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"human society, than in a single instinct of animals, produc❝ing unconsciously, a result that is necessary for their con"tinued existence, and yet a result which they cannot have "foreknown,-will not see him in all the innumerable in"stances that might be crowded together by philosophers " and theologians." (IV. p. 417.) That is to say, those individuals who possess a good endowment of Causality will intuitively perceive, in a single organized being, the traces of a God; while those who are greatly deficient in this faculty will not, by the spontaneous operations of their own minds, be led to infer the existence of a Creator, even from the most numerous exhibitions of his wisdom and power;the latter see only sequence in events, the former, in addition to sequence, perceive the relation of Cause and Effect. Of a person endowed with much Causality, compared with those greatly deficient, it may be truly said,—

"He sees with other eyes than theirs.-Where they
Behold a sun, he views a Deity:

What makes them only smile, makes him adore."

Atheism is more prevalent in France than in England, and the organs of Causality are decidedly smaller in the French head in general than in the English; and a corresponding deficiency in the moral and political sciences, to the successful prosecution of which Causality is indispensable, has long characterized the literature of France. The splendid development of the upper part of the forehead observable in the ancient busts of Socrates, Plato, Seneca, and Cicero, coincides with the explanation now given. Such an endowment of the reflecting organs enabled these illustrious men strongly to perceive the traces of a Divine Being in the works of creation, and in consequence there is a beautiful harmony in their conclusions on the subject. In the forehead of some tribes of American Indians and Africans, on the other hand, the upper part, where these organs are situated, is generally "villanously low;" and travellers have asserted, that some of them form no conceptions of the existence of a Supreme First Cause. In short, we have never met with an instance of a

person in whom the organs of the moral sentiments, and of Causality and Comparison were highly developed, who did not reckon the evidence of the existence of God, from mere intuitive induction, as irresistible as the perception that light emanates from the sun. On every principle of philosophy the perceptions of minds so endowed are of higher authority than those of other minds deficient in these powers, and hence it is more reasonable for men of limited understanding to believe in a God, on the authority of such individuals, than to deny his existence, because their own intellects are incapable of grasping the proofs. These views coincide also with the opinions of Mr Hume, an author who will not be suspected of too strong a tendency to credulity on matters of religion. "A purpose," says he, " an intention, a design " is evident in every thing; and when our comprehension is "so far enlarged as to contemplate the first rise of this vi"sible system, we must adopt, with the strongest convic“tion, the idea of some intelligent cause or author.”"The universal propensity to believe in invisible-intelligent "power, if not an original instinct, being at least a general "attendant of human nature, may be considered as a kind "of mark or stamp, which the Divine Workman has set upon his work; and nothing surely can more dignify man"kind, than to be thus selected from all other parts of crea"tion, and to bear the image or impression of the Univer"sal Creator."—" What a noble privilege is it of human “reason to attain the knowledge of the Supreme Being; "and, from the visible works of nature, be enabled to infer "so sublime a principle as its Supreme Creator!"—(The Natural History of Religion, § 15.)

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Finally, This author states, that he believes that the " very "consciousness of a distinct being is itself dependent on the

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activity of some material and cerebral instrument; perhaps "connected with the common centre of sensation. For,

The observation in the text is literally correct. Those parts of the brain which in man constitute the organs of Veneration and Causality, are not to be found in the lower animals.

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"strange as it may appear to those who are unacquainted "with forms of insanity, this belief of our individual exist"ence, this very power of discriminating between ourselves "and the surrounding world, is weakened, and nearly destroyed in particular cases of hepatic irritation and cere"bral disorder, just as other powers of the mind are, of " which I have given examples in the following inquiry :" A similar conclusion, namely, that consciousness of personal identity is connected with (we do not say dependent on) a particular portion of the brain, has forced itself upon our minds as matter of inference, from facts analogous to those here alluded to; but at present we cannot hazard a conjecture concerning the situation of the organ.

ARTICLE XIV.

TRANSACTIONS of the PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETY, with five Plates, 8vo. pp. 448. JOHN ANDERSON, Jun. Edinburgh, and SIMPKIN & MARSHALL, London.

THOSE persons who have contentedly remained in ignorance of the doctrines of phrenology, on the supposition that they are really as unfounded and absurd as they have been generally represented, and who have trusted to their sinking into oblivion long before such ignorance could become discreditable, will probably be somewhat surprised, and perhaps a little alarmed, at the appearance of the volume before us.It contains a list of the names of eighty-seven individuals, who, by constituting themselves into a society for the cultivation of phrenology, dare, after examination, to testify to its truth. Among the members we find gentlemen of independent fortune, clergymen of the established church, lawyers, doctors in medicine, surgeons, &c. The volume contains a selection from the essays read to the society since its institution in 1820, up to the end of the session terminating 1st May

1823, and it shews in what inquiries the phrenologists have been engaged, while the public have been idly laughing at their investigations as absurd.

The Transactions are introduced by a preliminary dissertation by Mr George Combe, in which he gives an historical account of the origin and progress of phrenology, and shews that it is truly the science of mind. He then compares the phrenological mode of investigation by observation with the metaphysical method previously in use, that of reflection on consciousness, and proves the decided superiority of the former. He points out the application of phrenology to the study of mind as a science, and to the business and relations of life, and concludes with a notice of the institution of the society.

"Impressed with those views of the importance of phrenology," says he, "a few individuals of the city of Edinburgh re"solved to form themselves into a private society, for the purpose "of cultivating the science, and communicating freely to each "other their experience and observations on the subject. The project originated with the Rev. David Welsh, minister of "Crossmichael, and was carried into effect at a meeting" held at Edinburgh on 22d February 1820. The society was declared public on 28th November 1820, and now presents the world with a specimen of its labours.

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Article I. consists of "Outlines of Phrenology." It gives a condensed but perspicuous view of the leading doctrines of the science, and an enumeration of the faculties and their organs, illustrated by a plate. The faculty which was formerly named Inhabitiveness is now termed Concentrativeness, and the organ is said to be "found large in authors and orators "who excel in concentration of thought." A clear distinction is drawn between the effects of SIZE and ACTIVITY in the organs; the want of which has given rise to much difficulty in the study. STRENGTH, it is said, is one "quality of mind, and ACTIVITY another. A mind may 'be very powerful, but slow, or very active, but not re"markable for vigour, or both qualities may be combined. Strength depends on the SIZE of the organs;-ACTI"VITY may result from constitution and exercise. Hence

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phrenology affords a measure of strength alone. It indi"cates whether a man is by nature fitted to feel strongly or "feebly, but does not reveal the number of thoughts or feel"ings which may pass through his mind in a given time.”

Article II. contains "a View of some of Dr Spurzheim's "Lectures, as delivered at Edinburgh in the Winter of 1816,

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by Dr Poole," and elucidates a number of elementary points requisite to be attended to in studying the system.— Speaking of Dr Spurzheim, the author says, "His serene, "probably because his conscientious reliance on the ultimate triumph of truth, supported him against the obstinacy of ignorance, and the malevolence of systematic error; and "to these high endowments, so requisite to the character of philosopher, especially when waging war with established "creeds, he added a simplicity and a gentleness of manners "which did not fail to conciliate regard where his reasoning "and his extensive information were urged seemingly in ❝ vain."

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Article III. is "on the Functions of Combativeness, De"structiveness, and Secretiveness, with Illustrations of the "effects of different Degrees of their Endowment on the "Characters of Individuals, by Mr William Scott." This is an exceedingly amusing and interesting paper, and will go far to dissipate the unfounded prejudice that any of the phrenological faculties are necessarily evil. Mr Scott shews, by the most convincing examples, that both combativeness and destructiveness, when under proper control by the intellect and moral sentiments, are not only necessary, but highly useful faculties, and that without them there could have been no achievements of any kind calculated to attract admiration. The account of SECRETIVENESS also is very interesting, and it is illustrated by selections and interesting quotations from Shakspeare, which admirably elucidate the nature of the faculty. The author also gives an analysis of humour, which is equally new and profound. SECRETIVENESS, in combination with WIT, produces it.

Secretiveness confers that natural archness which consti

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