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Downton Castle, the editor has a judicious remark upon the account of Mr. Knight written by Dr. Lindley. The passage runs thus: "He soon showed great powers of observation and reflection; and acquired his first love of botanical science in the idle days previous to his entrance at Ludlow School. We follow Dr. Lindley in calling them idle;' though possibly, had his active mind been vitiated by ordinary scholastic training, it might have been depressed beyond the power of subsequent good management." We rejoice to see another journal thus adding its protest against the book-cramming of children.

IV. NOTES ON OPINIONS.

Phrenology and Materialism." The phenomena of childhood, youth, maturity, and old age, afford considerable evidence in favour of the material nature of mind; but that afforded by Phrenology appears to me irresistible. Phrenology proves that mind cannot exist without brain, that a certain conformation of brain is uniformly accompanied by certain mental dispositions, that when the brain is injured, so, too, is the mind, and that as the brain decays, so does the mind. Now, when a certain circumstance constantly follows another equally certain, when the one never takes place without the occurrence of the other, the conclusion is legitimate, that the two stand to each other in the rotation of cause and effect. This is a fundamental principle of all experimental philosophy. If, then, we find this connexion between mind and matter, why, in this single instance, depart from a principle to whose guidance we trust in all others? And here, I cannot but animadvert on what I consider the culpable weakness of phrenologists, in endeavouring to explain away a part of the evidences of their science, by means totally uncalled for, and unworthy of philosophers. Let the truth be boldly stated; Phrenology does lead to materialism."— A correspondent, in the Sheffield Iris, June 26. 1838.

Note. Whilst a large portion of the public remains prejudiced against Phrenology, and so many persons of some influence still find it expedient to misrepresent a science against which they have hastily committed themselves, we must think it an injudicious course in phrenologists, thus to mix up

Phrenology with another question which is in itself a far greater bug-a-boo to the ignorant. As we differ widely from the correspondent of the Iris, whose words we have quoted, in regard to our own conceptions, even of the mere signification properly to be attached to the words Mind, Soul and Materialism; and as we think that our own view better accords with truth, is more calculated to clear up the difficulty, and to allay prejudices, we shall endeavour to convey it in the form of simple.

sentences.

1. Mind is not soul. Phrenology teaches us nothing about the soul. We must look to Revelation alone for any instruction about the nature and destination of the soul. (The correspondent of the Iris seems to identify mind and soul as one.)

2. Mind is not the name of any existent being, either generally or individually. It is a term to indicate collectively certain acts or states called mental. In application, it may be considered analogous to the terms respiration, digestion, sensation, or motion; terms which indicate actions only, and not beings. (The term mentalation might be advantageously substituted for that of mind.)

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3. If materialism mean that the soul is a being composed of matter, Phrenology and materialism can have no connexion; because Phrenology discloses nothing about the soul.

4. If materialism mean that the mind is a being composed of matter, it is a denial that the definition of the nature of mind, above given, is philosophically correct. To us this denial appears equally absurd, as would be a denial that respiration is an action, by asserting it to be a being composed of matter, or the same of sensation, or motion, or digestion.

5. If materialism mean only a belief that matter is capable of becoming an instrument for feeling and thinking, this must be the creed of all consistent physiologists, including phrenologists.

6. In no other sense, than the last, can materialism and Phrenology be properly connected. But it is general physiology that "leads to materialism in this sense. Phrenologists must adopt the creed, if true in general physiology.

Fact or Fancy? "Great Britain, loaded with an unprecedented debt, and with a grinding taxation, contracted a new debt of a hundred millions of dollars, to give freedom, not to Englishmen, but to the degraded African: I know not that history records a national act so disinterested, so sublime!" Dr. Channing." After all, remember, Mr. Slick, that the slavetrade is abolished; that the people of England were content to

pay twenty millions of money to accomplish their purpose, and that alone we did it.'"- Athenæum, July, 1838.

Note. That there are "two ways of telling a story," is an every-day remark of every-day people. The way in which we Englishmen are complimented by Dr. Channing, and compliment ourselves by the pen of the Athenæum Reviewer of Mr. Sam Slick, is one way; but we cannot help thinking that a second way would be nearer to truth. If the British Government had proclaimed the design of converting slavery into its modified form of apprenticeship, for a few years, preparatory to its ultimate extinction, provided twenty millions of money were forthwith raised by voluntary subscription, would that sum have been raised? If not, was the "national act so disinterested, so sublime," as Dr. Channing believes? And were the people of England really "content" to pay the money? We apprehend not. An outcry was raised for immediate abolition of slavery. Our Government could not resist it longer. But the ministers and their supporters felt an immense counter pressure from interested parties; and to escape the two forces, they granted the abolition in prospect, to the press on one side, and bought off the other side by the money, which the petitioners for abolition did not particularly wish to give them. That this proceeding on the part of our Government was the right proceeding in a moral sense, must be fairly allowed, and it is a fine example of what is morally right being also sound policy; for by no other course, probably, could they have appeased both parties. Whatever credit England can claim for this act, it is due to the Legislature, as umpire, not to the people at large. Had the abolitionists themselves been canvassed singly, we believe that full three-fourths would have refused to give the compensation, and those who were indifferent or hostile to emancipation would have done the same. The people submitted to the decision of Government, and that was all. Though party interests, doubtless, much influenced our rulers, in this termination of the contest, we are willing to believe that the sense of moral right also had its influence with many of them.

V. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS.

The Exhibition of the Royal Academy - Busts of Queen Victoria Professor Turner-Charles Rossi-John Reeve.We procrastinated our visit to this year's exhibition so long, as at last to get only a hasty glance after the eleventh hour was far gone. In the room for sculpture, the bust of her Majesty stood conspicuous. The artist has represented a large development of Form, Language, and Eventuality, with considerable Individuality: the rest of the forehead is in moderate development. The head is represented as wide in the direction of Constructiveness; but artists take such liberties with reality in imitating the configuration of heads, except in the front, that it is almost useless to notice them. Possibly her Majesty may one day submit to the manipulations of a phrenologist. In the bust of the late Professor Turner, Form, Individuality and Locality are very large; but we think our correspondent, Mr. Henry, in last Number of this Journal, has rather overestimated the rest of the intellect, particularly Causality and Colour. The head is only of moderate dimensions in the whole, the observing intellectual organs being the most strikingly developed part of it. We remarked a very large development of the lower part of the forehead, with the upper and lateral parts moderate, in Mr. Rossi, sculptor in ordinary to their late Majesties George IV. and William IV. The bust of Mr. Reeve, the late comedian, is remarkable for very large Eventuality, and a considerable development of the organs immediately adjacent. This is frequently seen in comedians : accuracy of observation seems to be equally essential to them, as is the tendency to imitate.

Cast of Jeremy Bentham. We have a cast of Bentham's head, in which the knowing organs are large, and the reflecting organs only full. Love of Approbation is enormous, and Concentrativeness only full. Mr. Combe; in reference to the paragraph on page 332 of last Number.- [The portrait of Bentham, given in Tait's edition of his works, corresponds with the cast mentioned by Mr. Combe. The pretended cast, sold in London, is doubtless a "fancy piece." The influence of great Love of Approbation is strikingly displayed in some of Bentham's works.]

Notes on the Musical Faculties. Tune or Melody doubtless consists of distinct elements, as shewn by your able correspond

ent in No. 54. Hitherto the different powers have been considered as manifestations of one faculty, exactly as though we had mingled the varied powers of Form, Size, &c. and called the faculty" Drawing;" when the same uncertainty must have prevailed as now besets us concerning Tune. Your correspondent is, I think, quite correct in stating the A B C of melody to consist in Pitch and Duration. Now we have two primitive faculties for these two powers, and yet have thrown the other parts of melody, the DEF and G upon Pitch, without attempting to assign them a locality, though I think equally distinct powers. A few facts will perhaps further illustrate my views. Some boys will, almost as soon as they commence learning, tune a violin with equal facility to many old practitioners; but owing to deficient time, force, or quality, can never play well. Others, who really cannot tune the instrument (owing, I think, to deficient sense of pitch) will, when it is tuned, make it discourse most excellent music; excelling in execution or sweetness in proportion, possibly, to the development of the organs of force or quality. Our public professors of music almost all display peculiar excellencies. Our first English female vocalist, notwithstanding her great manifestations of force and quality, is decidedly less favoured as regards pitch. Her biographers state that her ear was naturally bad, and that she could only be brought to sing in tune, after most severe practice. Musicians now know she is not always sure as regards pitch; that is, she sometimes sings out of tune. The same might be said of many others. Notice the different styles of flute-playing in the late Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Drouet. I could multiply examples to an endless extent. I am myself deficient in pitch, but have a vivid sensibility to quality. I regret that present avocations do not afford me any opportunities for observing the whereabout of the different organs, which I believe to exist. May not the different appearances, of what has been called the organ of Tune, in celebrated musicians, lead some better qualified phrenologist than myself to infer, by a comparison between the powers of individuals and the development, the different locales, if there really be such? Mr. W. J. Vernon. [We beg that phrenologists will not believe any cerebral organs to exist, until they have ample proofs of them. He who begins by supposing a necessity for some special organ, and then proceeds to seek it in the head, is in a fair way of misleading himself, and is setting a bad example to others. Mr. Vernon's recommendation of studying the different external appearances corresponding to the organ of Tune, in connexion with musical talent, is very deserving of attention.]

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