"discovered at nearly six years of age. He had been with his parents to the village-church, and was observed to be remarkably attentive during the service. They were pleased "at such an early appearance of devotion, and, wishing to see it "continued, made no remarks to him respecting it. Great, "however, was their surprise shortly after his return home, "to observe their pious boy cutting pictures from a sheet of "blank paper, and how much was that surprise increased, "when they saw the most striking likenesses of their minister, "his pulpit, and his precentor.

"Nature had so strongly spoken out in this instance, that "she could not be mistaken. His talent was encouraged, "until he arrived at that acmé of perfection in which we now "behold him, and which we shall endeavour to give a more "vivid and detailed view of, by describing the various figures " in the Exhibition Room.

"The Duke of York.-One of the best likenesses of this "princely personage we have ever seen: he is beautifully "bronzed.

Going to the Races.-A very long picture, with some hun"dreds of figures. One or two of the sketches conceived with

great fidelity, and executed with great effect. A dandizette "trying to save her bonnet, and a dandy thrown from his "balance, very picturesque. A horse stopping to drink, and being kindly inclined, giving his rider a drink too, sans cere"monie, happily imagined. Bear-dancers, and monkey on "bruin's back, highly ludicrous.

"Children.-Both very beautiful. The child putting a flower "into a basket, simple and natural. The girl leading a fawn "with a ribband, most playful. The fawn is full of fun, the "child of innocence.

"The Glasgow Catholic Chapel.-This is the most astonish"ing performance of the whole. Without the least shading, save the white upon the black, it presents the most beauti"ful perspective, the most exquisite symmetry, and the most "faithful outline of that fine specimen of modern architec"ture we ever saw we could gaze an hour, and yet not be "satiated."

To convey an idea of Master Hubard's rapidity and dexterity of workmanship, we select the following description from the letter of a correspondent :-" I went to Glasgow 66 one day ignorant of this boy's existence. It happened that I "had two or three hours to wait there for a gentleman, who was to return with me to, and I was really at a loss how "to occupy the time. Accident carried me to Master Hubard's "exhibition room, and, I assure you, that, in my life, I never

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was so much surprised and pleased with any exhibition; never at least with one of that sort. The boy's talent is, in

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my humble opinion, truly astonishing. To view it to ad"vantage you should, as I did, see him (to use a happy enough "expression of a newspaper writer) despatch 300 victims at an average of 20 seconds each. It was a Saturday, and said to "be his last day. Men, women, and children of all sorts and "sizes passed in review before the little conjurer, and were "committed to paper, with this extraordinary celerity. I took my turn, and was scarcely seated on the stool when 1 was to "be displaced by another. Hubard asked me, do you choose "to have two or one, sir? (he cuts the paper double), those who "took the two copies, paying an additional sixpence. Now, as "to the accuracy of these outlines, I watched him attentively "for at least an hour, comparing a multitude of his copies with "the originals, and it struck me that many of them were very "faithful and spirited likenesses. With others (my own among "the number) 1 was not so well satisfied, but I ascribed their "defects to no deficiency of talent in the artist, but to the ridi"culous rapidity with which he worked. I resolved, there"fore, to try him again in my own person, at a full-length, (the others were busts,) if he would agree to do it. Most willingly, sir, when the crowd is gone, was his answer. "When the crowd did go, it was threatening to get dark, and no time was to be lost for my execution. I stood on the floor " in a fixed and condemned attitude. The day being cold, I happened to wear a dress lined and edged with fur, cut in "the German or Polish fashion. Such a coat, in short, as "I should prefer for a portrait, though certainly I had not put "it on for Master Hubard, but being on, I considered that the "unusual shape, the folds, the collar, and edging of fur, pre"sented a very fair trial of his skill. Before letting him begin "I took out of my pocket the busts he had done of me an hour "before, and said, Be so good, Master Hubard, as to look at "these, and see if you are yourself perfectly satisfied with the "likeness so far as it goes.' He looked at them for a moment, " and replied, "No, sir, I am not; I will make the next much "better. I have made the upper-lip too prominent, &c. &c.' Well, in five minutes exactly, my execution was over; the "sentence of pillory and dissection with scissors being com"pleted.

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"The opinion of every one to whom I shewed it was, that a more spirited and faithful outline in profile could not possi"bly be made. One person at said he has caught your very air. He had altered the position, and the way in which "I held my hat at the moment, which shewed great readiness, "as he did not desire me to change my position.”

We have heard it observed, that the present exceeded in extravagance all the cases of the Phrenologists; for that here they had found an organ for paper-clipping! This

remark is so truly puerile, that we should not have noticed it, except to say that the talent is by no means rare, in an inferior degree, and that, in the works of Phrenology it is repeatedly mentioned, and ascribed to the faculties which predominate in Master Hubard. We have met with, several instances of it in Edinburgh, and one, in particular, was adverted to in an article on Constructiveness in our last Number. On another occasion, we happened to remark a great development of Constructiveness, Form, and Imitation, in the head of a child of seven years, and asked if he was not fond of drawing or clipping, or cutting figures. His father produced a portfolio of his productions; among which was a regiment of Highlanders, then in town, cut in all the varieties of costume, from the drum-boy to the colonel on horseback. The great source of Hubard's excellence is the peculiar combination of Form, Size, Individuality, Constructiveness, Secretiveness, Ideality, and Imitation, all well developed. We have seen many instances in which one or two of these organs were larger; but have never met with one in which they were all so large. The case confirms strikingly the doctrine long since laid down in the systems of Phrenology, that Secretiveness and Imitation give expression in the fine arts. It is easy to account for the assertions of the opponents in regard to this boy. They look for the "bump," to use their own expression, although they have been told very frequently that it is the size of an organ in length and breadth, from the medulla oblongata, which indicates the power of the faculty, and that where several contiguous organs are all large, there can be no projecting eminences. Accordingly, in Hubard, the superciliary ridge projects in an unusual degree over the cheek-bones, and this indicates a great development of the whole organs there situated; but not one of them presents the appearance of a swell. In the next place, Benevolence is large, and Imitation is nearly equal with it, and no bump is found there; but in those

in whom Benevolence is large and Imitation small, there a sloping surface is felt in the situation of the latter organ, instead of a full and flat line as in Hubard.

ARTICLE VI.

ST RONAN'S WELL, by the Author of Waverley, &c. Constable & Co. Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, & Co. London. 1824. 1824. 3 vols.

THIS novel is not so interesting as some of the author's other productions. The characters in it are of an inferior species, and the theatre of action is circumscribed and not dignified. Some of the portraits are also mere sketches, destitute of the strong lineaments of individuality, so characteristic of actual existence, and the display of which brings this author, in many of his works, so close up to Shakspeare in originality and vigour of invention. Nevertheless the hand of a mighty master is here distinguishable, and we shall point out a few instances in which it may be forcibly recognised.

The faculties of Combativeness and Destructiveness have been much derided, but our author appears to have an intuitive perception of the important feature which they constitute in human character, and a truly phrenological knowledge of the effects on the dispositions of their combinations in different degrees of relative strength. Combativeness gives courage, and the tendency to oppose or fight; Destructiveness produces the disposition to destroy that which we do not like, and displays itself, when not properly directed, in rage and general severity of temper. Combativeness large, combined with Destructiveness moderate, and Benevolence large, would constitute the brave but generous soldier, ready to fight at the call of duty, but

whose arm is instinctively stretched forth to save and to succour the vanquished. Combativeness small, with Destructiveness large, and Benevolence moderate, produce the heartless scoundrel, full of malignity and deadly hate; but deficient in courage to indulge his humour where danger threatens to attend his doing so. This last is the character of Sir Bingo Binks. "As for Sir Bingo," says the author," he already began to nourish the genuine hatred "always entertained by a mean spirit against an antagonist be"fore whom it is conscious of having made a dishonourable 86 retreat. He forgot not the manner, look, and tone, with "which Tyrrel had checked his unauthorised intrusion, and "though he had sunk beneath it at the moment, the recol"lection rankled in his heart as an affront to be avenged. As “he drank his wine, courage, the want of which was, in his more "sober moments, a check upon his bad temper, began to inflame "his malignity, and he ventured, upon several occasions, to "shew his spleen, by contradicting Tyrrel more flatly than good "manners permitted upon so short an acquaintance and without 66 any provocation. Tyrrel saw his ill-humour, and despised it, as that of an overgrown school-boy, whom it was not worth "his while to answer according to his folly." Vol. i. p. 179.

In a subsequent part of the novel, the author represents Sir Bingo as actually sending a challenge to Tyrrel, but he preserves perfect consistency in the motives and manner of doing it. He informs us, that "Though sluggish and " inert when called to action, the Baronet was by no means an "absolute coward; or, if so, he was of that class which fights "when reduced to extremity." It was, accordingly, pure terror of being found" on the road towards the ancient city of "Coventry," when Lord Etherington was expected to arrive, that stimulated Sir Bingo to such a hazardous display of prowess. In phrenological language, he was prompted to fight by the Love of Approbation, when he had no relish for the field of honour for its own sake. Such a character is obviously natural, and the motives correctly assigned; but let not the Phrenologists be condemned as seeking back-doors and means of escape, when they state the principle as doctrine, that the same action may proceed from a variety of motives, and hence that a coward may die, even on the field of battle. They appeal to the author of Waverley, and to a