ARTICLE VII. PREDOMINANCE OF CERTAIN ORGANS IN THE BRITISH POETS.-NO. 2. In a late American edition of the works of Oliver Goldsmith, edited by Washington Irving, is a fair engraving of the author, by J. B. Longacre, from a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds, whose accuracy in likenesses, added to his own intimacy with the poet, induces an entire reliance upon its faithfulness. In this engraving, the os frontis is finely developed. But the attention is chiefly arrested by the extraordinary protrusion of the organ of Locality, whose function, phrenology supposes, imparts the love and desire for travel. Now, if there be any one trait more strongly marked than another, in the author of the "Traveller"-if there be a fact of his personal history more strongly impressed upon the memory of his admirers than another-it is that well-authenticated one of his having actually accomplished the tour of Europe on foot !-of having, in spite of innumerable obstacles, of want of friends, influence, and money, and, as he himself terms it, "want of impudence," gratified the imperious demands of this organ by strolling from one end of Europe to the other, even when a smattering skill upon a flute constituted his principal means of support. That the inconveniences, the countless deprivations, and innumerable mortifications, attendant upon such a vagabond life, should have been incurred, and voluntarily incurred, by a man of education and refined taste, by one of his peculiar sensitiveness, is by no means a common occurrence, even among the eccentric class of men to which, as a poet and man of genius, he belongs. So unconquerable was this propensity for wandering, that even after he had attained an enviable rank among the greatest writers of his age, his restlessness, and great anxiety for further travel, formed a prominent feature in his character.-The well-known vanity of the poet may be ascribed to morbid Approbativeness. His selfish faculties, as a class, were rather small; and his utter want of common prudence, is in harmony with the fact. But he also possessed, according to this engraving, strong social feelings; he had much of that organisation which phrenology says creates a love of home, and its kindred pleasures. How, then, it may be inquired, does this agree with the predominance of an opposing faculty? Let the poet himself reconcile the apparent contradiction in the following lines: "In all my wanderings round this world of care, I still had hopes, my latest hours to crown,- Among the swains to show my book-learn'd skill,—— And as a hare, whom horns and hounds pursue, All the likenesses of the poet Thompson indicate, besides large Ideality and perception, an unusual endowment of the organ of Language; and his great prodigality in the use of the latter faculty, has been the chief target for the arrows of criticism. Dr. Johnson was accustomed, when any one was growing enthusiastic about the author of the “ Seasons," to seize the poet's great work, read a favourite passage, and after it had been warmly eulogised, inform the company that he had omitted every other line. Though this smacks somewhat of the occasional injustice of the great lexicographer, it is not the less true that many passages may be found in the "Seasons" so exceedingly amplified, that entire lines can be expunged, with little injury to the sense or beauty of the paragraph. The following lines may be cited, rather, however, to show how unjust Johnson's criticism might sometimes have been, though in the main correct. Upon the subject of disinterested goodness, the pot sings "But to the generous, still improving mind, [That gives the hopeless heart to sing for joy,] [Boastless as now descends the silent dew,] The lines enclosed may be removed, certainly, without much affecting the mere sense of the passage; but who, for the sake of condensation, would wish away "Boastless as now descends the silent dew," Many that truly poetical image of unostentatious benevolence. passages could be selected from the "Seasons," to which Johnson's criticism would much more justly apply, but the task is ungracious, and it is left for those who find equal pleasure in detecting faults as in discovering beauties-for those who will wander through whole gardens, amid flowers of every hue and fragrance, to pluck an ugly weed, almost smothered in their sweets. The head of the poet Gray, in an engraving now before me, was full in size, of delicate temperament, and well developed in the perceptive region; Ideality is not large. The poetry of this author is essentially that of the man of talent, and refined taste, as contrasted with the man of genius; his imagery is generally referable to the cullings of the scholar who had wandered over every field of past literature, selecting with ingenuity, and afterwards combining with fancy and feeling. He wrote but little poetry-his poetical writings scarcely filling a small volume; was all his life a student, constantly adding to his stores of knowledge, which were various and profound, but he produced little; and but for his correspondence, and the testimony of his friends, the world would have known comparatively nothing of his attainments. When we would praise him, we resort to the "Elegy in a Country Church-Yard;" his "odes are oftener praised than read. His great acquirements are in striking harmony with his large perceptive faculties, which were manifested through his life, while his small volume of poetry indicates smaller Ideality. W. MISCELLANY. Boston Phrenological Society-This society held its anniversary meeting on Tuesday evening, December 31st, 1839, on which occasion George Combe, Esq., delivered an address. The circumstances connected with the origin of this society-being formed immediately after the death of Dr. Spurzheim, as well as holding its anniversary partly to commemorate his birth, and having accidentally present the greatest living advocate of the science-were calculated to render the exercises peculiarly interesting. As we are not yet informed whether this address is to be published, and finding a brief notice of it in the Boston Mercantile Journal, of January 2d, we are induced to copy it in part. "In this address, Mr. Combe referred to the freedom which the citizens of this country enjoyed-thus presenting a favourable soil for the growth of philosophy-and contrasted the liberty enjoyed here, with the despotism of Europe, as exhibited in the conduct of the Emperor of Austria to Dr. Gall, the founder of phrenology, and the enmity of Napoleon to a system of mental philosophy which tended to show the true operations of the human mind. He spoke of the inactivity of the Boston Phrenological Society at the present time, and ascribed it to the same cause which had produced a similar effect on like institutions in Europe, viz. a disposition to confine its operations exclusively to the practical and theoretical part of the science, and to neglect the application of its great principles to the more important purposes of life. "He dwelt at some length on the importance of teaching children the principles of phrenology, and thought it might be taught with advantage in our public schools. By giving them clear ideas of the connection between the mind and body-a knowledge of the local situation of the mental organs-the functions of those organs-their uses and abuseschildren, even at an early age, could be made to co-operate with their parents and teachers in promoting their own education. In this way, good children would be rendered better, and bad children would become less bad. He well recollected how difficult he found it in childhood to determine what was right. His passions urged him on the one hand, and his moral sentiments on the other-and even if his better feelings prevailed, he seldom enjoyed the satisfaction of believing it to be a triumph of virtue. He described in just and forcible terms the great contrast which was found in the lessons of the Bible, and in the language and events of profane history; and the importance of phrenology in learning a child to discriminate between the right and the wrong; and to regard iu their true character the actions of a hero and a conqueror. It would show him that, by the existence of the moral sentiments, it is plain that man is adapted to Christianity, and that by a close adherence to the laws of the Creator, he may realise virtue, intelligence, and enjoyment. "He spoke of the effect of phrenology on religion-and exposed the fallacy of the idea which some persons entertained, that phrenology might tend to supersede religion. He believed that, like the discoveries of the compass and printing, the discovery of the true philosophy of the mind was destined to form a new era in Christianity. He explained the importance, among a people who were often called upon to act at a moment's warning in difficult and important cases, of having an instrument of moral analysis, prompt and correct, which would never fail them-and this he took phrenology to be. It would deprive the unjust man of his power, the unprincipled demagogue of his influence, and would prove a handmaid to religion. "Mr. Combe alluded in a very feeling manner to Dr. Gall, the founder of phrenology, who, in his youth, disregarded the allurements of ambition and fortune, to devote himself to the science of mind. On the 9th of January, 1802, Dr. Gall addressed a petition to the emperor of Germany, explaining his doctrines, and requesting permission to teach them to his fellow-citizens. In this petition, he said that his doctrines would triumph-that no power on earth could prevent their success. He was forbidden to explain his doctrines, and went into voluntary banishment; and now both of these individuals slept in death-but where was phrenology? It prospered in France, and England, and in this country, and was conferring immense advantages on mankind. Francis of Germany, stripped of his crown, was but an ordinary individual; but Dr. Gall would stand forth in history the equal, at least, of Galileo, Harvey, and Newton, and was destined to occupy a niche in the temple of fame, more illustrious than either of those eminent benefactors of mankind. Even Napoleon could not triumph over Gall. He was bitterly opposed to his doctrines during his life-but the cast of his head was one of the strongest proofs of the truth of Dr. Gall's opinions-and Napoleon dead, was constrained to pay homage to Dr. Gall. "Mr. Combe paid a beautiful tribute to the memory of Spurzheim'his teacher, his friend, and his benefactor.' He spoke of his monument at Mount Auburn-of the beauty of the design and execution, and the appropriateness of the inscription, viz. the single word 'SPURZHEIMand he said that posterity would connect with it the name of WILLIAM STURGIS, upon whom he had called that very day, to express to him the gratitude he felt, for his noble conduct in erecting this monument to the memory of that great philosopher." A Test of Practical Phrenology.-In the fall of 1837, there occurred in the city of New York an interesting case where the truth and application of phrenology were tested by a practical examination. The results of the experiment were drawn up and published at the time, by a gentleman who is connected with the New York press, and is well known to the public. The account, as then published in one of the city papers, read as follows:-"A few days since, in company with a friend, we took Mr. O. S. Fowler, to examine the head of a person who was then in waiting close by. Mr. Fowler had no kind of knowledge of the person, either of his age, habits, or character; and he readily consented to make the examination blindfolded, while the individual was not to speak during the time. Indeed, the person to be examined and Mr. F. were entire strangers, and had no imaginable knowledge of each other; and the former, by the way, was a firm disbeliever in the science of phrenology. A gentleman present, who was also a disbeliever in the science, took down the examination of Mr. Fowler in his own words. It was as follows: "This gentleman has a most astonishing memory of almost every thing he has seen, read, or heard. He is by nature a scholar of the highest order. Has an unquenchable thirst for information--reads every thing he can lay his hands on, especially if it is in history or literature. Has a remarkable faculty for acquiring a vast amount of knowledge in a very short time. His faculty not only for collecting knowledge, but for concentrating it together, is astonishing. This is one of his intellectual forts-can learn to talk a language by hearing it, in a very short time. I am certain that he is a natural linguist of the first class. "He is enterprising in a high degree-can be discouraged by no amount of obstacles. He is cheerful, and considered witty; his remarks take admirably, and produce much laughter; his wit does not take as well when written as when he talks it, because he acts it cut so, that be creates and keeps up a constant burst of laughter. His imitative power is great, makes himself all things to all men. He is pre-eminently social, and has an excessive fondness for the society of friends. He loves children and pets, and although exceedingly fond of travelling, loves home better. His mind dwells patiently upon every subject which engages it, till he has thoroughly finished the matter in hand. He has strong reverential feeling for the Deity, but is deficient in Conscientiousness, and would act from expediency, rather than from a sense of duty. Go where he will, he is very popular, and is regarded as one of the best hearted men any where to be found.' "Thus far the description of Mr. Fowler. When it was concluded, the bandage was taken from his eyes, and he was introduced to the celebrated Professor Seixas, one of the most distinguished oriental scholars of the present age. Mr. Seixas, it is well known, though little over thirty years of age, has mastered, besides the ordinary classics, the Hebrew, Arabic, Chaldee, Persian, Syriac, and we know not how many other oriental, to say nothing of the German and other modern languages. And all these he has acquired without any instructions, not having attended any school since he was eleven years old. He is, also, the author of a Hebrew Grammar, a Chaldee Manual, and, we believe, has prepared for the press an Arabic and Syriac Manual; and, also, a Hebrew Concordance, which he informed us he had prepared, de novo, from his own knowledge of the Hebrew Bible. He coinmitted the whole of the Hebrew Bible to memory when only eighteen years of age; and acquired a knowledge of the Latin language by first committing to |