ARTICLE II. NATURAL DISPOSITIONS AND TALENTS INFERRED FROM A CAST; WITH SUBSEQUENT CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO SOME OF THEIR PECULIARITIES. ON 13th February 1833, Mr B, a gentleman who resides at a distance from Edinburgh, transmitted to Mr Robert Cox, a phrenologist in that city, a cast of a head, in which the lower part of the face did not appear. The only particulars communicated were, that the cast was a very accurate representation of the head of a well-educated gentleman, aged 30. The letter of Mr B- thus concludes:-" I hope you will send me, at your earliest convenience, an analysis of the gentleman's character, as deduced from his head. He is a good subject for phrenological investigation, as his character is, in many particulars, a well marked one. Perhaps Mr Simpson also would not object to try his hand, seeing he was so singularly successful in the two former instances." The following cuts will give a general idea of the appearance of the cast: இழு The cast was examined by Messrs Simpson and Cox, and the following correspondence then took place. 1. Letter from Mr Cox to Mr B—. MY DEAR SIR, EDINBURGH, 23d February 1833. I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 13th, with the cast. The shape of the head is peculiar enough; and I have not been in too great a hurry to communicate the ideas which I have formed with respect to the character indicated. This has arisen partly from the urgent nature of my other avocations, and partly because matters of this sort ought not to be hastily dealt with. The development I take to be as follows: 19. Individuality, rather large, Eventuality, large, 21. Amativeness, very large, 2. Philoprogenitiveness, ditto, 20 20 3. Concentrativeness, ra. large, 17 20. Form, rather large, 4. Adhesiveness, large, 5. Combativeness, enormous, 18. 7. Constructiveness, ra. large,. 17 8. Acquisitiveness, large, 9. Secretiveness, ditto, 10. Self-Esteem, very large, 14. Veneration, rather full, 16. Ideality, rather large, 18 19 20 18 . 17 , 18 12 10 31. Causality, large, 16 32. Wit, rather large, } 17 20 1487652 . 17 16 33. Imitation, full, or rather large, 15 34. Wonder, full on one side,} moderate on other, The size of this head is unusually great, and the mind of its owner must, in consequence, be one of great energy. He will manifest great strength of feeling, with intrepidity and decision of character. He possesses great influence over such of his acquaintances as have inclinations similar to his own, and naturally takes the lead amongst them. His general character is little apt to be moulded by external circumstances, or biassed by intercourse with society: he forms his own opinions, and acts upon them. His passions are exceedingly strong, and he finds self-government no easy task. He is remarkable for courage and inflexible perseverance, and for an indomitable spirit of independence. No ordinary danger can appal him; and he would perform a conspicuous part in circumstances requiring great presence of mind, and promptness and decision of action. He has the elements of patriotism in his character, and is likely to take a deep interest in the history of such men as Sir William Wallace. He seems to have a strong liking for disputation and strife, and to be excessively fond of argument; in which he finds it difficult to keep his temper altogether cool. If he believes himself on the right side of a question, no power on earth will induce him to surrender his position. He is irritable, and perhaps even apt to be sometimes vindictive; and throws out many a bitter sarcastic remark on those who offend him. Of his rights he is extremely tenacious: Nemo me impune lacesset could be adopted as a motto by no one more fitly than by him. He seems to be a keen politician, and has that combination of faculties which should make him rank himself on the side of the Whigs, if interest, family connexions, or some such cause, have not otherwise biassed his mind. He takes great interest in war, and in deeds of enterprise in general, and probably had a strong inclination, at some period of his life, to embrace the martial profession. When he issues commands, his manner and voice are impressive, and such as to intimate that, unless his injunctions be promptly obeyed, disagreeable consequences may ensue to the offender. He is capable of being easily roused into anger; especially when contemptuously treated; and, if excited by intoxication, will be no very agreeable companion. When a gust of passion is over, however, he will be anxious to make atonement for the injury he may have inflicted; and a soft answer is tolerably effectual in turning away his wrath. He has, moreover, the power of effectually concealing his thoughts and emotions, and is even able to assume a calm exterior at the very time when his passions are raging within. He is fond of female society, delights in the presence of children, and is capable of forming strong and lasting attachments. When not contradicted, he is kind and goodnatured. He loves to hear his actions applauded, and is anxious to learn what is thought of him by others. At the same time, his own opinion of his qualifications is so high, that, when these are called in question by persons for whose judgment he has no great respect, he is likely enough to receive their disapprobation with indifference. Without being either a vain boaster or unduly self-satisfied, he is fully conscious of his merits; and is able to proclaim them boldly on all necessary occasions. He is not apt to paint futurity in gay colours, or to build castles in the air; but, on the contrary, is liable to fall sometimes into low spirits. He has a strong desire to accumulate property; but I fear his contending feelings are too numerous and powerful to allow him to be very successful in laying up a store. It does not strike me that his religious emotions are strong. In general, he bestows his respect only on very eminent and admirable individuals; and he does not seem to be a blind worshipper of antiquity. Though, as already mentioned, his passions are very strong, he is by no means left to their unbridled sway; a constant warfare rages within him, between the lower and the higher faculties of his mind; and from this, as well as from the circumstance of his Hope being deficient, I infer that his life is not one of unbroken happiness. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, so that he cannot do the things that he would." He will find it impossible to comply with the injunction, "Resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Yet he is not apt to be a cool aggressor; for, while jealous of his own rights, he is thoroughly honest, and not less scrupulous in respecting the rights of others. He will, indeed, find in his strong sentiment of Conscientiousness a very efficient check upon his animal propensities; and as he has likewise a large development of Secretiveness, Benevolence, and Love of Approbation, and his education is stated to have been good, I have no doubt that, in refined society, he is able to repress the more disagreeable manifestations of his propensities. Still, however, this will not be accomplished without an effort. There is a decided talent for construction, and he could display considerable ingenuity and manual dexterity in the prosecution of it. This, however, depends much on the training he has received. It is impossible to predicate in what direction his Constructiveness is employed; but I am apt to imagine that, although capable of learning to draw, he will not be peculiarly successful as a colourist, and that he has no decided genius for engineering and dynamics. He is deficient in the power of discriminating nicely and judging of the harmonies of colours; is rather disorderly and unsystematic in his habits; and has no distinguished talent for the mathematics, particularly arithmetic and algebra. His reflective intellect is excellent; but, being ignorant of his temperament, I cannot speak as to its activity. Presuming that his constitution is active in an ordinary and tolerable degree, I infer a very respectable share of acute judgment and logical power. He has a good deal of dry humour, and is sometimes severe in his jokes. He penetrates, with great shrewdness, into the motives and feelings of others, and would find in Phrenology an interesting explanation of the apparent anomalies of his own mind. A great command of language, and quick verbal memory, are not among his characteristics. He is fond of taking the aid of analogy in his reasonings, and is able to conduct an argument in a relevant, forcible, and connected manner. He has very considerable powers of narrative and illustration, and, if an author, is likely to make frequent use of figurative language. A shrewd reasoner, he is a still better describer. His musical powers appear to be above an average, and he is probably fond of the picturesque and beautiful. Does not a full military band, followed by the regiment, excite a high degree of pleasure in his mind? VOL. VIII. NO. XXXVI. I have thus delineated the character of this gentleman at some length, and perhaps with greater minuteness than was authorized by the cast alone, without a knowledge of the circumstances in which the individual is placed. You will recollect also that I am only a tyro in practical Phrenology, and that my errors cannot fairly be made to bring discredit on the science which I am studying and attempting to practise. Still I am not prepared to learn that there is a very material divergence from truth in what is above anticipated, with respect to the character of your friend. Before sending the cast to Mr Simpson, I had committed my views to paper, and he drew up his remarks in total ignorance of what had occurred to me. On comparing notes, we found that very nearly the same conclusions had been arrived at, as you will perceive on reading both papers. They were only slightly modified (and more on his side than on mine) after our conference. I shall expect to receive, in the course of eight or ten days, a full description of the gentleman's actual character. The head is not at all symmetrical. What is the effect of this? Is the gentleman addicted, or the reverse, to the pleasures of the table? Or is he indifferent ?-I am, &c. ROB. COX. 2. Mr SIMPSON's Inference. THIS individual will manifest as much power of character as the large-headed uneducated man, whose cast was formerly under discussion; but what a difference in respectability! There is as large an animal endowment here as there; but how differently controlled! The flesh is strong, but the spirit is stronger, and will keep the flesh a powerful servant, but yet a servant. The individual is amative, but his conduct will be decent and delicate. He is passionate and irascible, but this will not always externally appear. He is combative and disputatious, but even that tendency he can regulate, and he will shew courage, activity, energy, and enterprise. He delights in praise, and is ambitious of distinction, but his estimate of his own powers and merits is so high that he will scorn the bad taste and deficient judgment of those who refuse their tribute of approbation. His firmness is not to be shaken, and would give him great fortitude under trial. Yielding is a grand moral impossibility in a good cause, and victory, even in a more doubtful one, is quite essential to his comfort. He is just and truthful, and pays his debts. The only occasion |