For the purpose of the present paper there is, however, no need of an absolute decision upon the priority between communication of ideas by bodily motion and by vocal articulation.  It is enough to admit that the connection between them was so early and intimate that gestures, in the wide sense indicated of presenting ideas under physical forms, had a direct formative effect upon many words; that they exhibit the earliest condition of the human mind; are traced from the remotest antiquity among all peoples possessing records; are generally prevalent in the savage stage of social evolution; survive agreeably in the scenic pantomime, and still adhere to the ordinary speech of civilized man by motions of the face, hands, head, and body, often involuntary, often purposely in illustration or for emphasis.

It may be unnecessary to explain that none of the signs to be described, even those of present world-wide prevalence, are presented as precisely those of primitive man.  Signs as well as words, animals, and plants have had their growth, development, and change, their births and deaths, and their struggle for existence with survival of the fittest.  It is, however, thought probable from reasons hereinafter mentioned that their radicals can be ascertained with more precision than those of words.

HISTORY OF GESTURE LANGUAGE.

There is ample evidence of record, besides that derived from other sources, that the systematic use of gesture speech was of great antiquity.  Livy so declares, and Quintilian specifies that the “lex gestus ... ab illis temporibus heroicis orta est.”  Plato classed its practice among civil virtues, and Chrysippus gave it place among the proper education of freemen.  Athenaeus tells that gestures were even reduced to distinct classification with appropriate terminology.  The class suited to comedy was called Cordax, that to tragedy Eumelia, and that for satire Sicinnis, from the inventor Sicinnus.  Bathyllus from these formed a fourth class, adapted to pantomime.  This system appears to have been particularly applicable to theatrical performances.  Quintilian, later, gave most elaborate rules for gestures in oratory, which are specially noticeable from the importance attached to the manner of disposing the fingers.  He attributed to each particular disposition a significance or suitableness which are not now obvious.  Some of them are retained by modern orators, but without the same, or indeed any, intentional meaning, and others are wholly disused.

[Illustration:  Fig. 61.]

The value of these digital arrangements is, however, shown by their use among the modern Italians, to whom they have directly descended.  From many illustrations of this fact the following is selected.  Fig. 61 is copied from Austin’s Chironomia as his graphic execution of the gesture described by Quintilian:  “The fore finger of the right hand joining the middle of its nail to the extremity