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ing metaphysicians, that "when we first heard of the fall of stones from the sky, there was considerable slow ness to admit the fact; and this slowness in such circumstances, it will be allowed, was accordant with the spirit of sound philosophy. But, after the concurring reports of many creditable witnesses, have we remained incredulous? There is not a philosopher, whatever theory he may have formed of their origin, who is not now convinced that such bodies have truly fallen on the surface of the earth." Now, it is exactly on account of the number of informed and creditable men, who have adopted the new system, that we notice it ourselves, and recommend it to consideration. We cannot, indeed, assert, that human heads are as rare as meteoric stones; but if the peculiar shape of each skull has not hitherto been attended to, in so far as the developement of its parts coincided with certain manifestations of talent or character in its owner, we are not at liberty to reject the new doctrines without examination. So many individuals, possessed of talents for observation, have declared, that a concomitance is to be observed be tween the developement of certain portions of the skull, and certain manifestations of propensities and mental powers, that we can no longer doubt the sincerity of their opinions; and if these may be verified by every one possessed of ordinary talent, it is better, we think, to set about the process of verification, than to laugh at those who have already attended to it, and who speak from conviction. We are all physiognomists to a certain extent. We can all say of some individuals, that vice is stamped on their faces; that others indicate weakness; and that this or that person has an agreeable or disagreeable expression; but if precision can be obtained, it is surely as philosophical and rational to say what it is in the configuration of the head, that guides us in our judgment, as to ascribe our impressions of character to a vague je ne scai quoi. It has been long, and

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pretty generally held among naturalists, comparative anatomists, painters, and others, that the mental energies are proportionate in a great degree to the quantity of brain situated above and before the ears; that a capacious forehead is generally indicative of intellectual capacity; opinions which unquestionably countenance the idea, that more precision may yet be attained, and that some correspondence really exists between external figure and internal qualities.

The great and preliminary question which is at issue between the disciples of the new school and their antagonists, is one of fact; and as such it is a question which may, and which ought to be settled by observation. Those who have taken the affirmative side are, in language at least, sufficiently candid. They desire none to embrace their opinions upon their evidence. They merely state, they say, the result of their own observations, and they anxiously solicit others. to observe for themselves. Until this be done both by friends and enemies to a great extent, it will be impossible to say that the system is either established or exploded. The ablest antagonist of the new doctrines, Dr ROGET, does not profess to have put them to the test of his own personal experience. It cannot be said, therefore, that his article Cranioscopy is, conclusive, though every reader will allow that it is written with great ability, and that, whatever be the fate of the doctrines combated, it must ever remain a most useful caveat against rashness in forming theories on philosophical subjects. The ablest work we have seen in favour of the new doctrines is one which is not yet, but which will soon be, published. Like Dr Roget's production, it is highly creditable to its author, though perhaps chargeable in a considerable degree with a theorizing spirit. This writer, in common with Drs GALL and SPURZHEIM, lays it down, that, as the functions of the brain are not to be discovered by dissection, nor the specific functions of its particular organs by attending to the subjects of consciousness, the facts on which the tained by observation alone; but by atwhole system is built are to be ascertending to the configuration of the head, every one, they assert, will be able between the size and developement of to discover a uniform correspondence

certain portions of the skull, and the power of manifesting certain propensities and talents. And they admit as many faculties as they find differ, ences in the natural capacities of men to experience different kinds of feel ings, and to form different classes of ideas. Thus, for instance, they say there is a special faculty, the function of which is to produce the feeling of henevolence in general, the energy of which is in proportion to the deve lopement and activity of a specific portion of the brain. The sign of it is visible, when it exists, in a developement of the middle part of the cranium, immediately above the forehead. Thirty-three of these organs, which bestow special faculties, are considered as ascertained-Amative ness, Philoprogenitiveness, Inhabitiveness, Adhesiveness, Combativeness,Destructiveness, Constructiveness, Covetiveness, and Secretiveness, common to man with animals, the function of each of which is to produce a propensity of a specific kind. (These organs are situated chiefly in the posterior and lateral parts of the head.)-Selfasteem, Love of Approbation, Cautiousness, Benevolence, Veneration, Hope, Ideality, Conscientiousness, and Firmness, several of which are also common to men and animals; and the function of each of which is to produce a particular kind of sentiment, that is, a propensity joined with an emotion or manner of feeling.—Individuality, Form, Size, Weight, Colouring, Locality, Order, Time, Number, Tune, and Language, called the Knowing Faculties, being those by which we know the existence of external bodies and their qualities, and which, unlike those previously enumerated, are subject to the Will.-And lastly come Comparison, Causality, Wit, and Imitation, called the REFLECTING FACULTIES, which minister to the gratification of all the others, and dis tinguish man in an eminent degree from the lower animals.

We have enumerated these faculties in the language of those who believe in them, and who consider each to have a function peculiar to itself, and independently of any of the rest. They also hold the whole of these faeulties to be innate, and capable of being roused to exertion by innate affections, not dependent on the will, though they allow that the will may bikewise directly as to some, and in

directly as to others, stimulate the wnole to action; but without the spe→ cial organ, they will not admit that the mind could either feel or manifest the propensity or sentiment, or form those ideas, which are thus held to be peculiar to each separate faculty. Much of this will appear, at the first glance, to be founded on gratuitous assumptions. For supposing the ob servations on which those theories are founded to be correct, they amount to nothing more than this, that there is such a correspondence between external figure and innate capacity, that the one may be taken as a sign of the other. The concomitance, supposing it to be uniform, is not of the nature of those invariable sequences which produce, the moment they are perceived, an irresistible belief that they stand towards each other in the relation of cause and effect. That we feel, and think, is certain; since consciousness, the most conclusive and irresistible of all evidence, vouches for both. But that we feel, and think, in a certain way, by means of certain specific organized portions of the brain, is matter of inference only. It may be part of the order of nature, that the capacity of feeling and thinking, or the actual feeling and thinking, in a peculiar manner, shall always be accompanied with a certain developement of skull, indicative of a certain portion of brain within it; but it does not follow necessarily from this, that the portion of brain in question is a specific organ, without which we could neither think, nor feel, in the manner in question. It may be equally useful as a sign of one mode of action, of one general mental power, as a sign of a special organ having a specific function. The existence of a special organ is not made out by the observed concomitance. If we had any means of ascertaining the exact size of each organ in the brain, and of extracting au organ which had already manifested itself, or stopping its operations as we do in covering the eyes, and shutting the ears, we might then bring this question respecting specific functions to the test of experience; but till then we must speak of them only as probable or improbable, according to the considerations which may be offered for or against them.

In so far as the faculties which are supposed to produce PROPENSITIES and SENTIMENTS, and even in so far

as most of what are called the know for a different purpose. The sense of ing faculties are concerned, the theory smelling does not, by itself, make us does not appear to be at variance with acquainted with the primary qualities observed facts. But in so far as Rea of bodies, nor even with the existence son, Will, Judgment, and all our in- of external objects. It merely protellectual powers, are ascribed to four duces sensations in the mind. But distinct faculties, each having a spe- the moment one of these is felt, the cific function, and in so far as Sensu- individual becomes convinced of two tion, Perception, Conception, Atten- facts at once, namely, the existence of tion, and Memory, are ascribed to a sensation, and his own existence. each faculty, and Abstraction and Ima- He can attend to the sensation while gination to Comparison and Ideality it lasts, and after it is at an end he alone, we consider the new system to can remember it; he can conceive that be contradicted by the evidence of he feels it again; he can desire or consciousness. According to this evi- fear a return of the sensation; he acdence, each individual has only one quires, in this manner, ideas of time, mind, however numerous may be the cause, and effect. If he were to see avenues which lead to it. The most one ball strike another only once in important of these avenues are the his life, he could exercise all these five senses. These senses have speci- mental powers; but none will be bold fic functions, and each carries infor- enough to assert that they all exist in mation to the mind of a specific cha- the sense of smell, or of sight, or in racter, which, constructed as we are any of the other senses. No more do at present, the mind could not ac- they exist in any one of Dr Spurzquire by any other means; but the heim's thirty-three specific faculties. mind is different from Sight, Touch, Supposing all these to exist," they are Taste, Smell, and Hearing. It is al- only the means of generating propenso different from the information com- sities, cmotions, or ideas for the exermunicated by all or any of these sen- eise of attention, judgment, and the ses. The workman is different both other faculties of the mind. We can from the tools with which he works, suppose, that without them, the mind and the materials which he works could not acquire ideas of a certain upon. The mind can attend to the description, just as it cannot obtain perceptions of sight, and disregard the information of a certain nature withsensations of touch; or it can attend out the senses. But they neither conto the sensations of the latter, and dis- stitute the mind itself, nor its general regard the perceptions of the former. faculties. The mind still contemIt can treasure up, by means of me- plates the consequences of indulging mory, the reports of all the senses; this or that propensity, the propriety it can recal them, and compare them; of renewing this or that emotion; and, as Mr Stewart well observes, and it restrains or checks one, while amidst all these different operations it gives full play to another. In the of his mind, the individual feels, with same way it welcomes and lengthens irresistible conviction, that they all be- one train of ideas, interrupts a second, long to one and the same sentient and and forms a third; and what it canintelligent being." The same reason- not accomplish directly, it strives to ing will apply equally to the informa- bring about by indirect and circuittion, feelings, and ideas derived ous means. What is in the mind, is from, or generated by, a hundred or- one thing; how it came there is ano→ gans, or from or by the five senses. ther. We have it in our power, by Consciousness is allowed by Gall and attending to the subjects of consciousSpurzheim to be single, and consciousness, to ascertain the one; by obserness tells us, that memory, attention, abstraction, and imagination, are properties of one general mind, just as much as any act of the mind, judg ment, or determination of the will appear to be on a consideration of facts and circumstances, or a balancing of different desires and propensities.

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This may be seen more clearly, per haps, by alluding to a few circumstances which Mr Stewart has stated

ving external phenomena, we may learn something of the other; but the evidence obtained from the latter source is always inferior to what is furnished by the former. The metaphysicians, therefore, while they confine themselves to the operations cognizable by consciousness, are on higher ground than any that can be taken by the phrenological disciples of Gall and Spurzheim, though we must own

it possible, that each may be useful in correcting some errors of the other. • If the mind, as a single power, did not possess some general powers of observation and judgment, independently of all those supposed specific organs, the knowledge of facts and ideas acquired by them separately would be of no avail. As each organ would act independently of all the rest, without knowing itself, or enabling us to know what the others had done, or might do, we should be constantly at the mercy of certain propensities, sentiments, and feelings, following each other in irregular sequence, and subject in no shape to a regulating or directing power. The answer to this reasoning will be, that phrenologists give us an organ of comparison; but unless this power comprehend all the other general powers of the mind, and especially that of judging, deciding, and willing, as well as of comparing, it places us in no better condition than we should have been without it. But we are conscious of possessing these general powers, and no process of ratiocination is sufficient to root out the conviction.

If this theory be just, it is easy to account for the mind continuing to exercise the powers of reasoning, after the loss of certain portions of the brain. For supposing the portion lost to consist of the organ of tune, the mind, if memory belong to it, and not to the specific organ, will still remember what it had previously received by means of the special faculty, and be able to reason and converse on the subject nearly as well as before. And this may take place also, al though, from the loss of the organ, the mind is no longer capable of receiving any pleasure from musical performances. A man who has at one time possessed the sense of hear ing, does not, on becoming deaf, lose all recollection of sounds, or the power of reasoning respecting them. Neither does the loss of sight efface from the mind all remembrance of colour, light, and shade, or the ideas which it had formed respecting them. The memory of what the sense had presented, the ideas that were thence formed in the mind, and the reasonings and conclusions which resulted, are all independent of the organs of sense, and remain with us after the organs are destroyed or rendered useJess. And why should not the same

results hold with respect to these supposed organized portions of brain? It is no answer to this to say that me mory is found always to be strongest respecting the ideas formed by a prominent and active faculty. This is explained by a more general fact, that memory depends on attention and interest; and a strong propensity or emotion not only secures attention, but by it a powerful and lasting interest. Besides, the mystery in the connection between matter and mind is not lessened by the multiplication of organs and faculties; since, let the steps be ever so numerous, there is one ultimate fact which must for ever remain unexplained. Au ear is not the mind; nor the eye; nor the organ of tune or colour. The miracle is not in the structure of the eye, the ear, or the other organs, but in the connection established between them and the mind, whereby the latter becomes conscious of sensations and perceptions of a peculiar description. But the miracle is not greater in these cases, than in the connection which subsists between the mind and the muscles subservient to voluntary motion. We know, that in a state of health, the arm may always be moved by an act of the will; but how the mind thus acts instantaneously on the matter of the arm, which is not the mind, for the mind remains entire though the arm be lopped off, is a mystery which the limited faculties of man will never be able to explain.

We have thrown out freely, and perhaps rashly, a few observations on the metaphysics of the new system But, right or wrong, there is not a reader who could be offended with them, if he knew the spirit in which they have been made. Anxious, wherever they are manifested, to respect principle, and admire talent when not tainted by bad passions, we are not aware of yielding to any predilections. Without admitting, for the present, the truth of the new doctrines, we are quite aware, that in theory at least, they accord wonderfully with the actual manifestations of passion and intellect. If the specific functions and independent existence of the faculties were admitted, they would account for all the anomalies in human talent and conduct We should no longer be at a loss to explain how the same person should have great genius for one thing, and

done best, perhaps, by giving descrip❤ tions of hypothetical characters, first in the technical, and then in the popular style. We may also endeavour to reconcile the metaphysical with the phrenological system, as well as the moral theories of Stewart and Bentham; convinced that many of those differences of opinion in morals and politics, about which men are ready almost to cut each other's throats, may be resolved into verbal prejudices and misconceptions. But our limits will not allow us to prosecute any of these speculations for the present.

BOSWELL REDivivus, a drEAM.
And even but now he spake,

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MR EDITOR,

OTHELLO.

London,

great incapacity for another; or how
one should be weak, yet benevolent,
and pious; and another firm, yet im-
penitent and destructive. If a man
displayed imagination, with a talent
for expression, and yet seemed desti-
tute alike of comprehension and prin-
eiple, we should say he possessed the
organs of ideality and language, with-
out those of causality, or conscientious
ness. The state of the head would
thus account for his floundering away
among such incongruous images, in-
digested reasonings, and unprincipled
assertions, as like a puff of gunpowder
in the eyes of children, may dazzle
and captivate the weak and the igno-
rant, while the wise and reflecting
only pity. This feeling is still strong
er, when we see an unhappy indivi- After long seeming dead :"-
dual, in consequence of the undue cul-
tivation of self-esteem, love of appro¬
bation, or notoriety, combativeness, and
destructiveness, unbalanced by benevo-
lence, causality, or conscientiousness,
impelled to course of action which
is not only to rob him of troops of
friends, and of all those attentions and
sympathies which shield and support
humanity in this life, and without
which life is a curse, but also to make
him irresistibly miserable in the life
which is to come. But it is a dis-
tinguishing feature in the new system,
that it generates and cherishes a spi-
rit of charity in all our judgments
upon others. It places, in the most
striking light, the defects of our na
ture, and the temptations to which
we are exposed from our own evil pro-
pensities. And yet as it teaches, at
the same time, that our higher facul-
ties have, when duly cultivated, a go-
verning and increasing power over the
lower propensities and sentiments, it
does not do away with personal re-
sponsibility. The best, under this
system, will not be able to preserve
themselves free of blame, nor will the
worst escape the penalties attached to
their crimes. Had its tendency been
to give impunity to vice, or had it
lent, when properly understood, any
countenance to the doctrines of mate-
rialism, we should never have brought
it under the notice of our readers.
On some future occasion we shall pro-
bably go at more length into particu-
lars, and shew how the language of
phrenology, however peculiar it may
appear at first, is not materially dif-
ferent in its import from the language
of common life. And this may be

THE other evening, after having passed some cold and critical hours at a miserable play, on a miserable night in a large empty theatre, I returned home, and retired supperless, sad and weary, to my bed. For some hours I tossed about in a bitter impatience, not winning sleep by any struggle or stratagem. At length my thoughts began to die away in drowsiness, but not till I had taken many a classical stretch of the legs over the long desired bed, "composed my decent limbs, and breathed" aloud. Catullus surely deserves immortality, if only for that glorious line which records the luxurious enjoyment,—

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"Desideratoque acquiescimus lecto."

1 As oblivion came gradually over my mind; as the glittering dresses began to fade away from my eyes; the fiddles to "give half ashamed one tiny flourish still;" the double drum to roll its parchment, thunder in dying echoes over my ear; the audience in the pit and boxes to admire themselves and hiss the actors; and the gods in the gallery " to keep the dreadful pother o'er our heads;" as the lamps of my recollection went down, and nature rung the bell of sleep, and dropped the curtain over my lulled senses; then I dreamed myself out of this world into those happy shades where all the dead philosophers, and poets, and men of wit about town wander perpetually, and hold intellectual conversations. I fancied myself freed at once from the errors and irksomeness of this world, and enjoying the high golden society in the next. I

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