to which he durst not, or did not choose, to give vent in the presence of his superior. Next day, after a review and a boar-hunt, in the course of which Louis continued steadily to pursue the true objects of his visit, in conciliating and securing to his interest both the highest and the lowest advisers and adherents of the Burgundian chief;-an entertainment is given more splendid than any which had yet taken place, in which Charles displays at once his own wealth and the number of his retainers; and at the same time treats Louis with all the external observances and ceremony due to his master and liege lord. In the midst of the feast, Charles is informed of the arrival of Crevecœur with intelligence of importance from the territory of Liege; but the nature of this intelligence, from the fear of his violent temper, is at first carefully concealed,-a concealment which has only the effect to drive the duke to the last degree of impatience. veral excuses are then made for the non-appearance of Crevecœur in person; that he wished to change his dress; that he wished to communicate his news at a private audience.

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"Teste-dieu, my lord king,' said Charles, this is ever the way "our counsellors serve us-If they have got hold of aught which "they consider as important for our ear, they look as grave upon the "matter, and are as proud of their burthen as an ass of a new pack"saddle. Some one bid Crevecœur come to us directly!-He comes "from the frontiers of Liege, and we, at least (he laid some empha"sis on the pronoun), have no secrets in that quarter which we "would shun to have proclaimed before the assembled world.'

"All perceived that the duke had drunk so much wine as to in"crease the native obstinacy of his disposition; and, though many "would willingly have suggested that the present was neither a time "for hearing news, nor for taking counsel, yet all knew the impetu"osity of his temper too well to venture on farther interference, and "sat in anxious expectation of the tidings which the count might "have to communicate.

"A brief interval intervened, during which the duke remained "looking eagerly to the door, as if in a transport of impatience, while "the guests sat with their eyes bent on the table, as if to conceal "their curiosity and anxiety. Louis alone maintaining perfect composure, continued his conversation alternately with the grand "carver and with the jester.

"At length Crevecœur entered, and was presently saluted by the "hurried question of his master, What news from Liege and Bra"bant, Sir Count? The report of your arrival has chased mirth

" from our table; we hope your actual presence will bring it back "to us.'

My liege and master,' answered the count, in a firm, but me"lancholy tone, the news which I bring you are fitter for the coun"cil-board than the feasting-table.'

"Out with them, man, if they were tidings from Antichrist,' "said the duke; but I can guess them-the Liegeois are again in "mutiny.'

They are, my lord,' said Crevecoeur, very gravely.'

"Look there, man,' said the duke, I have hit at once on what you have been so much afraid to mention to me-the hare-brain"ed burghers are again in arms. It could not be in a better time, "for we may at present have the advice of our own Suzerain,' bow"ing to King Louis, with eyes which spoke the most bitter, though suppressed, resentment, to teach us how such mutineers should "be dealt with. Hast thou more news in thy packet? Out "with them, and then answer for yourself why you went not for"ward to assist the bishop.'

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My lord, the farther tidings are heavy for me to tell, and will "be afflicting to you to hear.-No aid of mine, or of living chivalry, "could have availed the excellent prelate. William de la Marck, "united with the insurgent Liegeois, has taken his castle of Schon"waldt, and murdered him in his own hall.'

"Murdered him!' repeated the duke, in a deep and low tone, "but which nevertheless was heard from the one end of the hall in "which they were assembled to the other; thou hast been impos"ed upon, Crevecœur, by some wild report-it is impossible.'

"Alas! my lord,' said the count, I have it from an eye-witness, "an archer of the King of France's Scottish Guard, who was in "the hall when the murder was committed by William de la Marck's "order.'

"And who was doubtless aiding and abetting in the horrible sa"crilege,' said the duke, starting up and stamping with his foot with "such fury, that he dashed in pieces the footstool which was placed " before him. 'Bar the doors of this hall, gentlemen-secure the "windows-let no stranger stir from his seat, upon pain of instant "death!-Gentlemen of my chamber, draw your swords.' And, turning upon Louis, he advanced his own hand slowly and deli"berately to the hilt of his weapon, while the king, without either shewing fear or assuming a defensive posture, only said,"These news, fair cousin, have staggered your reason.'

"No!' replied the duke, in a terrible tone, but they have awak"ened a just resentment, which I have too long suffered to be stifled "by trivial considerations of circumstance and place. Murderer of "thy brother!-rebel against thy parent!-tyrant over thy sub"jects!-treacherous ally!-perjured king!-dishonoured gentle"man!-thou art in my power, and I thank God for it.'

"Rather thank my folly,' said the king; for, when we met on "equal terms at Montl'hery, methinks you wished yourself farther "from we than we are now.'

"The duke still held his hand on the hilt of his sword, but "refrained to draw his weapon, or to strike a foe who offered no "sort of resistance which could in anywise provoke violence.

"Meantime wild and general confusion spread itself through the "hall. The doors were now fastened and guarded at the order "of the duke; but several of the French nobles, few as they were "in number, started from their seats, and prepared for the defence "of their sovereign."

It is needless to quote the rest of the scene, which is equally characteristic, and naturally described. Our readers know that it ends in the gentlemen of the French party yielding to superior force, and Louis himself being placed under arrest, and sent, under a strong guard, with only six attendants, to the confinement of a dungeon.

The behaviour of the king after he is put in confinement, the choice he made of persons to attend him, his resolution to hang the astrologer in his prison, his prayer to Our Lady of Clery to forgive him for this meditated offence, and the manner in which the consulter of the stars contrived to slip his neck out of the noose that was prepared for him, are among the most amusing and interesting parts of the book, and correspond exactly with what we already know of the monarch's character. But it is more to our purpose to attend to the behaviour of Charles, whom the circumstances that had taken place seem to have affected more strongly than even Louis himself.

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"He refused to throw off his clothes, or to make any prepara❝tion for sleep; but spent the night in a violent succession of the most strong passions. In some paroxysms he talked incessantly "to his attendants so thick and rapidly, that they were really afraid "his senses would give way; choosing for his theme the merits and "the kindness of heart of the murdered Bishop of Liege, and re"calling all the instances of mutual kindness, affection, and confi"dence which had passed between them, until he had worked "himself into such a transport of grief, that he threw himself upon "his face on the bed, and seemed ready to choke with the sobs and "tears which he endeavoured to stifle. Then starting from the "couch, he gave vent at once to another and more furious mood, "and traversed the room hastily, uttering iucoherent threats, and "still more incoherent oaths of vengeance, while, stamping with his "foot, according to his customary action, he invoked Saint George, "Saint Andrew, and whomever else he held most holy, to bear "witness, that he would take bloody vengeance on De la Marck,

on the people of Liege, and on HIM who was the author of the "whole."

Had we been anxious to procure an example in the manifestations of human feeling and passion, which should more decidedly than any other prove the general truth of the doctrines of phrenology, we could not have desired or conceived any thing more suited to our purpose than this description of a mind torn by violent and conflicting emotions. We ask, if there is any of the various systems of philosophy, except phrenology, which afford any account, or which even pretend to give any explanation, of such a state of mind?

The most unmitigated scorn and ridicule have been poured out upon the phrenologists for admitting into this system the existence of opposite and conflicting principles,—such, for instance, as a propensity of destructiveness and a propensity of benevolence opposing and balancing each other in the mind of the same individual. But those who make so merry with this inconsistency, should reserve their ridicule for the inconsistencies of human nature itself, of which this system affords the only true key and explanation. Nothing can be more true, than that the human mind often does exhibit a variety of the most discordant, opposite, and apparently inconsistent principles; and that, in the collisions of life, sometimes one and sometimes another of these will be uppermost; while, in some cases, such as that here described, the mind is reduced to a state of chaos, amidst the war of contending passions, and the little state of man is torn by their internal violence. Whether phrenology is admitted to be in other respects a satisfactory system of mental philosophy or not, this much is indisputable, as a fact in the history of human nature; and phrenology affords a complete and consistent theory for the explanation of this fact, which no other system hitherto propounded to the world can be pretended to do. In the scenes which have given rise to these observations, it will be obvious to every one how perfectly the account of the behaviour of the two princes respectively

tallies with the statement we have previously given of the relative constitution of their minds. The open violence of Charles, and the apparent coolness of the king, flow naturally from their different cerebal developments-the large combativeness and small cautiousness of the former, and the great cautiousness and secretiveness of the latter, joined to an ample measure of self-esteem in both. While the explosion of Charles's wrath in the subsequent scene, and the war of opposing passions which followed, are naturally produced by the above-mentioned qualities, kindled into the highest activity by the news from Liege-assisted, and even blown into tenfold rage, by a portion of benevolence, conscientiousness, and adhesiveness, prompting to revenge the death of the worthy and unfortunate bishop-but restrained, again, from following this track, partly by these very qualities acting in an opposite direction, and partly by veneration and love of approbation, which forbade such an infringement of the laws of hospitality, as to spill the blood of his sovereign and liege lord while under his roof.

Our author's sketches of character are sometimes true to nature, even when his theoretical views are most erroneous. Thus, in the description of the honest citizen of Liege, whose assistance was of so material use to his hero at a certain critical juncture, he says

"The same warmth of temper which rendered Herman Pavillon a "hot-headed intemperate zealot in politics, had the more desirable "consequence of making him in private a good-tempered kind"hearted man, who, though sometimes a little misled by vanity, was always well-meaning and benevolent. He told Quentin to "have an especial care of the poor pretty yung frau, and after this "necessary exhortation, began to hollo from the window, Liege, "Liege, for the gallant skinners guild of curriers.”’

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Now this, so far as it is descriptive merely, is perfectly natural, and quite consistent with the most correct phrenology. It is a faithful portrait of many a real character; as nothing is more common than to find a man who is kind and benevolent in private, and who is, at the same time, an intemperate zealot in politics-large benevolence, philo-progenitiveness, and adhesiveness, will account for the one part