This form applies to all that is great.

For God there is no circle, there can be none.  But we outline a portion of an immense circle, of which we can touch but one point.  We indicate only the inner periphery of a circle it is impossible to finish, and then retrace our steps.

When the circle is made small, we make it with one, two, three or four fingers, with the hand, with the arm.  If the circle is vast as can be made with the arms, it is homogeneous.

But a small circle made with the arm will express stupidity.  Thus we say of a witty man:  “This is a witty man,” employing the fingers.

Stupidity wishing to simulate this, would make a broad movement.

Let us take the fable of Captain Renard as an example of this view of the circle.

I depict the cunning nature of this captain with my fingers.  Without this he would not be a captain; but at most a corporal.

      —­“He went in company
    With his friend He-Goat of the branching horns. 
    The one could see no farther than his nose;
    The other was past master in deceit.”

As they go along, the fox relates all his exploits to the goat, and the goat surprised, and wishing an end of the recital, sees fit to make a gesture, as he says: 

    “I admire people full of sense like you.”

In making the small circle, he employs not only the fingers, but the arm, the shoulder, the whole body.  He is an imbecile.  He wastes too much effort in making a small circle.

Let us take a situation from an opera.  When Robert enters and sees Isabella, he says of her: 

    “This peaceful sleep, this lull of every sense,
    Lends a yet sweeter charm to this young face.”

The gesture is in the form of a geometrical figure.

In another place, Robert says: 

    “Thy voice, proud beauty, few can understand.”

Here a spheroidal and then a rectangular movement must be made.  We close the door.  “Her voice will be understood by me, alone.”  He might say:  “Thy voice, proud beauty, will not be understood.  It will be elevated for me, and not for others.”

Every sentiment has its form, its plastic expression, and as its form is more or less elaborated, we may judge of the elevation of the speaker’s thought.  If we could stereotype gesture, we might say:  “This one has the more elevated heart, that one the least elevated; this one in the matter, that one in the spirit of his discourse.”

All gestures may be very well delineated.  An orator gesticulating before the public, resembles a painter who pencils outlines and designs upon a wall.

This reproduction of the figures of gesture is called Chorography.  We give in the subjoined chart some types of gesture.  These are a few flowers culled from a rich garden.

To express sensual grace the gesture takes the downward spheroidal form.  The virtuous form would be upward.