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a sedate, shrewd, and intellectual expression of countenance; and, although extremely bashful and embarrassed in company, it was easy to perceive that thought was now active, and that the previous vacuity of mind, which had alarmed his relations, had entirely disappeared. His studies were now directed entirely according to his development. He was absolved at once from all drudgery with Greek and Latin; but told that, as he was destined to move in the rank of a merchant and manufacturer, it was indispensable that he should be master of his own language, and even know a little French. He, therefore, at seventeen, set about learning English grammar, and having now the aid of his reflecting powers, he apprehended, as intellectual perceptions, what as a child he was utterly incapable, owing to his deficient organ of Language, of learning by rote. He studied French at the same time, and profited in his appre hension of the English construction, by the stronger illus trations of concord and government which that language affords. He soon succeeded so completely as to write a correct and precise English style; and he could also read a French author with facility. His other studies were geography, algebra, and mathematics; and in these also he now took pleasure, and stated distinctly, that he saw the principle and application of them, and obtained from them food for reflec tion. His next course was chemistry, natural history, natural philosophy, and anatomy; and the pleasure with which he followed the lectures on these branches of knowledge was intense, and his improvement proportionally great.

Among other subjects, he was led to the study of Phrenology, and I shall allow him to speak for himself on this topic. "As to Phrenology," says he, "I am convinced I owe as much, "if not more, to it than to any other of my studies. The ex"treme diffidence, which formed so remarkable a feature of my disposition, arose partly from natural timidity; but it was "greatly aggravated by my being conscious of deficiency in some intellectual powers, compared with other persons; and "entertaining most exaggerated notions of the impediments "which these defects threw in the way of my attaining even "ordinary proficiency in any thing. In short, before I knew

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"Phrenology, I was persuaded that I was a blockhead, and my "whole character and conduct were on the point of being "formed and regulated on this principle. When, however, I "was told that my timidity arose from a deficiency of Comba"tiveness, joined with large Cautiousness, Conscientiousness, " and Love of Approbation, I felt the truth of the observation "instinctively; and as I have a good Self-esteem, and no de"ficiency of Firmness, I felt as if a mountain had been taken: "off my shoulders, and hoped that I should yet be able to hold up my head in society. The knowledge also, that the con"fidence of many of my associates, whose presence of mind I "had envied, and attributed to great intellectual superiority, arose merely from larger Combativeness and less Cautious"ness than mine, gave me additional courage; and I found "that this theory of their dispositions was correct, not only "by observing their heads, but by comparing with it their. manner and conduct when boys, and discovering how beautifully it explained them. I had a natural tendency to implicit belief in all that was presented to my mind, and took every one's pretensions for actual attainments; and in this way could never feel that I was half wise enough to act on "my own opinion, if any human being chose to call it in "question. Phrenology gave me an invaluable insight into "character, and enabled me to distinguish the chaff from the "wheat; and also to try my own views by the standard of "nature, and not by the mere notions of other men. The knowledge of character which it has communicated is as va"luable as at least ten years' experience of the world would "have been to a mind such as mine. My timidity and want of "confidence are naturally so great, that I can scarcely imagine "the time when I would have had courage to place myself "in situations calculated to afford experience. Possessed of "Phrenology, 1 feel myself invested with something like the "invisible ring of the. fairy tales; I enter into society with an: "instrument which enables me to appreciate individuals with "truth and accuracy; this knowledge makes me know my real "situation, and feel safe; and then I am enabled to act without "fear or embarrassment. Phrenology has placed my mind at peace also with itself. I know my deficiencies, and avoid re"liance on them; while I know also the powers that are given, "and the purposes to which they may be applied, and gratitude. to Providence, with a due feeling of responsibility, have suc"ceeded to fear and diffidence, which can never exist in a high ' degree without some portion of discontent. Much, therefore, as Phrenology is despised, I must always regard an acquaintance with it as one of the happiest circumstances of my life " and have no doubt that others will entertain the same opinion "when they are practically acquainted with its truths. Ĉ. J."

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ARTICLE III.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL.

SIR, WHEN engaged some time ago in the study of Phrenology, I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with the subject of the following letter, whose cerebral development struck me from the first as a very remarkable one, and the complete accordance of whose manifestations with it served not a little, if not to satisfy me of the truth of the science, at least to encourage me to undertake a very extensive series of observations, which ultimately ended in a perfect and sincere conversion. If you think that the case may be useful to any of your readers, it is at your service.

When I first saw Mr S.-he was about 60 years of age, of a short stout make, rather inclined to corpulency, but possessed of great natural activity. His head was altogether of great size, broad in all its parts, and somewhat higher than usual. In the situation of the organ of Constructiveness, immediately above and behind the external angles of the eyes, the temples projected so much outwards, as, at a little distance, to bring them into the line of the forehead; which presented that squareness of aspect stated by Drs Gall and Spurzheim as characterizing the heads of eminent mechanicians, sculptors, painters, and artists. The forehead was broad, and the lower part, or superciliary, ridge, projected considerably over the eyes, indicating great development of Weight, Size, Locality, Form, and lower Individuality. These organs, combined with Constructiveness, constitute the essential elements both of an inventive and, operative genius. This combination was aided by more than usual development of Number and Tune, and by a very good Comparison and fair Causality. The external angle of the eye in the situation of the organ of Number was depressed like that of Jedediah Buxton, in Dr Spurzheim's plates, and the forehead rose to a considerable height with a slight slope. The organs of Ideality, Colour, Order, and Language, were decidedly under an average, and Upper Individuality was only moderate.

VOL. I.-No IV.

2 L

This statement of itself would enable the Phrenologist to predicate the kind of intellectual character which the individual would display. For the sake of the less advanced reader, however, I shall shortly state how the faculties manifested themselves in point of fact.

1

Mr S. received almost no education. At a very early age he was sent to school to learn to read; but instead of minding his letters, he began to show a peculiar talent and liking for mechanics and construction, of which his parents highly disapproved, and which they did every thing in their power to repress, but in vain. Finding the continual restraint under which he was forced to live at home becoming daily more irksome, as his faculties continued to expand, he, while yet a boy, with a confidence in his own untried powers, which great size of brain can alone give, forsook the paternal roof, and set out, he knew not where, to push his fortune. On his arrival at L———, after various vicissitudes, he obtained employment in a profession calculated to exercise those peculiar powers with which nature had so liberally endowed him, and by his excellence in which he ultimately attained wealth and eminence. But the regular calls of business were by no means sufficient to afford an adequate outlet for his mental activity. His leisure hours were most actively spent in inventing and constructing models of all kinds of machinery, in fruitless attempts to discover the perpetual motion, in simplifying the air-pump, in improving the diving-bell, in making carriages to go by machinery, in attempting to regulate the motion of balloons, and in innumerable other things, upon which he expended much money and no less labour, but with intense delight. At one of my visits he showed me a large garret room filled with the collected models of past years, the whole of which, as his great Constructiveness gave him the power, were made by himself. His wife used often to mention, as illustrative of his hobby, that the first time she heard of the existence of her "future beloved," was one day in passing along the bridge of when she saw a

crowd gazing intently on the water below. She inquired at

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what they were looking, and was told that it was "Mr S———” "at the bottom of the river in his diving-bell;" and she shortly after saw him emerge.

In the works on Phrenology, it is stated that mathematical talent depends on a combination of Size, Form, Locality, Comparison, and Individuality, and that it does not require great Causality. In Mr S, all these organs, except Upper Individuality and Causality, were decidedly large, and in him they were aided by Number. He was never taught mathematics; but, on coming to maturity, he studied them from books with great success, and was ever afterwards in the constant habit of applying them to determine the probable results of such new or untried combinations of mechanical forces as he was desirous of forming, and he rarely failed of obtaining an accurate answer to the most complicated and novel questions.

His Tune is stated as large; and it is a curious fact, that one of his first constructive efforts was made to provide himself with an instrument by which he might gratify it; and he afterwards followed the profession of a musical instrumentmaker, in order to gratify both sets of faculties at once. When I last saw him, he had just finished a small instrument like a piano in miniature, but with only one string, and upon which he was able to play several airs. It was intended as a standard by which to tune instruments in the country, as, from all the notes being struck upon the same string, it could not go out of tune. This instrument was entirely the result of an analysis of the causes of the difference of sounds produced by strings of different lengths. I saw him when engaged in the calculation, and expressed my opinion of the impracticability of the scheme; upon which he explained the principle to me, and said that he could not fail, and in a few days more showed me the instrument complete, and allowed me to examine it minutely, so as to satisfy myself of his perfect success.

With a great deal of enthusiasm and power of invention in his favourite pursuits, Mr S had extremely little of that

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