyce together with the emphatical assistance of the Hand have produced such prodigious effects For these gracefull aids of Speech and advantages are so peculiar to pronunciation and the Hand that the Pen or Preffe knoweth not what they mean This is sufficiently confirmed by what Quintilian reports of Hortensius a long time Prince of Orators afterwards Coevall and Competitour with Cicero but alwayes accounted the second whose writings notwithstanding were so short of that fame of his living eloquence of pronunciation that it appeares there was somewhat in those Orations he pronounced which pleased very well which they who came afterwards to read could not finde the gifts of speaking and writing well although compatible yet not so inseparable that he who pretends to one must necessarily bee possest of both That Virgin Monarch Queene Elizabeth of famous memory whose Apothegmes may passe among the Oracles of Royall Reason and Civill Prudence having heard or rather seen a Sermon that was preached before Her with the advantage of pronunciation was much affected and taken therewith and having the same Sermon afterwards presented unto Her when She came to read it and found not the insinuations of elocution and gesture gave Her judgement of it That it was one of the best Sermons She ever heard and the worst she ever read Not only prophane but sacred Authours have taken notice of this solemne bond and Rhetoricall obligation between the Hand and the mouth and have not only allowed the language of the Fingers by which the Ancients were wont to speake but have likewise punctually set downe the office of these sides-men the Hands and gravely noted their necessary imployment and concurrence to the more advantagious setting out of speech Among the recorded advantages of gesture and Rhetoricall uniformity the observation of Noverinus is not to be passed over in silence whose ingenious animadversion it is that the Septuagint in their version of the Proverbs where Solomon bringeth in wisdome speaking and where St. Hieroms translation or the vulgar Latine hath it Extendi manum meam in the Septuagint translation it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extendebam sermones for that speech may have life and efficacie in it the Hands must goe out and gesture must appeare to the eye that it may give evidence to both senses And Solomon where he accuseth the sloathfull man for not bringing his Hand to his mouth seems to have cast an eye upon the old Aegyptian symboll and to have said his Hands touch not his lips his action agrees not with his voyce For to this sense the Exposition of Saint Gregory may with little wresting be drawn Manum ad os porrigere est voci suae opera concordare a good dependance necessary relation the Hand is joyned to the lips and the lips must be so knit and held with the Hands that sometimes our very words and speeches are turned into Hands as the Septuagint in this place insinuate And it is observable that the Spirit that is called the Finger of God appeared under the form of fiery Tongues a most excellent connexion land it may be not without a Rhetoricall mystery of divine and powerfull elocution the gift of speaking being granted hereby as well to the Hand as the Tongue and a doore of utterance opened by the Spirit in both no marvell therefore that they of Listra seeing the chiefe Speaker of the Apostles speaking in the power of these Tongues as this Finger gave him utterance tooke Paul for Mercury their imaginary god of eloquence Since therefore the Tâ—â—gue is obliged to the Hand it will become elegant Divines to be good at Action bring thy Hand to thy Mouth and tye thy Tongue to thy Finger and thou hast a most perfect symboll of Rhetoricall heat and divine expression For the Hand of the Artificer the worke shall be commended and the wise ruler of the people for his speech saith the son of Syrach It stands him in Hand therefore who would emblazon the armes of the Queen of the affections Eloquence to use her owne pencill the Hand of a most secret property to quicken speech for where Eloquence swayes the Scepter the graces of utterance forsake their place and the feeblenesse of the proper forces of the Tongue are perceived if they be not this way relieved by the Hand by whose armes and allurements as it were by main force the ancient Orators have so often extorted approbation from their auditors and by this third supply of elegant deportment invading the minde through the eye with easie accesses put themselves into the possession of the people And questionlesse those brave generous formes of discourse wherein Art hath beene married to abundance and richnesse of speech mixed with sweetnesse and majesty of action wherewith those great and strange conceptions of the Ancients have been so curiously limbed and plentifully adorned and graced are but too slenderly taken notice of in these times the perfections whereof can be of no meane importance when without the helpe of this great secret neither ornament of Art nor grace of Nature can be but in part pleasing nor as one well observes shall all the reasons the Tongue can alledge perswade a very woman resolving to resist For the Hands are those common places and Topiques of nature which receive most of those extraordinary motions which appeare in Orations the high excesse Enthusiasmes raptures and commanding beauty of expressions are here found For although gesture naturally floweth out with the voyce yet comelinesse and beauty are the decent issues of apt motion which appeare in a sweet delivery anticipating the eare by the eye And to speake seriously this artifice of the Hand is no lesse necessary to excellent discourses and conceits then discipline among Souldiers without which courage is of no effect and valour most commonly proveth unprofitable They therefore who in publicke and before those who are versed in the Art of wel-speaking fall short in Manuall performance suffering the glory of Eloquence to receive diseminution in their Hands do no lesse then cast an aspersion upon the Art they professe and abuse their hearers since no speech ought to be publique if you intend to performe it negligently and not to allow it all the ornaments whereof it is capable for the polishing whereof wee need not go far since the Hand is able to accommodate the Tongue in such occasions as that which hath a greater variety of Synonymous expressions and is able to outvie it in equivalent variations This is sufficiently proved by the old emulation between that famous Oratour Cicero and Roscius the great Master in the Art of Action for it is certaine that most eminent Oratour would often contend and strive avie with Roscius whether he should more often expresse the same sentence in gesture or whether he himselfe by the copiousnesse of his cloquence in a differing speech
and variety of expression pronounce the same which raised Roscius to that height and perfection of knowledge that he wrote a booke wherein he compared Eloquence with the Art or Science of Stage-players And indeed the fame and estimation of Roscius grew hereupon so great that learned Caâ—o made a question whether Cicero could write better then Roscius could speake and act or Roscius speake and act better then Cicero write Hence a certaine moderne Authour reckoning up nine kinde of wits usuall at this day makes up his account thus Imprimis a Simian or Apish wit an Arcadian wit an Autolican or embezled wit a chance-medley wit a smirke quick and dextericall wit and a Roscian wit which is only in gesture when one can farre more wittily expresse a thing by a dumbe externall action then by a lively internall invention more by gestures then jests This was in that Pantomimicall Roscius who could vary a thing more by gestures then either Tully could by phrase or he by his witty speeches And as concerning such men wee may say of them as once Cicero said of Piso They are wise only by signes These Actors the cunning counterfeiters of mens manners were called Pantomimi from their multivarious imitation their faculty Ars gestitulatoria by the Romans which one Teletes is said to have found out or at least to have much amplified who is reported to have been so excellent in this subtill artifice of his Hands that he could expresse by them whatsoever could be spoken by word of mouth And we read of a certaine Philosopher one Memphis by name a master in this faculty whose excellencie therein when the same Authour would signifie Tacens saith he gestu omnia nobis manifestius indicabat quam qui artem dicendi se docere profitentur in the reigne of Domitian Bathillus was famous for these measures of the Hand concerning whom the Satyrist Chironomon Ledam molli saltante Batillo Saltationem manibus gesticulantis Ledae representante mimo as Farnaby upon the place We read also of one Mnestor a famous Pantomime much affected by Caligula Cassidorus elegantly describing one of these Pantomimes Tunc illa sensuum manus occulis canorum carmen exponit per signa composita quasi quibusdam liter is edocet intuent is aspectum in illaque leguntur apicesrerum non scribendo facit quod Scriptura deolaravit Monstraletus in his Chronicle makes mention of a company of these Chironomons who before Trinity house in Paris represented the passion of our Saviour without any words at all but by the mystery of gesticulations of his Hands all things being very exactly and graphically acted by them These Chironomons of old being sent for from the Theater to banquets carved up foules and other viands to their Symphonies To which Juvenal alludes Nec minimo sane discrimine refert Quo gestu lepores quo gallina secetur Hence Petronius Ad symphoniam gesticulatus lacerebat obsonia And Juvenal Structorem interea nequa indignatio desit Saltantem vide as Chironomonta volanti Cultello Lipsius confounds these structores or carvers with the Chironomonts The scene of this Art as is thought lay first in Syracusa and that these Chironomicall expressions sprang from the immane cruelty of Hieron the Tyrant of that City who among other his barbarous edicts prohibited the Syracusians all commerce of speech and the vocall liberty of communication commanding them to call for their necessaries by nods and significant motions of their Hands eye and feete which soone necessitated them to fall into these dancing conferences and declarations of their mindes The first man that usurped the name of Chironomon or Pantomime among the Romans was Pylades when he came out of Asia an Art which about the time of Nero was brought to that authority and perfection that many Writers both Greeke and Latine as a thing most wonderfull cried it up to the skies Hence Demetrius the Cynique who lived in the time of Nero seeing one of these Pantomimi dancing the masque of Mars and Venus Vlderis ipsis manibus loqui Or as Lucian hath it Non agere sed arguta manu effari And wee read of a certaine Prince who comming out of Pontus about businesse to Nero then resident at the head of the Roman Empire when he together with others had seen this Chironomon dancing so conspicuously that although he could not heare nor understand what was sung for they were all semi-Grecians for language yet they understood all things very perfectly This Prince when he was to returne home and Nero had invited him with much courtesie and love and liberally bad him aske what he would at his Hands promising him readily to grant his desire Give me quoth he Roy all Sir this Chironomer and with this gift you shall highly pleasure me Nero demanding what that fellow might advantage him in his affaires at home I have quoth he most sacred Emperour many barbarous neighbours differing in language to understand whom I need a great number of Interpreters which are not easie to be had therefore when I shall stand in need of an Interpretour this man by significant motions of his Hands shall interpret all things unto me And concerning these artfull gestures of the Hand and loquacity of the Fingers we must understand many passages of the ancient Poets and Philosophers Thus is that of Claudian to be understood Qui nutu manibusque loquax And that of Sydovins Apollinaris Clausis faucibus loquente gestu To this also belongs that of Petronius Puer manu loquaci And what another speaking of this Art hath Egressus scoenam populum Saltator adorat Solerti pendet prodere verba manu Pugnat ludit amat bacchatur vertitur adstat Illustrat verum cuneta decore replet Tot linguae quot membra viro mirabilis est ars Quae facit articulos voce silente loqui The Poet here saith very aptly Articulos loqui for that these Pantomimi did not only delight in gestures of the Hand but more especially in motions of the Fingers Theoricus King of Italy called this Musicam mutam still musicke quae ore clauso manibus loquitur quibusdam gesticulationibus facit id intelligi quod vix narrante lingua aut scripturae textu posset agnosci To this appertains that of St. Cyprian Vir ultra mulierum molliciom dissolutus cui ars sit verba manibus expedire And that of Seneca Mirare solemus scoenae peritos quod in omnem significationem rerum affectuum parata illorum est manus verborum velocitarem gestus assequitur But of all that have touched at this Art most wittily Cassiodorus Hic sunt additae Orchestarum loquacissimâ—â— manus linguosi digiti silentium clamosum expositio tacita quam musa polyhymnia reperisse narratur ostendexs homines posse sine oris affatu suum velle
declarare And indeed the Prince of Roman Poets where he handles the names inventions of the nine Muses ascribes the finding out of this kind of utterance to Polyhymnia Signat cuncta manu loquitur Polyhymnia gestu The learned observation of these premises made the ancient Masters of the â—ieroglyphiques who used to decypher a distinct and articulate voyce by a Tongue adde a Hand comprehending the same to note out eloquence by that conceit implying that speech stood in need of that moist organ the Tongue but pronunciation required a Hand to wit an artificiall helpe to set it off and make it beautifull to the eye And the first inventer of the Art of Logique to note the moods and brevity of argumentation exhibited Logique by a Hand comprest into a Fist and Rhetoricke by an open and dilated Hand which is but pugnus expansus Analogicall to this is that symboll of the Cynique Manus non sunt proferendae complicatae confusis digitis which insinuates that speech should not be perplext in the delivery but should be open plaine and free for then speech labours of a blinde crampe when it is too concise confused or obscure Hence Phisiognomers according to their rule ad apparentiaem infer such men to be full of words whose manners and common use it is to hold the Hand spread out with the Fingers ☜ These Hand Critiques observing the apparent manners of men say That he who customarily useth much action of his Hand in his talke is a faire speaker and neat in his language And that ancient Interpretour of dreames in his Allegoricall inferences makes the Hand to signifie reason understanding speech and languages which as it were by the conduct of letters or rather an opportune speech declares the tacit affections of the minde Ribera observes that the Hand in Scripture doth not only signifie the divine suggestions of Prophesie but also all kinde of speech especially wherein there is any thing commanded and he addes the reason Quia sicut manns movet it a movet locutio praecipiens The reasons why grave Antiquity did render and understand all kinde of speech and language as Pierius notes by a Hand are for that the moving and significant extention of the Hand is knowne to be so absolutely pertinent to speech that we together with a speech expect the due motion of the Hand to explaine direct enforce apply apparrell to beautifie the words men utter which would prove naked unlesse the cloathing Hands doe neatly move to adorne and hide their nakednesse with their comely and ministeriall parts of speech And words would have but a cold lodging in the eares of the auditors if the Hand should not be the Harbinger of the Tongue to provide and prepare the eye for their better entertainment for as words paint out the image of the minde So these suffragans of speech by a lively sense afford that shadow which is the excellencie of the vocall pourtraicture Since as these gestures of the Hand alone and by themselves doe speak and shew the mentall springs from whence they naturally arise so invited by Art to the aid of Eloquence they become the Accessories and faire spoken Adjuncts of speech Hence the first Artificers of Manuall Rhetoricke hit on the right veine of Oratorie when conducted by a learned curiosity of wit they tooke in hand that polite device and elegant design of reducing the usuall gestures of Nature into strict rules of Art preparing the undigested motions of Nature and making them more formall and fit for the intention of Rhetoricke whose life and force they made much to consist in the just demeanour of the Hand whose motions appeare as emphaticall to the eye as speech doth to the eare two ports of sense through which all passions finde an entrance to ceaze upon the minde And hence such Orators have ever won the prise and have had their Hands crowned with the Olympique palme of Eloquence who have excelled in the subtill notions of this Art who conceiving Rhetoricke to consist most in a decent motion of the body bestowed well neare as much paines to adapt their gestures to Rhetoricall significations as in the elegant disposing of their choice flowers the Hands so surpassing in dignity all the other corporall adjutants of mans wit that there can bee no eloquence without them And they perceiving that action 〈◊〉 most sway with the people who most commonly are led by sense which is moved by some adequate object that without the true knowledge of this secret of Art none could be accounted in the number of good Oratours that a mean Oratour instructed in this knacke of action did oft excell the most eminent they bent their whole endeavours for the attaining this quality Demosthenes who deserves the sirname of Chirocrates for his active judgement in these Rhetoricall endeavours he was wont to compose the action and gesture of his body by a great looking-glasse and for further acquaintance with this faculty he entertainned Andronicus the Stage-player by whom being instructed in this Art after he had reformed the defect that was before in his Orations for want of Action he grew very famous for Eloquence insomuch that Aeschines the Oratour who in a discontent left Athens and came to keep a Schoole at Rhodes and begun to teach the Art of Rhetorique when he otherwhiles read unto the Rhedians and that with action and gesture the Oration he had pronounced against Ctesiphon when all the hearers marveiled thereat and namely how possibly he could be cast if he acted such an Oration You would never wonder at the matter quoth he my Masters of Rhodes if you had been in place and heard Demosthenes and seen the vigorous sharpnesse of his eyes the terrible weight of his countenance a sweet voyce accommodated to every word and the efficacious motions of his Hand and body This Art was generally practised by all the eminent Oratours of Athens unlesse perchance in that sad and solemne Session of the Areopagites where when they were to speak without affection in an obscure and darke place there was no cause why they should use the motioÌ„s of the hand Among the Romane Oratours Cicero to this intent made use of Roscius the Comoedian and Aesope the Tragaedian in his time the Masters of this kind of learning who was wont to call Roscius for his great skill in these subtleties of the Hand Delicias suas his Darling and upon a time in a most eloquent Oration he rebuked the people of Rome because while Roscius was acting they made a noyse What an apt Scholler he proved and what his opinion was of this Art appeares by his book de Oratore wherein he so highly extolls Action the practice whereof help'd to intitle him to the principality of Eloquence Plutarch relating the force of Cicero's eloquence by reason of the sweet grace of his pronunciation reports him in his Oration pro
Tullie when he had unfolded all the ornaments of a costly and copious eloquence he casts up all in the summary of these grave words Sed haec omnia perinde sunt ut aguÌ„tur implying that without a pleasing and opportune Action all the other aydes of Speech would become vaine and unprofitable Talaeus is in the right where he saith that many Infants by the dignity of Action have often reap'd the fruit of Eloquence while many eloquent men through the deformity of gesture have been accounted very babies in Expression For whereas Nature assignes to each motion of the Minde its proper gesture countenance and tone whereby it is significantly exprest this grace of Gesture is conceived to be the most elegant and expressive virtue of the three install'd by Plato among the Civill virtues as the speech and native eloquence of the Body for that those Elegant conceptions that inrich the pregnant Mind incite the minde by some stratagem of wit to finde out apt and fit expressions and while she labours to be free in powring out her hidden treasures she imprints upon the body the active hints of her most generous conceits darting her rayes into the body as light hath its emanation from the Sun which eloquent impressions a kinde of speech most consonant to the minde are in the moving of the Hand so neatly wrought and emphatically produced that the Hand many times seemes to have conceived the thought He therefore that would purchase the repute of an accomplish'd Rhetorician must pursue the knowledge of this Art which consists in understanding the lawfull garbe and ordered motions of the Hand the most puissant Agent of the soule and which hath by some been called Mens corporis or the Minde of the Body the voyce of Philosophie admonishing in Epictetus no lesse to be minded by a Rhetorician then a Philosopher Ne digitum quidem temerè extendere Some notions of this Manuall Rhetorique are derived from the Heroique ages of the world and were approved and allowed of by Soâ—â—ates Yet in the dayes of Aristotle were not delivered by any as digested into any forme of Art which had been a Subject worthy of his pen but in Chirologicis dormivit Aristoteles The Art was first formed by Rhetoricians afterwards amplified by Poets and cunning Motists skilfull in the pourtraicture of mute poesie but most strangely inlarged by Actors the ingenious counterseiters of mens manners The first Romane Oratour that collected these Rhetoricall motions of the Hand into an Art translating so much from the Theater to the Forum as stood with the gravity of an Oratour was surely Quintilian unto whose curious observation in the Hand I referre those who out of curiositie desire to be more punctually informed in these most subtle and abstruce notions of the Hand which they may also finde recited in Vosoius his Rhetorique a mysterie in great request with the ancient Sophisters and Rhetoricians and properly handled by them although some not well advised would have them considered in the Aethiques for there is distinction to be made between that which Moralists call Actionem moratam or civitem and Oratoriam which the Greekes call Hypocrisâ—n and Quintil. Chiromomiam which are accoÌ„modated to move the affections of the Auditors And indeed the gestuâ—â—s of Rhetoricall utterance doe presuppose the Aethique precepts and the lawes of civill conversation The Ancients especially the Grecians were men ever very inventive of such subtleties had a Palestra or place of exercise for this purpose Talaeus preferres these Canonicall gestures before the artifice of the Voyce although his Commentator will allow the preheminence of this Art only among Nations of divers tongues and not where the assembly is of one lip Keckerman gives the voyce the dignity of precedence for our times but he is no better than a precision in Rhetorique of whose conceit let the learned judge since he confesseth the Jesuites known to be the greatest proficients in Rhetorique of our times instruct their disciples after this manner And how wonderfully they have improved and polished this kind of ancient Learning appeares sufficiently by the Labours of three eminent in this facultie Cresollius de gestu Oratoris Voellus de arte dicendi and Causinus de Eloquentia Alstedius could wish we had some booke of the Pronunciation of the Ancients that we might take out of it such gestures as did square with our times such a Booke as Laertius praises And Schonerus wishes for Types and Chirograms whereby this Art might be better illustrated then by words Which defect in this Art I have here attempted to supply and as I hope with reasonable successe If I have miscarried in any it is the more pardonable since in all my search after these subtleties of the Hand I never met with any Rhetorician or other that had picturd out one of these Rhetoricall expressions of the Hands and fingers or met with any Philologer that could exactly satisfie me in the ancient Rhetoricall postures of Quintilian Franciscus Junius in his late Translation of his Pictura veterum having given the best proofe of his skill in such Antiquities by a verball explanation thereof That which inabled me to advance so farre in this Art is the insight I have purchased in the ground-work or foundation of all Rhetoricall pronunciation to wit the Naturall Expressions of the Hand THE CANONS OF RHETORICIANS TOUCHING The Artificiall managing of the HAND in Speaking With an Historicall Manifesto exemplifying the Rhetoricall Actions thereof Canon I. THe Hand lightly opened timorously displayed before the breast and let fall by short turnes under the heaving shoulders is an humble and neat action becomming those who daunted and dismaid begin to speak as if their tongue were afraid to encounter with the publicke eare and such who shunning a profuse excesse of words would sparingly expresse their Mindes or asswage and mitigate the censorious expectation of their Auditours by an ingenious insinuation of a diminutive Action Quintilian thinks that Demosthenes in that lowly and fearfull Oration for Ctesiphon began with his Hand composed after this manner And that Ciero's Hand was formed to this composition of gesture in the beginning of his Oration for Archias the Poet when he said Si quid est in me â—â—genii judices quod sâ—ntio quam sit exiguum Canon II. THe stretching forth of the Hand is the forme of pleading and hath a secret helpe and preparative to ready speaking and commendeth an Apology or any set speech to the Auditours In the memorialls of Antiquity in the writings of the old Annales the lineaments of Pictures and ancient Statues we shall finde this postute of preparation in the Hands of famous Oratours Aristides reports that Prince of Oratours Mâ—ltiades to have been so painted in Grece to the eternall monument of his memory stretching out his Right Hand only as he was wont most honourably to speake unto his people Phillip that eloquent man
lifting up of the Hand Verily Cornutus upon Perseus grants as much Magna saith he profutura hominibus locuturi tacere jubent moventes manum See the Naturall gestures Gest. XVI for examples of Oratours using this Action Canon XX. THE Hand propellent to the left-ward the left shoulder brought forward the Head inclined to the Southward of the Body is an action accommodated to aversation execration and negation Canon XXI TO shake the Hand with bended browes doth abhorre deny dislike refuse and disallow Canon XXII The hand resilient or leapeing back to the Northward of the Body whence it did descend makes an action fit to abominate and to accompany words of refusall or dislike and may serve also in point of admiration Canon XXIII THe Hand with a gentle percussion now greater now lesse now flat now sharpe according to the diversitie of the affections is fitted to distinguish the Comma's breathing parts of a sentence Canon XXIV BY his Hand referr'd unto him an Oratour may shew himselfe when he speakes any thing concerning himselfe Caesar used this patheticall demonstration of himselfe when one accused Brutus unto him and bad him beware of him What said he againe clapping his Hand on his breast Thinke ye that Brutus will not tarry till this Body dies Canon XXV The Hand bent into a fist and the Pulpit or Barre strooke therewith is an action of Rhetoricall heate and very artificially accompanies Anger and a more vehement contention Canon XXVI The palm strook upon a book held usually in the left hand of an Orator doth serve to excite and rowze up the Auditours This action is commonly used by our Moderne Oratours and hath succeeded in the place of smiting upon the thigh which cannot well be performed in our deep and little pulpits Canon XXVII TO clap the hand suddenly upon the breast is an actiof increpation proper in their hands who would arrest their speech and non-suit it by silence and by a carefull stop restraine their tongue and call back as it were their reprehended words put in a Rhetoricall Demur or crosse bill against their owne Declaration To this Action that of Homer appertaines Pectore autem percusso animum increpuit sermone Canon XXVIII THe Hand brought unto the stomack in a remisse garb spread thereon doth conscienciously assevere becomes them who affirme any thing of themselves Canon XXIX THE Breast stricken with the Hand is an action of Griefe sorrow repentance and indignation This is a very patheticall motion in Nature Rhetorical in Art and action in use with the ancient Oratours and with a profitable signification practised by the Jesuits who are wont not only with a light approach to touch the Breast but sometimes also to beat upon it with the Hand which they doe for the most part to testifie anguish of minde repentance and matters of Mortification which they acte and personate with such substantiall abundance of speech with such motion of the body and such imminent gesture that while they beat their Breasts they raise oftentimes great motions in the minds of their Auditors and religious teares are drawne from the eyes of many Which Rhetoricall action of the Hand is not alwaies to an inch framed by the precepts of Rhetoricians nor by line and levell fitted to the rule of Art nor weighed as 't were in the Goldsmiths ballance for they who assume this gesture strike their breast with an audible stroake when they judge it fit for their purpose although some who are more studious of eloquence doe not heartily admit of this loud contact of the Hand who with a peaceable meeknesse bringing the quiet Hand unto the breast by the forcible atchievements of that pronunciation procure a dreadfull influence to fall upon their Auditory But in a Senate of the Learned and a solemne Assembly of venerable personages a vehement percussion of the breast is not convenient but is to be remitted to the Theater lest as my Author saith some Stripling in Eloquence should tacitely throw at them that out of the Comoedie Hic pectus digitis pultat cor credo evocaturus foras Canon XXX THE Forehead stricken with the Hand is an action of dolour shame and admiration Quintilian grants this to have been used by some turbulent Oratours in their pleadings even in his time and very availeable with them who by a popular ostentation of Eloquence hunted after the applause of the people His words are these Jam collidere manus terrae pedem incutere femur pectus frontem caedere mire ad pullatuÌ„ circuluÌ„ faciunt Yet Oratours of very good esteeme by their practice commended the use and signification of this gesture but in Epilogue onely and a certaine fiery amplification when for the moving of passion these tragicall expressions of the Hand are held comely and convenient A gesture with the Greekes and Latines of equall use and signification as farre as our understanding can light us to the knowledge of those Rhetoricall ornaments of Expression in fashion with the Ancients And it was wont to attend upon three causes to Dolour Shame and Admiration In great griefe they thought it of old a very expressive demeanour of the Hand Cicero commendeth it in Brutus Dionysius Halicarnassensis acknowledgeth the use of this gesture Percutientes frontes aspectus tristes prae se ferentes Cicero insinuates as much to his friend Puto te ingemuisse ut frontem ferias Livie calls this affection of the Hand Capitis offensationem Flere omnes offensare capita With Q. Curtius it is Os converberare Is tum flere caepit os converberare moestus non ob suam vicem c. In Apuleius the gesture stands thus Dextra saeviâ—nte frontem replaudere The Greeks say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence Heliodorus of his old man Cum feriisset frontem collâ—crumasset And Libanius of the Persian King Caput identidem percutiens deplorat And we read it to have been the forme of lamentation used by the Spartans at their funeralls But of this dolorons adjunct of discontent and angry symptome of grieved nature Tullie in a kinde of medley of naturall invasions and Rhetoricall impressions of the Hand upon the assailed Body makes this rehearsall Mulâ—â—bres lacâ—rationes gâ—narum Pectoris feminum capitis percussio That this gesture was used in signification of shame S. Chrysostome declares who when he had upon a time with an incredible force of utterance rehearsed divers impious and ridiculous superstitions observed by some of the people he made the whole multitude of his auditors ashamed Of whose shame he puts down three visible arguments in words sounding to this effect Vultum operuistis Frontem percussistis ad terram inclinastis This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another place hee expresseth in his owne language thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was
significant in wonder and admiration appeares by Nonnus a great Poet who attributes this gesture to admiration in his paraphrase of the sacred Historie of S. John where of Nathanael wondring at the doctrine of our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prae admiratione Frontem divina manu feriens Hannibal used this adjunct of expression as a stratagem at the battaile of Caâ—nes who when Giscon a man of like state and nobilitie with himselfâ— told him that the enemies seemed afar off to be a great number Hannibal rubbing his forehead answered him Yea said he but there is another thing more to be wondred at then you thinke of Giscon Giscon straight asked What Mary saith he this That of all the great number of Souldiers you see yonder there is not a man of them called Giscon as you are This merry answer delivered contrary to their expectation that were with him looking for some great weighty matter sutable to his gesture made them all laugh a good This gesture although it was with these senses admitted the hands of the Ancients yet it appeares to Cresollius in the possibilitie of a doubt whether or no it can now with any advantage be done it being little used by Advocates and the more judicious sort of men that speake in publique unlesse perchance by such who are of a more hot complexion and are apt to boyle over with a sudden motion whose choler in the seething bubbles into action for men of this temper soone moved as having a naturall inclination to anger in the vehement fervencie of passion hastily and swiftly with the Hand touch the forehead or cap which action because there manifestly appeares in it the virtuall effect and commotion of Nature it commonly escapes the lash of reprehension But faintly and childishly apply'd and savâ—ring more of Schoolartifice then the intentionall operation of Nature it is condemned as feigned and adulterate for which reason my Author concurres in opinion with Quintilian and adjudgeth it worthy of banishment from the Hand of an Oratour and to bee consined to the Theater and the ridiculous Hands of Mimicks Unlesse it seeme good to any to reserve it as a relique of Divine Courtship which they report the Poloâ—ians to doe who in their Churches at their holy mysteries are wont to beat their fore-heads with the Hand Canon XXXI THe Thigh smitten with the Hand was the gesture of one pleading more vehemently of one grieved and fuming with indignation of one taking notice of an others errour or confessing himselfe deceived Tullie believed that action of an Oratour feighned who in some grievous matter deserving the sharpest hate and heaviest indignation did not use this expression for he calls Callidius a cold and dull Oratour and argues his guilt from hence that in his Oration Neque frons percussa foret nec femur The first Oratour that used this gesture by the testimony of the old Annales was Cleon who when he pleaded in Athens that famous mansion of the Muses transported with a certaine vehemencie and provocation of spirit and moved with indignation smote his thigh which when he had vented with other such like signes of a fierce and turbulent disposition many wise men thought him to have thrust all decorum and â—â—â—â—ible moderation out of the Pulpit This many afterwards did imitate at the first thought ill of for the novelty but in the use of common life very frequent This gesture prudently and with good advice exhibited hath a cunning force to amplifie and enlarge a thing and to shake and astonish the minds of the Auditours Scopelianus a man of greatest account for eloquence as Philostratus hath delivered it to posterity that he might rowze up himselfe and his Auditours now and then used this patheticall demeanour of the Hand This as it was oftentimes necessary in the Forum so very fecible in those large pewes where those that were retained in causes did plead but in our times and the manner of pleading which we now use it is neither so frequent neither can it so commodiously be done But another thing hath succeeded in the room thereof which the writings of the Ancients are silent in for the Advocates eagerly beat the Bar with their Hands and sometimes so madly and importunately that the standers by heartily wish their Hands qualified with some Chiragracall prohibition This blemish and infirmity of the Hand hath crept also into holy places and there are many Preachers found who with an inconsiderate rashnesse shake the innocent Pulpit while they wax warme and conceive a vehement action to excell This action as it is least unseemly when the wicked deceits and notorious dishonesties of men are called in question so used without judgement it argues a turbulent and furious motion of a vaine minde and dulls the Auditours Canon XXXII THe left hand thrust forth with the Palme turned backward the left shoulder raised so that it may aptly consent with the head bearing to the Right Hand agrees with their intention who refuse abhor detest or abominate some execrable thing against which their mindes are bent as a distastefull object which they would seem to chase away and repell With this Action these and things of the like nature are to be pronounced Haud equidem tali me dignor honore Dii talem terris avertite postem Canon XXXIII THe left hand explained into a Palme obtaines a forme of perspicuity These two last Canons are exceptions against the generall maxime of Quintil. Manus sinistra nunquam sola gestum facit Canon XXXIV BOth the turned out Palmes bent to the left side is a more passionate forme of detestation as being a redoubled action Canon XXXV BOth Hands objected with the Palmes adverse is a fore-right adjunct of pronunciation fit to helpe the utterance of words comming out in detestation despite and exprobration Canon XXXVI BOth Hands extended forth the Palmes driving out to both sides doubles the Action to all the same intents and purposes of aversenesse Canon XXXVII BOth Hands clasped and wrung together is an Action convenient to manifest griefe and sorrow Canon XXXVIII BOth Hands dejected make supplication more Canonicall Canon XXXIX BOth Hands a little or farre dis-joyned shew the manner and abundance Canon XL. BOth Hands extended out forward together is an Action commodious for them who submit invoke doubt speak to accuse or call by name implore or attest With this Action are such as these to be set off to the best of utterance Vos Albani Tumuli atque Luci vos inquam imploro atque obtestor And that addubitation of Gracchus Quo me miser conferam quo vertam in Capitoliumne at fratriâ— sanguine redundat an domum c. The same emphasis of action is required to that of Cicero Tu ex edito monte latialis Jupiter cujus ille lucos nemora sinesque saepe omni neâ—ario stupro scelere macularat Canon XLI BOth Hands lightly smitten together is
people the people presently hide their eyes with their Hands it being unlawfull for any to behold the Hands of the Priest as it is written Behold he stands behind the wall he looketh forth at the window shewing himselfe through the Lattice That is God stands behinde the Priest and looketh through the windowes and lattices that is through the spread Hands and dispersed Fingers of the Priest which the Hebrewes cast the windowes and lattices of the Hand The Rubriques of the Romish Rites which seeme a little to squint this way prescribe three formes of Benediction for the Hands of the Priest The holding up of the Hands before the breast The crossing of the Thumbes and the turning the little finger towards the people All which have their severall seasons and significations in their Liturgie Our blessed Saviour was a manifest observer of the Naturall forme of Benediction and hath sanctified the Gesture to a more divine importance After Christâ— ascension the Apostles communicating the vertue of his last Benediction to oâ—hers in thâ— conveyances thereof used the same expressions by gesture and were famous for the effectuall force of their prospering Hands their exemplary action was copied out by then successors the illustrious Fathers of the Primitive Church whose Hands preserved Blessing as their lips Knowledge Christians in those â—ges being devoutly ambitious of such benefits thought themselves happy when they could receive this spirituall favour at their Hands There is a story in Gregorie Nyssen of a Deacon of the Bishop of Nâ—ocaesaria who in respect of the wonderful strange things which he wrought by his inspired Hands was sirnamed Thaumaturgus Which Deacon being to goe a long and adventurous journey requested a Blessing at the Hands of his Dioceâ—an who liâ—ting up his Hands most willingly bestowed this Manuall viaticum upon him This comfortable elevation of the Hand in Benediction hath a force at this day in the Hands of our Reverend Divines And verily there is no Blessing formally confer'd or authentically administred unlesse the Hands denote their suffrages by their visible attendance and appeare in a due conformitie to the words ditected unto the eare And I never saw any Grave or Orthodox Divine from the Pulpit dismissing the People with a Blessing without this adjunct and formall concurrence of the Hands An Index to the following Rhetoricall Alphabet of MANUALL Significations A Figures out the XIX Canon B FIgures out the I Can. C FIgures out the II Can. digit D FIgures out the III Can. digit E FIgures out the II Can. F FIgures out the X Can. G FIgures out the IX Can. H FIgures out the VIII Can. I FIgures out the XXVI Can. digit K FIgures out the XI Can. L FIgures out the XXIV Can. M FIgures out the XXXII Can. N FIgures out the XXXIII Can. O FIgures out the VII Can. P FIgures out the XLVII Can. Q FIgures out the VIII Can. Digit R FIgures out the XLIV Can. S FIgures out the XLV Can. T FIgures out the XLVIII Can. V FIgures out the XXXIV Can. W FIgures out the XXXV Can. X FIgures out the XL Canon Y FIgures out the XXXVII Can. Z FIgures out the XLIX Can. The use of this following Table besides the exhibition of the Manuall Figures of Rhetorick may be for an Alphabet of Privie cyphers for any kinde of Secret intimation To make up the Alphabet C. D. I. Q. are taken in out of those supernumerary Gestures following under the Title of Indigitatio A Pacificat B Auditores mitigabit C Meotericis orditur D ad monstranduÌ„ valet E Modus agendi F Admiratur G Hortatur H Rationes profert I Flocci facit K Deprecatur L Sic ostendebit seipsum M Negabit N ê‘spicuitatem illustrat O Exclamationem aptat P Antithes in exornat Q Argumenta digorit R Benovolentiam ostendit S ComÌ„iserationem denotut T ImÌ„ensitatem aperit V Valdè aversatur W Execratione repellit X Addubitabit Y Dolebit Z Benedictione dimittit INDIGITATIO Or The CANONS of the Fingers Canon I. THe two inferior Fingers shut in and the other three presented in an eminent posture in the extended Hand is a speaking Action significant to demand silence and procure audience The ancient Oratours when they prepar'd to speake to the incomposed multitude used this action Of which gesture of the Fingers Apuleius hath left a certificate where Telephron porrigit dextram instar oratorum conformat articulum duobusque infimis conclusis digitis caeteros eminentes porrigit infesto pollice clementer subrigens iâ—sit Fulgentius expounds this common fashion of the Hand after this manner Itaque compositus in dicendi modum erectisque in iotam duobus digitis tertium pollice comprimens ita verba exorsus est who differ not much but that one makes the Thumbe erect the other comprest Many have made mention of this matter Libanius where he describes Nestor painted in the middest of the Hero's Orationem apud ipsos habere videbatur idque significare conformatione digitorum but what that conformation of the Fingers was he doth not explaine But the most usuall garbe of the Hand in way of preparative to speech was this of Apuleius Which posture of the Hand preparing the Auditours attention is found in many Statues of the Ancients There is a Colossus at Rome which in times past stood in the Baines of Anthony the left hand whereof leaneth upon a club but the two first Fingers of the Right Hand extended out with the Thumbe such as of old time was the gesture of Oratours speaking as Grutterus notes which most authenticall copie of speech they seem to have followed whose Hand the golden History of the Crosse in Cheap was for there were to be seene two statues of mitred Prelates having their Hands figured in this manner as if they were speaking to the people And in old hangings in whose contexture most part of the Historicall discourse is represented and insinuated by gestures of the Hand And in all ancient painted tables where any counterfeit of speech is exhibited nothing so obvious and remarkable as this Rhetoricall posture of the Fingers And the inventions and painted Histories of our moderne Artists in their representations of speech had in publicke have a constant relation and respect unto this ancient forme of the Fingers And over the ancient images of the Prophets which pollished by the Hands of the Jesuits come over to us from the Mart there is usually a Hand extended out of Heaven impail'd about with rayes the Fingers retaining this gesture as it were the Index of God speaking to his Prophets as He was wont to doe of old when He stirred up their hearts and suggested His sacred Oracles unto them For since they could not by any fitting semblance or fancied pourtraiture of inventive wit describe God as He is in Himselfe lest impiety should have tainted their imagination and they should seeme to make the Prophet equall to his God
they would not by a grosse discription shadow out God speaking Face to face because the Face presents the Person Nudam Divinam Essentiam as Brixian cleerly as he is in Himselfe but Hee hath never been seen in that manner by dreame or vision of His Seers nor is it possible any mortall eye should endure the infinite lustre of so great a Majesty therefore to evade the prophanenesse of that presumptuous errour they only displaied a Hand from Heaven to that intent of signification as a more lawfull note and as it were a member more remote from the face and because the Hand is the Index and signe of inspiration and that Divine power and impulsive ravishment wherewith the Prophets were raised up to Prophesie For Prophesie if it be strong with the Hebrewes it is called the Hand as Ribera observes in which sense the Hand of God is taken in divers places of Scripture for the Prophets used to call that Spirit the Hand of God which fell upon them when He did inspire their disposed soules and heating them with the ravishing influence of a Prophetique fire by a terrible illustration filled them strangely full of His revealed will Cornelius a Lapide affirmeth himselfe to have seen the like description of the Prophets in the ancient Bibles of the Vatican Library and in his Comment upon the four greater Prophets he hath prefixed to their Prophesies their severall effiges after the same manner which as it is probable were copied out of the Vatican Bibles Canon II. THe Thumbe erect the other Fingers gently bent in is a convenient composition of the Hand for an exordium and to lead to the forming of the other actions of the Hand oft used by our modern Chironomers Canon III. IF any thing be to be shewed the Thumb must be bent in the other foure Fingers remisse Canon IV. THe Index joyned to the Thumbe the other Fingers remisse is another forme of the Hand fit for an exordium Canon V. THe middle Finger applied unto the Thumbe the other three let loose is a fashion of the Hand most of all commodious for a Proem This Action must be performed with a gentle motion to both sides the Hand a little put forth the Head together with the shoulders with a shrinking modesty regarding that part to which the Hand is carried In Narration the same gesture but a little more produced and certaine in Exprobration and arguing sharpe and instant for in these parts of an Oration it is put forth longer and appeares in a larger extent Which should bee the best Rhetoricall figure of the Hand to frame it to expresse by Art what it cannot so well insinuate by Nature neither by the use and practice of experienced and eloquent men that now are nor by any advertisement of the Ancients can be certainly collected since they differ much about the matter some pronounce with the unfolded Hand these holding it downwards others contract it and make thereof a Fist some frame their action by the fourth Canon some by the fifth Canon Which Quintilian commends above all other formes allowed to be of any moment to set a glosse or vernish upon discourse So many Oratours so many varying and different formes of speaking But Cresollius whose judgement is Oracular in such matters conceives that posture best observed by an Oratour that when hee pronounceth with the open Hand held abroad and set at liberty he would not hold it wholly down nor altogether upwards but in a certaine meane which as it is according to the opinion of Physitians most naturall as he notes it out of the two grand Patriarchs of Physicke so it seemes to him most easie and agreeable to modesty although this ought to be in common use yet upon occasion the Hand may fall into the other postures Canon VI. THe two middle Fingers brought under the thumb is an Action more instant and importunate and doth urge more then is convenient for an Exordium or Narration Canon VII THE top of the Fore-finger moved to joyne with the naile of the Thumbe that 's next unto it the other fingers in remitter is opportune for those who relate distinguish or approve 'T is also fit for them that mildly councell and becomes the phrases of pompous Elocution with which Rhetoricians polish and enrich their Orations 'T is seasonable also for Narrations and Panegyriques where a soft pellucid Oration flowes with the copious streames of Eloquence and it availes in any painted kinde of speech and agrees with an Epidixis Cresollius commends this composition of the Fingers as most comely of all others and consonant to ingenious dispositions if the arme be extended out fore-right which best agrees with a manly and couragious speech or the Arme a little bent and the Hand lifted up before a gesture much affected by elegant men Canon VIII THe two last Fingers drawn to the bottome of Cytherea's brawny hill or the pulpe of the Thumb the Thumb apprest unto the middle joynt of the two next if the Dexter Hand so form'd doe smite with a light percussion on the sinister Palme it doth conspicuously distribute digest the numbers arguments and members of an Oration Canon IX THe top of the Thumb joyn'd to the middle of the naile of the Right Index the other Fingers remisse is fit to distinguish contraries Canon X. THE left Thumb prest downe by the Index of the Right Hand doth urge and instantly enforce an argument Canon XI THE top or grape of the left Index gently apprehended puts the Hand into a Rhetorical shape for disputation Canon XII THE middle joynt of the left Index apprehended intends more earnestnes and sublimates the sense of words unto a point of greater vehemencie Canon Canon XIII THE upper joynt of the Index apprehended the two next Fingers a little bowed the eare-finger in the meane time scarce bent at all hath a Rhetoricall force in Disputations Canon XIV THE Mid-finger prest to the Palm and the others at their own behest makes the Hand competently apt for to upbraid Canon XV. THE two Middle-fingers bent inward and their Extremes presented in a fork doth object a scoffe and doth contumeliously reproach Canon XVI THE Vice-hand or Thumb extended out with the Eare-Finger the other Fingers drawn in doth denote amplitude Canon XVII THE Thumbe that presents it selfe upright out of a Right-hand bent into a Fist is a grave Masculine action fit to advance the sense of Magnanimitie Canon XVIII THE Thumbe turn'd out by a received custome is made an act of Demonstration Canon XIX THe three last Fingers contracted close to the Palme and compress'd by the Champion of the Hand and the Index display'd in full length upbraides is a point of indigitation most demonstrative The force in this indicatorie action Antonie noted Crassus to have skilfully used to his purpose in expressing his earnest griefe and the vehement affection of his minde Quae me hercule Crasse cùm
offending of those that are nigh are all Prevarications in Rhetorick noted and condemned by Quintilian Praevar Sect. 4. TO throw downe the Hand from the Head with the Fingers formed into a gripe or scratching posture or To use the action of one that Saws or Cuts or of one dancing the Pyrrhique lyard or To throw it upwards with the Palme turned up are actions prevaricant in Rhetorick and condemned by Quintilian Prevar Sect. 5. TO represent a Physitian feeling the pulse of the arteries which with them is manum mittere in carpum or To shew a Lutenist striking the chords of an instrument are kind of expressions to be avoided for an Oratour should bee farre from any light imitation of a Dancer and is not permitted to shew what hee speakes but his gesture must more expresse his sense then his words Praevar Sect. 6. TO denounce with a high Hand or To erect a Finger to its utmost possibility of extension is a blemish in the Hand of an Orator That habit which the peace-makers of old were painted carved in wherein the Head inclined to the Right Shoulder the Arme stretched out from the Eare the Hand extended out with the Thumb manifestly apparent which most pleaseth them who brag that they speak with a high Hand is reckoned by Quintilian among the moales of Rhetoricke an action not far from the usuall pendent posture of Changelings and Idiots Prevar Sect. 7. TO bring the Fingers ends to the Breast the Hand hollow when we speake To our selves or in cohortation objurgation or commiseration is an action that will seldome become the Hand of an Oratour or to strike the Breast with the Hand which is Scenicall Praevar Sect. 8. TO apply the Middle-Finger to the Thumbe is the common way of gracing an exordium yet to direct it as it were towards the left shoulder and so make it a collaterall action is nought but worse to bring forth the Arme transverse and to pronounce with the elbow Praevar Sect. 9. TO set the Arms a gambo or aprank and to rest the turned in backe of the Hand upon the side is an action of pride and ostentation unbeseeming the Hand of an Oratour Praevar Sect. 10. THe trembling Hand is scenicall and belongs more to the theater then the forum Praevar Sect. 11. THere are certaine hidden percussions of speech as it were a kind of feet at which the gesture of most of the ancient Oratours did fall which though they were usuall yet Quintilian condemns them for most deceitfull motions noting it also for a fault in young Declamers that while they write they first tune their sentences to gestures and forecast for the cadence of the Hand whence this inconvenience ensues that gesture which in the last should be Right doth frequently end in the sinister point It were better that whereas there are certaine short members of speech at which if there be need we may take breath to dispose or lay downe our gesture at those pauses Praevar Sect. 12. TO clap the Hands in giving praise and allowance is a Naturall expression of applause encouragement and rejoycing heard in common assemblies of people and in publique Theaters which was at first according to the simplicitie of those times plaine and naturall for Ovid speaking of the primitive and ancient Playes of the Romans saith Plausus tunc arte carebat But afterwards they had an artificiall manner of clapping their Hands to a certaine measure or proportionable tune Of which the Poet Carippus Ingeminantque cavos dulci modulamine plausus For the applause was done with the hollow of both Hands which being smitten together caused that sound which is called Popismus a word altogether feigned to the similitude of the sound The posture of this artificiall plaudite of the Hands and the sound also raised from their collision Philostratus most elegantly describes in the image of Comus the god of Ebrietie in these words Plausum etiam quendam imitatur pictura cujus maximè indiget Comus Nam Dextra contractis digitis subjectam sinistram ad cavum plectit ut Manus cymbalorum more percussae consonae siant The very figure of which gesture is to bee seen in the French translation of that Author How ambitious was Nero of this popular approbation when he entred upon the Theater to contend for the prize of Harpers and kneeling shew'd a reverence to the Assembly with his Hand and the Citie-people accustomed also to approve the gesture of the Player answered him with a certaine measure and artificiall applause Thou wouldst have thought saith Tacitus they had rejoyced and perhaps for the injurie of the publique discredit But those which from townes farre off and from remote provinces unacquainted with dissolute behaviour came either as Embassadours or for private busines could neither endure that sight nor applaud any way so dishonorable a labour but weary of their unskilfull clapping of Hands and troubling the skilfull were often beaten by the Souldiers placed in thick array lest any moment of time should be lost by an untuned and disproportionable crie or slothfull silence The like applause he expected and had from the Hands of his friends at home for Xiphilinus reports that Seneca and Burrhus though lame of his Hand when ever Nero spake they applauded him with their Hands and Vestments The ancient Sophisters were so greedy of this manner of applause in their Schooles and Auditories that they purchased it having for that purpose a Chorus of domesticall Parasites who were ready in the assemblies at every Gesture to give them this signe of approbation This Applause which Nazianzen calls Canoram Manuum actionem and S. Hierom Theatrale miraculum and condemned by Chrysostome among the trifling and unprofitable gesticulations of the Hand and Theatricall gestures crept into the Christian Churches and was given to the Divine Oratours of the Primitive times untill such time as it was exploded out of the Temples by their grave and sharpe reprehensions But although the ancient Oratours received this token of approbation from the hands of their auditors yet they never exhibited upon any occasion such Manuall plausibilitie to the people it being a Gesture too plebeian Theatrically light for the Hands of any prudent Rhetorician who can never decently advance his intentions by the naturall or artificiall plaudite of his Hands Prevar Sect. 13. TO discourse customarily with the Hands turn'd up of old said supinis Manibus disserere is an effeminate and ill habit in the Hand of an Oratour Dio Prusaeus among the Symbolls of Intemperance reprehends this habituall demeanour of the Hand for when hee would reckon up those things which signifie a corrupt and naughty custome which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sets downe among the rest Supinis Manibus disserere Now they are properly called Manus sâ—pinae that are so advanc'd that the Palmes respect the heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the
eyes shut their hands hanging down and joyned to their sides Daedalus a cunning and witty man was the first that formed the eyes and put forth the Hands so giving life and motion to all the parts with singular judgement teaching thereby the decencie thereof wherefore he is feigned to have made those statues and pourtraictures of men so excellently that they moved of themselves The inconvenience of this cold vacation in the Hand gave being to that Axiome in Rhetorique Est maxime vitiosum si actione manuumque motu careat for such my Author thinks a wrestling place were necessary but that of the Ancients wherein the apt and comely motions of the whole Body especially Chironomia the eloquent behaviour or Rule of managing the Hand was taught But since these helpes of eloquence now faile his advice is they would mark the gestures of famous and excellent men honestly and freely brought up and by a certaine diligent imitation garnish their owne Hands with those dumbe figures of Rhetorique Prevar Sect. 20. THey who have Hands slow and ponderous and who without any comelinesse beare and offer about their leaden Hands together with the arme after a rusticall manner so lifting it up sometimes that they seeme to move a great lumpe of trembling flesh reaching their slow Right hand out so timerously as if they gave provender to an Elephant Such are by this customary habit discovered to be Clownes and men of a most unfaithfull memorie Such men we shall sometimes see so faint and idle in their discourse that they stick in the briers and demurre in a grosse gesture of pronunciation and stricken as it were with astonishment they seeme nailed to that ill behaviour This in old time was called Agere suspensa manu For that Clownes and men not so well exercised in speaking or such whose unfaithfull memories faile them while they are altogether ignorant of the matter and are not certaine whither they shall be caried or where they shall at length rest they hang the Hand and hold it as it were in suspense Therefore Plinie the younger elegantly usurps Suspensa manu commendare for a faint and cold commendation destitute of that ardent affection which is wont to appeare in those who are moved in matters of great moment Praevar Sect. 21. THe subtle gesticulation and toying behaviour of the Hands and Fingers was called by the Ancients Gestuosa Manus arguta Manus and argutiae Digitorum and are certaine quick and over-fine delicate motions of the Fingers such as our Juglers use who performe tricks by slight of Hand and by a colourable craft mock the eye Hence Manus arguta are spoken of theeves whose Hands doe quickly leap up and issue forth instantly vanishing out of sight a non they shew themselves and are called to every part Sidonius Apollinaris very skilfully Scrinia tuaconniventibus nobis ac subernantibus effractorum Manus arguta populabitur This pratling and busie talking of the Hand and chattering vanitie of the Fingers by the common verdict of all discreet and knowing men hath been ever condemned for a ridiculous weaknesse in those that use it much against which the most judicious Rhetoricians have entred their caveats See that grave precept of the Prince of Eloquence Nulla sit mollicia cervicum nullae argutiae digitorum non ad numerum articulus cadens That rich Oratour whose wealth begot a Proverb very wisely also to this purpose Digitus subsequens vexba non exprimens This genuine blemish and epidemicall disease takes hold of the Hands of light and unskilfull persons and young men who are usually too hot at Hand in their expressions yet it hath been the noted and deforming propertie of some learned men who by reason of the lively force of their wit and vigorous alacritie of their spirits doe manifest and signifie their mindes with a tumultuous agitation of the whole body whose Hands are never out of action but alwayes stirring and kept in play their words plentifully issuing out on all Hands Q. Hortensius otherwise a man excellent was taxed with this genuine or contracted affectation of the Hand concerning whom let us heare the report of Agellius Cum manus ejus forent argutae admodum gestuosae maledictis appellationibusque probrosis jactatus est c. In which he saith true for he was upbraided by the Orators of those times for the gesticulation of his Hands and called Stage-player and Torquatus his enemie nick-nam'd him Gesticulariam Dionysiam as if he had been but the zanie and ape of Dionysia a tumbling girle and shee-Mimique of those times Tullie relates the same man to have used such subtle and swift motions of his Hands that he dazled the eyes of the beholders Such a one was Titius who as the same Author reports was so effeminate and dissolutely active in his gestures that the Pantomimi of those times made a dance of him and called it by his name Titius his Coranto Tyrtamus that sweet-mouth'd Sophister whom Aristotle for his divinitie of Elocution pointing out with his finger as it were the man call'd him Theophrastum yet Athenaeus reports him Nullum gestum corporis motionem praetermisisse and so by consequence guilty of an impertinent vexation of the Hands and Fingers Praevar Sect. 22. TO play fumble with the Fingers in speech is a simple and foolish habit of the Hand condemned by the ancient Rhetoricians as an argument of a childish and ill-temper'd minde This with the Ancients was Vibrare digitis There are saith Quintilian Qui sententias vibratis digitis jaculantur and the Hebrew Proverbe saith Stultus digito lâ—quitur The Foole speaketh with his Finger Wherefore it was the saying of Chilo the Lacedemonian Inter loquendum manus movere non debere which he spake not of Rhetoricall motions since in Sparta there was scarce any man esteemed the copious elegancie of speech worth his study but his intention was either closely to carpe at this foolish toying with the Fingers or else to admonish his Citizens to be sparing in speech and to affect Laconicall brevity and where one or two words would serve the turne to expresse their minde there would be no great need of gesturing with the Hand To this may be referred that which Suetonius reports of Tiberius Nero Caesar whose speech was exceeding slow not without a certaine wanton gesticulation and fumbling with his Fingers which with other signs were reckoned and observed in him by Augustus as properties odious and full of arrogancie Praevar Sect. 23. TO use the Middle-Finger instead of the Index in points of demonstration is much to be condemned in the Hand of any man much more of an Oratour The ancient Grecians noted and reproved such for witlesse dotards Hence Diogenes the Cynique said Multos insanire praeter digitum covertly inferring that they are not only mad who erre in putting forth of their Finger Which gives a notable lustre
Manus lassa and Máno â—ánca id est Manus desiciens S. Hierom so attributes vertue and honesty to the Right Hand that â—e will not acknowledge a just man to have so much as a left hand and the Hebrewes and Greeks ascribe the left hand to vice Who saith Cresollius is so great a forrainer and stranger in the nature of man that he knowes not the Right Hand to be naturally more vigorous and able then the left If there be any such I could produce a cloud of witnesses for his information and the chiefe Authours and Ring-leaders of Antiquity trooping together under this banner the splendour of whose Armes and Martiall lookes shall put all ignorance to flight Aristotle in his Problems filled with incredible variety of learning saith Dextrae partes corporis nostri longe sunt nobiliores sinistris multò amplius solent efficere They who followed him in the chorus of the Learned taking their hint from this their renowned principall adhere to the same opinion for Plutarch totidem verbis sinistra est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to omit what Apuleius Censorius Plinie Solinus and others deliver who have given their manuall suffrage and assent unto this point Philo Judaeus enquiring the reason why the Divine Law in the rite of sacrifices gave to the Priests the part of the oblation which they call the Right shoulder sayes there is a symbolicall signification in that mystery That the Priest ought to be diligent and swift in action and exceeding strong in all things We know that commonly in combats the left hand is it were affixed to the body manageth the shield and staying as it were at home quiet the Right Hand shewes it selfe forth and is occupied in doing and giving the charge In which we may see a certaine shadow of Rhetoricall motion for in speaking motion and action is proper to the Right Hand onely the left remaines quiet and is scarce openly brought forth Tullie not very obscurely adviseth thus who disputing of Action makes mention only of one Hand which he somewhere calls the Right Hand no where the left Si erit sermo cum dignitate laevi Dextrae motu loqui opportebit But the most cleare Interpretour of all the Ancients Quintilian hath brought this Oracle of Rhetoricians from behinde the curtaine Manus sinistra nunquam sola gestum facit and how should it make of it self a compleat action since the action thereof is more contracted infirme incomposed and out of order whereas the actions of the Right are free frequent continued composed and resembling the sweet cadencies of numbers therefore hath the prerogative of eloquence in the body as being nearest the principle of motion and most apt to move and signifie And because the left hand of it selfe is of very small dignity in pronunciation common humanity doth teach us that as a Virgin shut up in her chamber it should be modestly concealed the Right Hand on the contrary as a most goodly Scepter of Reason with its force and weight doth much among men But although this praevarication of acting with the Left hand in chiefe be an errour so grosse that we cannot away with it even in picture where an imitation of speech is exprest Yet there might be a Quaere rais'd what toleration might be granted to such who are Left-handed or Ambodexters by nature or custome And I could furnish a Prevaricator in Chirosophie with some notions to advance with toward an excuse or Apologie in the behalfe of those who are Scaevaes and Scaevolaes in this point of Rhetorique For many of the ancient Sages who gave themselves to the speculation of Nature are of opinion that both Hands are by nature equally qualified The great Oracle of Physique saith Utramque in homine Manum esse consimilem And Plato where he speakes of the Hands with that wit wherewith he comprehended things divine and humane affirmes Parem Dextra atque Sinistra vim à Natura fuisse concessam And that it hapned by Custome that one Hand is better and the other more infirme yet Custome is another Nature But Goropius hath a saying to Plato for this Meletius point-blanke from an exemplar argument proves Dextram Laeva potiorem neutiquam esse Plato the Prior of all ancient Philosophers where he sets forth the education of honourable Childhood he would have them all in warre and handling their weapons to be like those Sonnes of Thunder in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no lesse then the Scythians in battaile equally to use both Hands since it seemes easie to be done The lawes of which most acute Philosopher when the Interpreter of Nature briefly sets downe in illustrating his learned Tractate of Politie he remembers this to be one Gives omnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse oportere Since there is little reason why one Hand should be idle and quiet And Commodus the Emperor preferr'd the Left hand for any action and was wont to boast much that he was Left-handed We read also that Ehud and Tiberius were of this complexion But although some are found more nimble and active in their left hands and some Ambodexters which Bartholinus imputes to a paire of veines whereas the puissance of the Right Hand proceeds from a veine sine pari on that side onely yet the utmost dispensation can be granted is a connivence in common actions for in matter of speech or ornamentall gesture there can be no toleration granted to an Oratour to play the Ghibeonite and to sling words at his Auditors out of the Auke of utterance though he can doe it at a haires breadth For the truth is the Left Hand wants that agilitie excellence force and grace in point of action being made contrary and unhappy by its scituation whereupon 't is called Sinistra in latine quia sine astris bonis And the lack of grace in doing of a thing is called Sinisterit as and sinistrè the adverb sounds unhappily The best way therefore that it can be imployed is in attendance on the Right which by the course of Nature hath the prioritie as the more proper and propense and apter to make good its actions by a more handsome diligence as being planted neerer the fountain of the blood And verily the Left Hand seemes to be born to an obsequious compliance with the Right And therefore when Quintilian calls for this accoÌ„modation he seems to have had respect unto the Interpretour of Nature whose well-grounded Axiome it is Ita comparata esse à Natura ut Laeva Dextris obsecundent And the Philosopher addes his reason in another place quòd omnia Sinistra Dextris humidiora sunt facilius obsequi atque ad nutum alterius fingi moveri which the Hebrew Divines as Cresollius sayes seeme to have had respect unto in their exposition of Deuteronomie about the ceremonie of washing Hands where they say thus Denique opus est ut
in ablutione manuum Sinistra tanquam famula subserviat Dextrae Hence some Critiques would have the Left hand called by the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi quòd egregia optimaque non sit sed ad Dextrae obsequium ministeriumque procreata And the ancient Lingones called improsperous things Eperistera but good and fortunate things Dexia By the Greekes indeed sometimes by way of Antiphrasis the Left Hand is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. optimus But in all humane affaires Sinistrum signifieth as much as unluckie FOr an Ecclesiasticall Orator to blesse or dismisse his auditors with the Left hand is a Sole cisme in Manuall Divinitie For the Left hand in this businesse hath onely usurped the office in the second place as being of a lower nature then the Right neither is it of that fortune or reputation whence in all Naturall devices and matter of forme or token of the Hand or any utterance implying the freedome of election the introducing of the Left hand doth abate and denotes a subordinate propertie 'T is the Right Hand according to Isidor that hath its name à dando by which we understand a joyfull abundance of all good the extension of that Hand therefore hath been ever of more repute in conferring Benediction And Justin Martyr sayes it was an institution of the prime Apostles that the Right Hand should confer the badge of Christianitie in Baptisme for that it is more exlent honorable then the Left and as Cresollius thinks accompanied with Blessing Whereas in the left hand there is a contrary Genius certainly it is found to be of a very different condition and naturally more apt to deteine then to bestow a Blessing Yet notwithstanding the Left Hand though it contribute little yet as in some Naturall and civill actions it is conformable and obsequious to assist the Right so in the more accomplish'd and plenary exhibition of this sacred rite it hath oft Diaconiz'd unto the Right but of it selfe alone somewhat improper and ever subordinate unto the Right Hence among other prodigies happening in the time of Caesar Dictator which were thought to prognosticate but small happines When certaine Infants were borne with their Left Hands upon their Heads the Sooth-sayer concluded that there was signified thereby that men of an inferiour condition should rise vp against the more Noble And the people who relyed much upon these kinde of Allegoricall inferences thought as much and believed it CERTAINE CAVTIONARY NOTIONS Extracted out of the Ancient and Moderne RHETORICIANS for the compleating of this Art of Manuall Rhetorique and the better regulating the important gestures of the Hand Fingers Cautio I. THE ancient Rhetoricians were very precise in the Doctrine of Action and had many invētions for the forming thereof which hapned by reason of the manners and complexion of those times but we are not to tread in their steps so far as to revoke the whole Art of their obsolete Rhetorique since it is not very apparent what Action the Ancients used and if it were known the whole and perfect discipline cannot be observed so properly now since the times and dispositions of men now differ and Oratorian Action must varie according to the diversitie of people and Nations In the meane time their universall precepts which may be drawn out of the ancient Oratours are not to be neglected but diligently learned and as much as can be reduced to practice Cautio II. ACTION accomodated to perswade by an apt enumeration of utterance called by Rhetoricians Pronunciation divided into the figure of the voice and motion of the body whose chiefe instrument the Hand is hath been ever accounted absolutely necessary for a Rhetorician yet all things that the Ancients prescribe for Action doe not properly belong to a Rhetorician neither are all things that appertain convenient for our times nor doe all actions of the Hand become speech for there are some so far from advancing elocution that they render it unamiable and deformed Cautio III. THere are two kinde of Actions which are more perceived in the motion of the Hand than any other part of the Body one that Nature by passion and ratiocination teacheth the other which is acquired by Art An Oratour is to observe both the Naturall and the Artificiall yet so that he adde a certaine kinde of art to the Naturall motion whereby the too much slownes too much quicknes and immoderate vastnesse may be avoyded Cautio IV. THe incomposure of the Hands is to be avoided for to begin abruptly with the Hand is a sinne against the lawes of Speech In the exordium of an Oration the Hand must not goe forth nor stand extended but with a sober and composed heed proceed to its first Action it is good as Rhetoricians say simulare conatum and when it first breaks forth into gesture while it is softly brought forward we may looke upon it with an eye expecting when it should supply our words Wherefore when an Oratour hath exhibited his honour to his Auditours and laid his Hands upon the Pulpit let him stand upright and that without any motion of his Hands or his Right Hand not brought forth beyond his bosome unlesse a very little way and that gently Cautio V. VVHen the Oration begins to wax hot and prevalent the Hand may put forth with a sentence but must withdraw again with the same Cautio VI. GEsture doth with most conformity to Art begin at the left Hand the sentence beginning together from the left side but is put off and laid downe at the Right Hand together with the end of the sentence Cautio VII 'T Is absurd often to change gesture in the same sentence or often to conclude sinister motions Cautio VIII GEsture must attend upon every flexion of the voice not Scenicall but declaring the sentence and meaning of our minde not by demonstration but signification for it must be accommodated by the Hand that it may agree and have a proper reference not so much to the words as to the sense wherfore 't is added as an authentique clause that the Hand must attend to begin and end with the voyce lest it should out-run the voyce or follow after it is done both which are held unhandsome Cautio IX IOyne not ESAU'S Hands with IACOBS Voyce Cautio X. TO raise the Hand above the Eye or to let it fall beneath the Breast or to fetch it down from the Head to the lower belly are accounted vicious misdemeanours in the Hand yet the masters of this faculty doe grant a toleration sometimes to raise the Hand above the Head for the better expressing of a just indignation or when we call God the Courteours of Heaven or the common people of the Skies to witnesse Cautio XI TO avoid the long silence of the Hand and that the vigour thereof might not be much allay'd by continuall motion nor prove deficient there is
Oratorie to be present at the Declamations of eminent Oratours studiously to observe their Countenance and Hand Plinie dislikes those that imitate none but are examples unto themselves The same Plinius Secundus a famous Pleader and most sweet Orator among others that applied themselves unto him had Fuscus Silinator Numidius Quadratus Junius also commended to him by his ancestours was trained up in the Examplar doctrine of Manuall gestures Hence the Tribe and Nation of Oratours were called by the name of those eminent men which they did imitate Sidonius truly sirnamed Apollinaris call'd those Frontoneans who did imitate Fronto a famous Philosopher and Oratour the patterne of Eloquence to M. Antonie So the followers of Posthumus Festus were called Posthumians Sulpitius not the least in the Chorus of elegant men imitated the Hand of Crassus that Nightingall of the Forum the glory of the Senate and as Tullie sayes almost a god in speaking of whom that it seemes might be spoken with small exchange of words which was Hyperbolically said of Herods eloquence Non Manus hominem sonat Wherein He was so happy and industrious that he was accounted to be very like unto him Cautio XX. IN Imitation propose to your selfe the best patterne according to the Aethique Rule of Aristotle Par est in omni re optimum quenque imitari Fusius erred in this part of whom Tullie reports that he did not imitate the sinewie expressions of C. Fimbria but onely his Prevarications Basil the Great a grave and perfect Oratour a man accomplish'd in all kinde of humanitie which in him had a sacred tincture of pietie when he had beene acknowledged to be Ensigne-bearer to Vertue he had not only admirers but some that strove to be his Imitators And what did some imitate Certaine moales and defects of Action and so fell into an unpleasant and odious kinde of Manuall composition Therefore Nazianzen a man of a most sharpe judgement sticks not to call them Statuas in umbris a kinde of Hobgoblins and night-walking spirits who did nothing lesse then aemulate the splendor of Rhetoricall dignitie Take heed therefore that Imitation degenerate into Caco-zeale and of proving a Left-handed Cicero Cautio XXI VVHen you have judiciously proposed your patterne keep close unto it without levitie or change for diversity of copies is the way to mar the Hand of Action Titanius Junior was famous for this vice who as Capitolinus saith was the Ape of his time The same levitie or facility of imitation Libanius the Sophister had who was called by those of his times the very painted Map of mens manners and dispositions Cautio XXII Vse Exercise For as the most learned of the Iews there are three Ideas Nature Art and Exercitation by which we endeavor to the best end The Corinthian Oratour much commends this Exercitation And the Oracle of the Graecian Sage is Omnia sita sunt in Exercitatione The absolute perfection of all Arts is from thence and from it Eloquence receives her beauteous colours her Musive or Mosaique Excellency whereby shee becomes most accomplished Bend and wrest your Arme and Hands to the Right to the Left and to every part that having made them obedient unto you upon a sudden and the least signification of the mind you may shew the glittering orbes of Heaven and the gaping jawes of Earth Sometimes place your arguments upon your Fingers sometimes lifting up your Hands threaten and denounce punishment or with a rejecting posture abominate sometimes shake and brandish your Hand as the lance of Elocution that so you may be ready for all varietie of speech and attaine that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or facilitie of action with the decorum beauty of decent motion which excells both that of colours and proportion Charmides a goodly young Oratour when he would compose his gesture to all kinde of elegancie and as Ovid speakes Numerosos ponere gestus that is acurate and made neat by a subtle judgement at home alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he practised the gesticulations of his Hand Cautio XXIII TO have Censors at times of exercise who shall informe truly and skilfully of all our gestures would much helpe to the conformation of the Hand Or to practice in a great Looking glasse for though that Mirrour reflects that image of one Hand for another yet we may beleeve what we see to be done Demonax a great Philosopher and an acute Rhetorician advis'd an untoward Declamer to use more exercise and while he answered that he alway first acted his Orations to himself Demonax replied that may very well be for you act so little to the purpose because you have alwayes a foole to your Iudge Cautio XXIV THe gestures of the Hand must be prepar'd in the Mind together with the inward speech that precedes the outward expression Cautio XXV Vse no uncomely or irregular excesse of gesturing with your Fingers in speaking nor draw them to any childish and trifling actions contrary to the rules of Decorum and to that they serve for lest you diminish the glory of faire speech and Rhetoricall perswasion and offer a great indignitie to Minerva to whom these organicall parts of Elocution were sacred Cautio XXVI THe Left hand of it selfe alone is most incompetent to the performance of any perfect action yet sometimes it doth but very rarely Most commonly it doth conform accommodate it selfe to the Right Hand And where both Hands concur to any action they exhibite more affection Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Duall is masculine cause vis unita fortior Cautio XXVII BOth Hands doe sometimes rest and are out of action yet this Rhetoricall silence of the Hand is an act proper where no affection is emergent though a long intermission of gesture be displeasing Cautio XXVIII AVoyd Knackings and superstitious flexures of the Fingers which the Ancients have not given in precept Cautio XXIX THe Actions of the Hand are to bend that way that the voyce is directed Cautio XXX TAke heede that while your Hand endeavours to accomplish the acts of Rhetoricall pronunciation you lose not modestie and the morall and civill vertves nor the authoritie of a grave and honest man Cautio XXXI IN all Action Nature beares the greatest sway Every man must consider his own Nature and temperament The reason is because no man can put off his own and put on anothers nature One Action becomes one man and another kind of behaviour another That which one does without Art cannot wholly be delivered by Art for there is a kind of hidden and ineffable reason which to know is the head of Art In some the Civill vertues themselves have no grace in others even the vices of Rhetorique are comely and pleasing Wherefore a Rhetorician must know himselfe yet not by common precepts but he must take counsell of Nature for the framing of the complexionall and individuall properties of his Hand Cautio XXXII
IN the Rhetoricall endeavours of the Hand as in all other Actions the golden Mediocrie is best and most worthy the hand of a prudent man For the action of the Hand should be full of dignitie and magnanimous resolution making it a liberall and free Index of the Minde such as theirs is who are said by Xenophon to be inspired with divine love who as he sayes gestus ad speciem quandam maximè liberalem conformant Which forme of apparence consists in a certaine moderation of gesture no chafed and incomposed rashnes or a too daring garbe of action nor superfinicall demeanour nor on the other side a rustique and homely fearfulnesse which is wont to discourage and disappoint the purpose of necessary motion Yet of the two extremes it is least faulty to draw nigh to modestie and an ingenuous feare than to impudencie The manner and tempering of gesture is not onely to be fetched from the things themselves but also from the age and condition of the Oratour for otherwise a Philosopher or some grave person otherwise a young Sophister lifted up with study and boyling over with the fervencie of an active spirit A soft and calme action most commonly becomes grave men endued with authoritie which to one in the flower of his youth would be accounted slownes and a slacking negligence Modification of gesture hath also regard to the condition and qualitie of the Auditours for an Oratour should first consider with whom and in whose presence he is about to act for in the Senate or hearing of a Prince another action is required than in a Concion to a Congregation of the people or an assembly of light young men Among Kings and Potentates and Fathers of the Court regard is to be had to their illustrious power authority all juvenile gestient pompe and ostentation laid aside by a submisse Action he must transferre all dignity from himselfe Concerning this golden point of moderation there is a Nationall decorum imposed upon men by time and place for according to the Genius of that climate wherein we converse moderation may admit of a divers construction In Italy a faire spoken and overmuch gesturing with the Hand is held comely and acceptable And in France he is not a la mode and a compleat Mounsieur who is not nimble in the discoursing garbe of his Hand which proportionable to that language is very briske and full of quicke and lightsome expressions And your French Protestant Divines are easily good Chirologers some I have lately seen in the Pulpit to my great satisfaction and have gone away more confirmed in the validity of these Rhetoricall gestures there being scarce any one gesture that I have cut but I have seene used in the heat of one discourse of Polemicall Divinity such Logicall asseverations appeared in their Hands In Germany and with us here in England who in our Nationall complexion are neare ally'd unto the Germans moderation and gravity in gesture is esteemed the greater virtue The Spaniards have another Standert of moderation and gravity accorded to the lofty Genius of Spaine where the Hands are as often principalls as accessories to their proud expressions But our language growne now so rich by the indenization of words of all Nations and so altered from the old Teutonique if the rule of moderation be calculated according to the Meridionall proprietie of our refined speech we may with decorum and gravitie enough as I suppose meet the Hand of any of these warmer Nations halfe way with the Manuall adjuncts of our expressions Chirepilogus THus what my Soul 's inspired Hand did find T'exhibite in this Index of the Mind What Nature or her subtle Zanie can By signes and tokens reach with Speeches span While many Hands made lighter work at last Brought to the nail hath crown'd the labor past Here my Hand 's Genius bids my Fancie stand And having her discoursing Gestures scan'd Beckens lest for a Manuall unfit The Work should rise to make a Hand of it MANUM DE TABULA Franc. L. Verul Vâ—sâ—ount St. Albans de Augâ— Scient l 4. Exod. 4. 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 verses Althusius de civili conversatione li. 1. Plin. Hist. Nat. Seneca de Ira lib. 1. cap. 3. Montaign Essay in Raimond Sebond Bernard lib. 2. in Cantica Ribera comment in Proph. M. Beda lib. de Indig tatione Act. 1. 1 Ammian Marcellin lib. 20. Livie lib. 22. Plutarch in the life of Coriolanus Plut. in the life of Tiberius and Caius Ib. in the life of Paulus Aemylius Aelian var. Hist. lib. 5. cap. 19. Isai. 65. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 8 * Arist. lib. de Mund. Xenoph. Cyr. * Apuleius tit de mundo * Horac * Lucret. lib. 5. * Ped. Albin in carm Cons. ad Liviam * Virgil. Aeneid * Idem lib. 3. Aeneid * Idem li. 5. * Ovid. lib. 8. Metam * Sil. Ital. lib. 4. * Valer. Flacc. li. 2. Plutarch in the life of Antonius Idem in the life of Camillus Idem in the life of Alex. the great Idem in the life of Alex. the Great Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus * Virgil. Aeneid 2. Ex. 17. 11. Philo Judaeus in Exod. Origen Hom. 11. in Exod. Elias Cretens comment in opera Greg. Naz. Sil. Petra Sanct. Gorop in Hierogl lib. 9. 1 King 8. 38. 1 King 8. 22. Exod. 9. 29. 33. 2 Macch. 15. 21. Lament 1. 17. Lauret in Sylv. Alleg S. Hillar in Psalm Psal. 63. 4. Psa. 140. 2. S. Paul to Timoth. Isaiah S. Hierâ—m in Exod. 9 and Job 11. Calvin comment in 1 Tim. 2. Psal. 119. 109. â— Sam. 19. 5. Judg. 9. 17 Job 13. 14. Cresoll in Mystag lib. 3. S. Aug. de cura pro mort lib. 5. S. Chrys. Moral Tertul. de â—rat Pierius in Hieroglyp Euseb. de vit Const. lib. 4 c. 15. Dr. Donnâ— Serm. 13. Huelamus de cerem Missae B. Andrewes Franc. L. Verulam Nat. Hist. Apulcius lib. 3. Miles * Gregor Nyssen orat 7. de beatitud * Dio Prusaeus orat 16. Ammian Marcellin lib. 20. Franc. Verul nat Hist. * Horac lib. 11. Sat. 5. * Cicero in Academ * Idem lib. 7. epist. ad Caesarem * Liv. lib. 24 Cicero ad Aâ—â—ic Xenoph. Cyropaed lib. 2. Idem Cyr. lib. 8. 2 Kings 11. 12. So Nah. ult Psal. 47. 1. 98. 8. Isa. 55. 12. Liv. lib. 4. Plutarch in the life of Camillus Plutarch in the life of Camil. Idem in the life of Alcibiad Liv. lib. 45 * Seneca de ira lib. 1. cap. 1. * Idem li. 3. Idem cap. 4. de Ira. * Petron. Satyr * Petron. Satyr * Philo Judaeus de lege ad Caium Num. 24. 10. Ezek. 21. 14. Idem cap. 22. ver 13. Ovid met lib. 5. Job 27. 23 Job 34. 37 Lam. 2. 15 Ezek. 25. 6 Esa. 13. 7. 35. 3. Ezek. 7. 17 Jer. 6. 24. Heb. 12 12 * Polybius Pier. Hieroglyph Pro. 19. 24 Dr. Jerm paraph med upon the place Pro. 26. 15 19. 24.
Ligario so marveilously to have moved Caesar one that could well skill in Manuall Rhetorique that he changed divers colours and shewed plainly by his countenance that there was a marveilous alteration in all the parts of him For in the end when he came to touch the battaile of Pharsalia then was Caesar so troubled that his body shooke withall and besides certaine bookes which he had fell out of his hands and he was driven against his will to set Ligarius at libertie Therefore the malice of Antonie forced teares and lamentations into the eyes of the Romans when they saw Cicero's Right Hand the instrument of his divine Eloquence with which he penn'd and pronounced the Phillippiques nail'd fast unto his head and set upon the Rostrum or Pulpit of Common pleas in the Forum Cn. Lentulus also for his excellencie in this Art was more famous then for his vocall eloquence C. Lentulus P. Lentulus C. Gracchus L. Apuleius Saturnius Crassus and C. Julius Caesar were men expert in this mysterie Antonius he used the Asiatique phrase in his pleadings which carried the best grace and estimation at that time full of ostentation and bravery of gesture As for Q. Pompeius sirnamed Bithynicus C. Macer Manilius Sura c. they lost the estimation of good Oratours for their deficiencie in this Art But above all most actively eloquent was Q. Hortensius the Oratour one could not tell whether they should most desire to run to heare or see him speake his presence and aspect did so a dorne and become his words and assist his periods to accomplish all their numbers and againe his verball expressions were so conformable to his gesture and so elegantly administred unto his hand that for certaine Aesop and Roscius two famous Actors of those times were often observ'd to croud into the Assembly when he was pleading that they might by imitation transferre some of his expressive gestures from the Forum to the Theater Some Lawyers and Divines I have observed to have been very prevalent by virtue of this artifice of the Hand even in these times among whom most eminent was that much lamented Dr. Donne of whom an ingenious friend thus in his Elegiack knell Yet have I seen thee in the Pulpit stand Where one might take notes from thy look hand And from thy speaking action beare away More Sermon then some Teachers use to say Such was thy cariage and thy gesture such As could devide the heart and conscience touch Thy motion did confute and one might see An error vanquish'd by deliverie Such as Sconerus notes was the action of the Prophets and Ecclesiasticall Oratours in the Primitive times plainly Heroique as may be collected out of Sacred Writ and some Commentators thereon in whom the Eloquence of the Prophets is graphically described Nature exhorts all men to Action consentaneous to the stile of their Elocution which inbred and commodious propensitie unlesse illustrated by Art and confirmed by exercitation is as Trapezuntius notes but as a field untill'd which runs wild with disorder'd productions Art being the Imitator which perfects Nature makes her actiōs more dilucid illustrious and sweet by her positive accommodations For whatsoever Nature doth institute in the individuals worthy observation reduced into one exact idea built upon generall precepts by a perpetuall order Art doth expose under one aspect of the Understanding And Nature againe placed by Art beholds the excellent actions of eminent men and expresses them by a happy exercitation Wherefore the ancient Rhetoricians who cast their eyes upon Nature and insisted in her steps whose Art was principally bent to imitate the severall actions of the Mind with a decent and comely grace admitted no gesture to the hand but what they did find by an accurate collation to have some similitude with the truth of Nature That which Philostratus Junior requires of a Painter who would be eminent by his Hand is more necessary to an Oratour He would have him that would seeme to manage that Art skilfully to be a man endued with a good fancy and a sound judgement actively apt to every thing and industrious in the observing of mens natures and assimilating their manners and counterfeiting of all things which in the gesture and composition of the body are the signes and notes of the tacite mind and affections And indeed then shall the hand of an eloquent man move aptly and as to the purpose applyed to expresse what he takes in hand when he hath converst with Nature and insinuated himselfe into all the veines of the affections of the Hand by diligent study hath attained to an exquisite experience in the properties of the fingers and what the naturall motions of the Hand are wont to be Hence Philosophers who can discern of the naturall causes of things have a notable advantage for he shall most elegantly judiciously manage his Hand moderate the gestures thereof who by the discipline of Philosophie shall apply and conforme himselfe neerest to the nature varietie of the affections Hence Demosthenes being demanded the question Which was the first point of Eloquence he answered Action Which the second He answered Action and which was the third he said Action still Wherefore in the Olympian Games at that famous assembly of Greece that Theater of Honour where the Arts wisdome and the illustrious Vertues were recompenced with publique honours there in the sight of the people of Greece after the sound of a Trumpet wherewith the mindes of the standers by were rowzed up to attend the solemne commendation of the publique Cryer the Hands were first crowned before the Head as S. Chrysostome advertiseth us For when the Brabutia which were most skilfull Judges would declare that all the glory of the Victors did proceed from the Hand or Action and that in the first place Industry labour and skill were crowned by them not the shoulders of the triumphant Olympianiceans but their Hands were decked and praised with the glorious Palm Skilfully therefore S. Ambrose Palma manus victricis ornatus est And Victorie is called Dea palmaris and victoriosus with Isidor is palmosus But why the Palme was given to them that overcame and why the boughes thereof have been proposed as rewards to such as were victorious in Artes or Armes according to that of the Poet Palmaque nobilis Terrarum dominos evehit ad deos There are who alleadge this reason For that the fruit of the Palme doth resemble the Hand and fingers and are thereof by the Greekes named dactili that is digiti fingers for the great ends of the branches appeare like hands stretched forth and the dates as fingers It seemed therefore right the Palm should be given to them whose Hands were skilfull in Arts and Fingers cunning in battail since the chief weight illustrious honour of all triumphs depend upon the hand or action or as if the fruit of the Palm were peace And
was wont to say that he did so rise up to speake that hee knew not his first word yet he said he used to speake excellently well when he had once warmed his Arme. And Marcellinus observing the demeanour of Valintinian about to make a publicke speech when he had put forth his Hand saith he that he might speake more readily That divine Oratour and chief Speaker of the Apostles used this Action as a preparative to his ensuing Apologie for when Agrippa had permitted Paul to speake for himselfe Paul stretched out the Hand and answered for himselfe This forme of pleading is to be seene in the ancient Statues of Roman Advocates Canon III. THE indulgent putting forth of the Hand towards the Auditours signifying a kinde of Humdnity and good will is a benevolent action fit for those who praise or congratulate and is of great efficacie to move the affections This Action had a singular grace and comelinesse in Meletius that reverend Bishop of Antioch a man invironed with a guard of all the Vertues with which Action of his Hand as with the engine of good will he seemed to lift up the hearts of his hearers with him therefore Gregory Nyssen attributes to him Comâ—m dextram veluti lenocinio orationis perfusam qua 〈◊〉 cum or is facundia digites commovere soleat Canon IV. THe gentle and wel-ordered Hand throwne forth by a moderate projection the Fingers unfolding themselves in the motion and the shoulders a little slackned affords a familiar force to any plaine continued speech or uniforme discourse and much graceth any matter that requires to be handled with a more lofty stile which we would faine fully present in a more gorgeous excesse of words The comelinesse of this Action which best suites with them who remove shift their standing appears herein that by this emanation of the Arm and delivery of gesture speech is so well pronounced and powred forth that it seems to flow out of the Hand Canon V. THE Hand directed towards the Auditours with a kinde of impetuous agitation of the Arme maintaining its gravity with a swift recourse is an action 〈…〉 of vehemencie fit to 〈◊〉 denounce reprehend and 〈◊〉 and by its extension implies power and a prevalent authority This Action is not seasonable untill an Oration begin to wax hot and prevalent and the discoursing appetite of the Hand be rowsed up and well heated by a Rhetoricall provocation and is sufficiently affected to move according to the nimble contention of the Tongue And then this glittering dart of speech like lightning or the shaking of Apollo's beams expatiates it selfe into a glorious latitude of elocution The Oration with this militarie gesture as it were powring out it selfe The left arme if any thing is to be done with it is to be raised that it may make as it were a right angle Canon VI. THe Hand restrained and kept in is an argument of modesty and frugall pronunciation a still and quiet action sutable to a milde and remisse declamation This Action with Tully is Molli brachio ageres with Fabius Mâ—lli articulo Gladiatorem vehement is impetus adversarii mollis articulus excepit And in the Primitive times of elocution when eloquence began to flowre and bud and insolencie was rarely entertained Oratours were wont to keep their Hands within their cloaks for so as Aeschines will have it those ancient Oratours Princes of Greece in most account both for their language and judgement Pericles and Themistocles were wont to declame as an action most sutable to conserve their modesty And he fetcheth his argument of so laudable a custome from the statue of Solon which the ancient Statuaries skilfull in the counterfeiting mens maners made for Solon at Salamina in this posture to note his moderation and modesty with which signification there was the like statue long after his time erected at Rome for Scipio And verily Aeschines who approved of this posture of the Hand as an Index of moderation he observed it himselfe even in the heat of reprehension and reproofe but this animadversion of Aeschines who spitefully carped at the important gestures of the Hand the Oratour Demostheues did afterwards most elegantly deride and explode for that statue of Solon saith he the Salaminians say was not dedicated above fifty yeares agoe But from Solon to this present time are two hundred and forty yeares so that the work-man who expressed that gesture no not his grandfather were then alive But it cannot be denied that such a thing might be with the Ancients which Aeschines knew rather by conjecture then any certaine assurance For we read of one Polemon a deboyse young man who upon hearing of Xenocrates became modest and drew his Hand within his cloake And the gravest Writers report of Cleon that turbulent Oratour of Athens to have been the first that opened his cloake in speaking This rationall conceit prevailed also with the Romans for although in the ancient statnes of Lawyers in Rome we finde the Right Hand put forth the forme of pleading yet the first year they were called to the Bar they were not to put forth the Hand nor a young Advocate permitted to plead after the same manner as an ancient Practitioner Cicero hath left a certificate of this custome Nobis olim annus erat unus ad cohibendum brachium constitutus ut exercitatione ludoque campestri Tunicati uterentur which garbe of the restrained Hand as it is an argument of frugall pronunciation the great Prelates of Rome observe at this day when they speake before the Pope as that great Master of the Hieroglyphiques testifies But when wit which lay asleep in those rude and simple times began to be rowzed up and instructed with Arts those streights of bashfulnesse were inlarged the Hand released and set at liberty and a more freer course of pleading brought in not that modesty should be excluded mens manners which is a great ornament of life but that speech might have a greater force to worke upon the affections of men Now to use this fearfull demeanour of the Hand were the part of one void of common sense and humanity against whom that of Quintilian might be brought who reprehended those who in pleading inhibited the Hand as if the businesse were done sluggishly Canon VII THe Hand put forth and raised aloft is an action of congratulatory exclamation and amplification of joy This is drawn from Nature into the Schooles and discipline of Rhetoricians who prescribe this free and liberall motion of the Hand as a fit periphrâ—sis of gesture upon such occasions and most consonant to the intention of Nature Canon VIII THe Hand collected the Fingers looking downewards then turned and resolved is a set form accommodated to their intention who would openly produce their reasons The artificiall conceit of this Action is that it seems as it were indeed to bring forth with it some hidden matter to make the argument