tachment to his old master, well tried probity, and general worth of every sort, cannot hesitate a moment in giving impli cit credence to his report, and in being satisfied that it would not be exaggerated, but rather understated, and the examples of bad temper either concealed or apologised for. His son I believe to be equally trustworthy. I am, &c.

66

I am authorized to communicate to Mr Craig the name of the writer of this letter.

The public will now form their own judgment on the case.

G. C.

23d November 1836.

ARTICLE XI.

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS.

"

Statistics of Phrenology.-Since the publication of the work bearing this title, several communications have been made to me, which tend to shew that the actual strength of phrenologists in numbers, is under-estimated in the work. Thus, in London, there is "The Anthropological Society," including thirty-eight members, and the society of Phrenological Inquirers," comprehending forty-five members. Phrenological societies or classes have also been formed in several places additional to those mentioned in the work, as at Paisley, Berwick, and Southampton. And I am further informed of phrenologists in different towns of which no notice was made. I shall feel greatly obliged by any other communications of this kind, and will make public the particulars, when collected, in a supplemental sheet, or some other form. It is obviously for the advantage of Phrenology that the full numerical strength of its adherents should be known; and on this account I do not hesitate in earnestly requesting phrenologists to forward the publicity of circumstances calculated to answer such end. Great caution, however, is requisite that no over-estimate of numbers be made.-While alluding to the "Statistics," I take advantage of the opportunity for correcting a slight error in allusion to Liverpool. Mr Levison's lectures were delivered in December 1833, not in January 1836. This gentleman is anxious that the correction should be made, but it would not interest other persons to enter into any explanation as to the cause of the mistaken date.-H. C. W.

Function of Wit.-I have seen three cases of living individuals which strongly tend to corroborate the views of Spurzheim, and it may be that the examples adduced by Mr Scott and myself

in former volumes of the Phrenological Journal, are the manifestations of Wit and Causality combined. We want an exact analysis of the manifestations of Causality taken by itself; almost every example cited by phrenological writers appears to involve other organs in united activity, particularly Time and Eventuality.-H. C. W.

Recent Attacks on Phrenology.-Two periodicals, which are widely known and circulated, have just published attacks on Phrenology." The Quarterly advocate of despotic principles is fast receding from the advancing intelligence of the age, writes Mr Babbage; and its opposition to Phrenology will be held by many to be recommendatory, or a sort of implied admission that the science is calculated to improve mankind. There seems no reason to doubt that the Review is still read by some antique gentlemen, but as these persons never would become phrenologists, the attack will be quite harmless, both to the science and to the Review. It is somewhat otherwise with Tait's Magazine. It may possibly encourage some few persons in their prejudices against Phrenology; but, looking to the class in which Tait chiefly circulates, it needs no great foresight to predict that any injurious consequences from its antiphrenological effusions in the October number will fall upon the pecuniary matters of the Magazine itself, and not upon the phrenological works which it is pleased to condemn. Here I am strongly tempted to ask the editors of the Phrenological Journal to allow ine to point out an example of the egregious blunders committed by critics destitute of any proper key to human character. The writer of the notice in Tait discovers proofs of the "bump" of credulity being very large in the author of the "Statistics of Phrenology." Never was there a more unlucky guess. So far is the author of that work from being liberally endowed with credulity, that, while yet in his teens, he had acquired the nicknames of Sceptic" and "Caviller," in his own family and acquaintance-names not applied with reference to religious opinions, but on account of an excessive tendency to doubt and question every proposition set before him, until furnished with some good grounds or proof whereon to let it rest. The mental peculiarity, which procured for him such little-coveted appellations, still inheres; and assuredly no phrenologist could criticise the "Statistics of Phrenology," or any other work by the same writer, without discovering that very prominent mental feature, which the unphrenological critic in Tait has been altogether unable to detect. Such is criticism by persons destitute of any key to human character! As to Tait's notice in other respects, it is written with smartness and some point; but a phrenologist will certainly not discover a large "bump" of Conscientiousness in the head of the writer. A little bump of

this kind would have prevented that notice being made the vehicle of circulating Mr Scott's glaring misstatement about Mr Combe's remarks on the habits of society being at variance with the precepts of Christianity; and it might also have prevented some other one-sided comments. The author of the "Statistics," however, will easily forgive the irony applied to himself, and will assure the writer of the notice that the strength of phrenologists is understated in the book in question.-H. C. W.

Faculty of Imitation.-Sir,-Conceiving that the following case, which I have found to-day in looking over Dr Plot's "Natural History of Staffordshire" (1686), p. 284, might interest you in a phrenological point of view, as exhibiting an extreme instance of morbid action in the organ of Imitation, I have taken the liberty of sending you a copy of the story as given in the author's own words. The case appears to have been originally published in the Philosophical Transactions, No. 129.

But when this imitating quality is so very strong that it becomes involuntary, as it is in Donald Monro of Scrachbogie, in Scotland, who pulls off his hat, and puts it on, wipes his nose, wrings his hands, stretches forth his arms, and imitates all other actions he sees other men doe, though much against his will, with so much exactness, and such a natural and unaffected an air, that no man can suspect he does it with designe, and yet with so strong an impulse (as the reverend and learned Dr Gordon informs us) that if his hands be held, he cannot forbeare pressing to get himself free to doe the same thing. Nay, so contrary to his mind does he ape these motions, that to hide his infirmity, he casts down his eyes when he walks the streets, and turns them away when in company, wherein too 'tis hard to make him stay, once he finds himself observed."-I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, JAMES Y. SIMPSON, M. D.

Edinburgh, 2 Teviot Row, Aug. 22. 1836.

Letter to the Editor.-Mr Editor,-In a town that must be nameless, I lately heard a gentleman say that the things you publish as facts are not facts. As this gentleman is supposed to be a philosopher, I did not think it becoming in me to contradict him; so I very respectfully inquired which were not facts. The gentleman opened his mouth, and shook his chin, and stammered, and twisted about on his chair, but not a syllable could he utter; and he looked so very uneasy, that all my respect was changed into pity, and I began to talk about the rainy weather; and then, all at once, he sat quite still, and talked very nicely without stammering at all. Now, Mr Editor, it is my private opinion (which I will tell you) that the gentleman would not have got out any answer to my question if I had waited an hour for it. Don't you think so too? I am, Mr Editor, with great regard, yours,

MARIA.

The Athenæum, October 22. 1836.-The literary criticisms in this periodical are usually written with judgment, and by well-informed persons; but a lamentable want of knowledge of human nature is betrayed by several of its contributors, whenever their lucubrations relate to man and mind. In such cases, their remarks, if not the merest commonplaces, are either idle and unprofitable guesses or downright blunders, partially veiled in a flimsy tissue of verbiage. The following passage affords an example of sounding words, destitute of any clear meaning or practical instruction:-" Wonderful are the powers of the microscope, opening to our eyes a new world of being, and bringing us acquainted with forms and modes of existence, of which heretofore we had no conception or apprehension. But is there no moral microscope, by means of which we may look more deeply into the human heart, and see more closely the current of human thoughts, and the working of human feelings? Yes, sympathy, by means of which humanity is opened to us, and we are brought to the knowledge of mental emotions and characteristics quite as interesting, and as much, generally, overlooked as those forms of physical existence which are revealed to us by the aid of the microscope; and thus we learn that the moral world is as full of active thoughts and feelings as the material world is of curious and beautiful forms of existence." With some truth might we term Phrenology a moral microscope, by means of which " humanity is opened to us," and we are brought to a knowledge of mental characteristics generally overlooked." But who, while awake, ever thought of calling "sympathy" a moral microscope, and attributing any elucidatory power to a mere word of such vague generality and varying sense, that out of any dozen persons asked about it, probably not two would represent its meaning to themselves by the same kind of ideas! The passage is given under the original papers," and with the title of "Extracts from the Note-Book of a Solitary Thinker." The author need have no fear that any one will claim its originality; and it may be suggested that such a "moral microscope" could be used only in solitude, being a microscope which shews us nothing but the peculiarities of self, and can teach us nothing whatever of that which is only external to self. Whether the original thinker is the same self-complacent gentleman who sneered at "cerebral geography" a few weeks before, I cannot pretend to say. Perhaps not, but I will take the liberty of recommending him to peruse a dreamy lucubration on "Characteristics," which appeared in the Edinburgh Review five or six years ago, and then to peruse any phrenological exposition of mental characteristics of equal length; and, after reading both, he may decide whether he can gain most knowledge from direct observa

tions on society and individuals, or from empty speculations based on solitary thought. H. C. W.

Letter to the Editor.—Mr Editor,-You have given a review of Mr William Scott's "Harmony of Phrenology with Christianity," which may be called suitable to the real value, or want of value, of the book; but which is not suitable to the injury it is likely to do weak minds. You ought to have pointed out some instances of its" perversions and misrepresentations." I beg to call the attention of your readers to one example of a most pitiful attempt to excite religious feeling against Mr Combe. On page 46 Mr Scott writes, "I may here take notice of a passage which occurs almost at the outset of Mr Combe's introductory chapter, The sceptic has advanced arguments against religion, and crafty deceivers have in all ages founded systems of superstition on the disorder and inconsistency which are too readily admitted to be inseparable attri butes of human existened on earth." Mr Scott pretends to think that Christ and his disciples were intended to be included amongst the "crafty deceivers ;" and says, that Mr Combe "is certainly bound to explain what was his meaning." With all deference, I think Mr Scott is bound to ask pardon of Mr Combe and all his own readers, for thus endeavouring to injure the one and deceive the others. By the use of capital and italic letters he has drawn the reader's attention from the words "sceptic" and "in all ages," which clearly shew that Mi Combe had only human fictious and superstitions in view, of which so many hundred "systems" are now in the world, and have been through "all ages" of which we possess any historical notices. The idea of calling Christ a "crafty deceiver" is so completely at variance with his whole recorded actions, that no one could think of seriously doing so; even if refusing to allow his divine origin, or divine commission. Mr Scott says, that Mr Combe has here "not sufficiently guarded himself against misconstruction." A blank page would be the only guard against Mr Scott's misconstructions. I am, &c., A PHRENOLOGIST.

Aristotle's Opinions concerning the Functions of Different Parts of the Brain. To GEORGE COMBE, Esq.-Sir,-Although I have not studied the subject of Phrenology, and probably, on that account, cannot be properly called a phrenologist, in the ordinary acceptation of the term; yet, having lately met with a singular passage apparently bearing on the point, I thought if you had not already fallen in with it, you might be pleased to It occurs in a small volume in my possession, printed about the beginning of the 16th century, containing, besides certain pieces of Albertus Magnus, &c., one entitled "Pro

see it.