bable, to justify an inquiry into the direct evidence by which it is supported. For the purpose of comparing mental faculties with cerebral development, it is necessary to shew, 1st, That the mental qualities of individuals can be discovered; and, 2dly, That the size of different parts of the brain can be ascertained during life.

1st, Discrimination of mental Dispositions and Talents.In regard to the Feelings, men praetised in the business of life have observed, that one individual is strongly addicted to covetousness,-another to cruelty,-another to benevolence, another to pride,-another to vanity; and they are accustomed to regard these dispositions as natural, uniform, and permanent. They have never believed, that a man, by an effort of the will, can totally change his nature, or that the true character is so little manifested, that a person may be prone to benevolence to-day, who yesterday was addicted to avarice; that one who is now sinking in the lowest abasement of self-humiliation in his own eyes, may to-morrow become conceited, confident and proud; or that to-day an individual may be deaf to the voice of censure or of fame, who yesterday was tremblingly alive to every breath that was blown upon his character. Nay, they have even regarded these dispositions as independent of one another, and separable; for they have often found that the possession of one was not accompanied with the presence of the whole. Hence, in addressing any individual, they have been in the custom of modifying their conduct, according to their previous knowledge of his dispositions or genius, obtained by observing his actions. To the covetous man they address one motive; to the benevolent another; to the proud a third; and to the vain a fourth. When they wish to move such individuals to act, they speak to the first, of his personal interest; to the second, of the pleasure of doing good; to the third, of the necessity of preserving his own dignity; and to the fourth, of the great praise that will attend the performance of the action recommended.

As to intellectual endowments, a person who has heard, for the most fleeting moment, the bursts of melody which flow from the throat of CATALANI, cannot be deceived as to the fact of her possessing a great endowment of the faculty of Tune; he who has listened but for a few minutes to the splendid eloquence of CHALMERS, can have no doubt that he is gifted with Ideality; and he who has studied the writings of Dr THOMAS BROWN, cannot hesitate as to his having manifested profound discriminative and analytie talent. In surveying the prodigies performed by some individuals in mechanics, poetry, painting, and sculpture, it is equally impossible to doubt the existence of particular powers, conferring capacities for excelling in these different branches of art. It is equally easy to find individuals, in whom these various powers are as indubitably deficient. Hence the difficulties of determining the existence of particular intellectual talents, and their degrees of strength, are not unsurmountable; especially if extreme cases be sought for, and these, as the instantia ostentiva, ought to be first resorted to. Men of observation have acted on these principles without hesitation, and without injury to themselves. They have not designed for the orchestra, the individual whom they found incapable of distinguishing betwixt a rude noise and a melodious sound, on the notion, that "a genius for music" might be "acquired by habits of study or of business." They do not place in difficult situations, requiring great penetration and much sagacity, individuals who cannot trace consequences beyond the stretch of three ideas nor do they conceive, that a man, who has no intellectual capacity to-day, may become a genius to-morrow, or in ten years hence, by an effort of the will.

They, no doubt, have always observed, that the faculties are developed in succession; that the child is not in possession of the powers of the full grown man; and that, hence, a boy may be dull at ten, who may turn out a genius at twenty years of age, when his powers are fully unfolded by time. But they do not imagine that every boy may be

pre

made a genius, by habits of study or of business; nor believe, that, after the faculties are fully developed, any individual may, by exertions of the will, become great in a department of philosophy or science, for which he had viously no natural capacity. They have observed, that cultivation strengthens powers, in themselves vigorous; but they have not found that education can render emi nently energetic, dispositions or capacities which nature has created feeble. On the other hand, they have remarked, that, where Nature has bestowed a powerful disposition or capacity of a particular kind, it will hold the predominant sway in the character during life, notwithstanding every effort to eradicate or subdue it. They have noticed, too, that where Nature has bestowed, in an eminent degree, the faculties which constitute genius, the individual will manifest his native superiority, in spite of great obstacles arising from circumstances or situation. The lives of poets, painters, and artists, in every age, display examples of the truth of this observation.

An individual, no doubt, may do particular actions, or even for a time follow a course of action, the same in external appearance, from different internal motives. But few men can pass their whole lives in disguise, or acquire the art of acting in the business and enjoyments of life, so habitually and so skilfully, as not to allow their true characters to appear to those who are placed in a favourable situation to observe them; or, if there be persons who do possess this power of dissimulation, it forms the predominant feature in their mental constitution; and, as will afterwards be shewn, it is indicated by a particular form of organization. But, farther, let it be observed, that it is only in so far as the propensities and sentiments of our nature are concerned, that disguise is possible, even in a single case. In every act that depends on the knowing and reflecting faculties, it is absolutely impracticable. No man can either write logical discourses, or trace profoundly an abstract principle, who has not powerful reflecting faculties. No one

can compose exquisite music, who has not the faculty of Tune, or write exquisite poetry, who has not the sentiment of Ideality. When, therefore, we perceive, even with the most transient glance, such acts to be performed, we have evidence, insuperable and irresistible, of the existence of the faculties which produce them.

These opinious have been entertained by persons conversant with society, not in consequence of logical deduction or metaphysical investigations, but from the observation of plain facts, presented to the cognizance of their understandings.

Thus fortified, I venture to conclude that the first point is established in favour of Phrenology, viz. that it is possible, by accurate, patient, and continued observation of actions, to discover the true dispositions and capacities which individuals possess. As this philosophy is founded on a comparison betwixt the manifestations of these faculties, and the development of the brain, the second point to be ascertained is, Whether it be possible, in general, to discover the true form of the brain, by observing the figure of the head.

OF THE BRAIN, CEREBELLUM, AND SKULL.

THE Anatomy of the Brain is minutely described by Dr SPURZHEIM, in his anatomical work. It is not indispensably necessary, although highly advantageous, to become acquainted with it, in order to become a practical phrenologist. A brief description of its general appearance will suffice to convey an idea of it to the non-medical reader. The proper subjects for observation are healthy individuals below the middle period of life. The brain, stript of its outer covering the dura mater, is represented in figures 1. and 2. These figures and the accompanying descriptions, are not intended for anatomical purposes; the sole object of them is to convey some conception of the appearance of the brain, to readers who have no opportunity of seeing it in

nature.

Figure 1. represents the upper surface of the brain, stript of membrane; the skull, through the middle part of which a horizontal sec. tion is made, surrounds it. The front is at A; and the line A B is the division between the two hemispheres. A strong membrane called the falciform process of the dura mater, represented on page 78, de. scends into it; and forms the partition. It goes down only about two-thirds of the depth; below which the two hemispheres are joined together by fibres which cross, forming what is called the corpus callosum. The waving lines are the convolutions, the furrows between which descend from half an inch to an inch in depth, When water collects in the internal parts they are unfolded, and the brain presents a uniform surface of great extent. The parts seen in this figure are all composed externally of cineritious substance.

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