soothe themselves with the indulgence of those wishes, not unbecoming or irreverent in aspirants, that the old overshadowing timber may, in the ripeness of a proper season, be hewn down, and allow the crowd of young and vigorous plants to raise their depressed heads, to spread forth their branches, and expand themselves into the majestic dignity of trees of the forest.

The effect of my Phrenological knowledge upon my mind has been, in some respects, sufficiently strange and unlooked-for. It has deprived, in my sight, our poets of many of their greatest charms. Those descriptions, in which they fancifully trace an analogy between the outward features of their personages and their mental qualities, those enthusiastic bursts of feeling and passion in which lovers trace, with so delighted an assurance, the indications of every fair, or graceful, or noble attribute of female character, in the fascinating and irresistible beauty of their mistresses, and which, in my former deplorable ignorance, touched me with so fond and lively a rapture, these I now zealously endeavour to estimate, by the light of more novel and enlarged views. I find it, however, I must ingenuously own, no easy task to wean myself from these old and fond poetic predilec tions. The feelings of my heart, when I meet with these passages of fascinating and seductive beauty, which our Phrenological science opposes, generally rebel against the more sober and decisive dictates of my now enlightened judgment; and when I feel myself hurried along by the powerful and delicious influence of such expressions, I now, in my enlarged philosophy, at once chill and arrest their force, by stretching forth, so to speak, my cold and irresistible Phrenological hand, which at once, with a sad and disastrous, yet wisely corrective power, throws a deadening and sullen gloom across the animated brightness of the poetic horizon. In my enthusiastic passion for this new science, I should now, in much that is esteemed most vital and essential, wish to model and construct anew our poetical system. I would have poets no longer to speak of the fascinating and commanding beauty and majesty of the human form or countenance. I would desire they would no longer describe, with such inimitable and expressive, yet delusive poetic colouring, the irresistible and soft beauty of an Helen, which even touched the old into reverence as she passed,-the matron loveliness of the sorrowing Andromache,-the godlike bearing of a Hector,-the venerable age of a Priam,-or the grace and fascinating beauty of a Paris; I would now, indeed, rather wish, amidst my scientific hallucination, that the poet should at once draw a veil over all the deceitful and fleeting blandishments of outward feature; I would have him at once to ascend, as it were, into the "arcana rerum." I would desire, that, in describing his feigned personages, he should rather walk by the sure and stubborn head-marks of Phrenology, than the deceitful play and vacillation of human features; and that, in characterising his heroes and heroines by the peculiar configuration of their skulls, he should there break forth into some noble and enthusiastic aspirations of his art. Besides, should his poetic wings seem in hazard of carrying him aloft in too devious and hazardous a flight, he should still possess this advantage over all cultivators of the divine art, that he might at once, from the precision of the scientific rules he walks by, regulate his course with the most striking and unswerving accuracy. He might sink gracefully and sportively down, from where he first ascended, upon some singularly jutting promontory on the skull of his poetical victim, or on some shelving and gentle declivity of amativeness, of wit, or of tune. He might, in short, suitably close the splendour and vigour of his poetic flight, by descending, like a feathered Mercury, at once on your true scientific ground; and should, in the intensity of his wrapt emotion, his poetic mantle still too closely cling to him, he might gracefully toss it aside, as no longer necessary, and stand forth your ardent and insatiate Phrenologist, amidst the Golgotha of skulls. I would have, indeed, your Phrenological poet climb into no daring elevation but by the assured ladder of his Phrenology alone; I would not have him vainly to grasp the unsubstantial colours of the passing clouds, so to speak, but rather to lay hold, amid all his delightful wanderings, of the stable pillars of his Phrenology. I can indeed assure him, from some de

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licious experiences of my own, that he shall experience a more intense and glowing satisfaction in steering his poetic bark, if I may so say, amidst the sutures, the swelling projections, and undulations of the skull, than, it is probable, even the mariner feels, who steers his vessel amidst the promontories, and isles, and sweeping bays of a fair and newly-discovered region.

Since my Phrenological conversion, I may indeed say, that Shakespeare, and all our great dramatic poets, have fallen incalculably in my estimation. They dwell too much upon the outward demeanour and characteristics of their feigned personages, they allow them to be too fancifully and capriciously swayed by such treacherous indications. I now view many of those passages in Shakespeare, Fletcher, and Ford, which I formerly admired, no less for their rich poetic beauty, than the truth of their piercing and felicitous discrimination, as nothing more than fanciful and unreal triffles, seeing they are reared upon the unstable ground of the shadowy and fantastic science of physiognomy. I wish, indeed, our dramatists had known somewhat of the rich treasures of Phrenological science. How poetically then would they have luxuriated and wantoned amid the singularly compounded and varied developements of the human head! With what an energetic Michael Angelo touch would they have pourtrayed the lowering and dread majesty of the organ of destructiveness in some stern and ruthless tyrant! And with what a touching and soft aerial delicacy, worthy of Guido or the Carracci, would they have expatiated upon the cheering indications of the more gentle, and bland, and engaging affections! They would then, by the aids of this noble science, have more dexterously and skilfully associated their dramatic personages. They would have conflicted them upon the moving scene, according to the strongly-contrasted and opposing developement of their polls; and in place of those unreal and shadowy attributes with. which they have endowed them, the spectator would have been subdued and electrified by a fierce dramatic conflict upon the truest and most approved Phrenological principles, in which the differing developement of the personages would, like the hustling and opposing spirits of Dante, imposingly give dramatic significance to each other, and in which some of the brightest flashes of poetry might be emitted by a collision as singular as it would, I have no doubt, be dramatic and effective.

I am happy to say, that a young friend of mine, an enthusiastic votary of this delightful science, is at present engaged in the composition of a tragic drama, which shall illustrate and impressively enforce the most striking doctrines of Phrenological science. Those whose obduracy and illiberality have refused to sink before the precision and force of our ratiocination, may, it is not impossible, by the seductive beauties of our verse, be charmed and softened into conviction. My poetical friend judiciously adopts the ancient accompaniment of the chorus, which, amidst a proper share of querulous and mournful moralizing, shall, like the running or division-bass of musicians to a melody, play off an incessant and convincing Phrenological comment upon the incidents and distinctive characteristics of the dramatic personages. In this piece, my enthusiastic friend lavishes the most studied and skilful efforts of his poetic and dramatic strength on the prominent characters of the hero and heroine. They are designed to exemplify the most striking and fascinating doctrines of the great science, and are pourtrayed with much touching and empassioned energy, as distractedly enamoured of each other on pure Phrenological principles. It is the rare and finely-concatenated assemblage of nobs upon the heads of these intellectual Phrenological lovers, teeming with delightful prophesyings and assurances of whatever is most fascinating and seductive in disposition, or great and original in pure mental endowment, which fans their soft passion to its most delicious and intoxicating height. My poetical friend has therefore, in his l'hrenological aim, pourtrayed them as callous and indifferent to every grace or attraction of outward feature or demeanour; and, indeed, with such decisive boldness and Phrenological energy of touch has he, in this respect, characterised them, that, in one scene, where they plead their cause before a tyrant king, (the impressive exemplification of combativeness,) they might,

with striking truth, apply to themselves the words of Lord North to His late Majesty, when he inquired of him the name of a lady, who, amidst the crowd of the drawing-room, had much attracted his notice: "Please your Majesty, that is Lady North. We enjoy the peculiar distinction of being esteemed the ugliest couple in England." In pourtraying his hero and heroine as so singularly devoid of every outward fascination, it caused at first much distressing embarrassment to my friend, in his dramatic invention, how he should be able to raise up obstacles to the union of a fair who might seem rather repulsive than inviting to all eyes but their own; and especially as the lady was represented as somewhat "passée," and seemed, to the uninitiated, to bear a kind of Medusa head upon her shoulders. I, however, caused the obstructed stream of his genius again to flow with its wonted force, by hinting, that perhaps all his dramatic personages should be poetically held out as enthusiastic Phrenologists; that his hero and heroine might then be pourtrayed as rising into an irresistible fascination in Phrenological eyes; that there was then no emotion or feeling throughout the whole diapason of passion which he might not legitimately call into play, and no displays of devoted or romantic daring, springing from the pure well of approved Phrenological excitement, with which he might not agitate, embroil, and impressively diversify the movements of the mimic Phrenological scene.

In this drama, and a series of others which are speedily to follow, my poetical friend designs that the ancient doctrine of fatality-so consonant to the inferences of our system-shall always form an impressive and prominent part. I despair, indeed, (to speak here ingenuously,) of all at once attaining to that elevation and refinement of dramatic appreciation which has led several eminent critics to regard the visitations of a fatalism which, through a dread climax of appalling suffering, at last sternly immolates the sad victim of unintentional or unconscious guilt, as forming, of all others, the most gratifying, and delicious, and impressive dramatic spectacle. I am told, however, that your terror is the true cathartic of the soul, your most efficacious mental purge; and surely what has proved so singularly piquant and grateful, if I may so say, to palates so admirably refined and discriminative, I may at least get the length of nibbling with some agreeable ticklings of a growing relish. Ah! Mr Editor, how often have I fruitlessly longed that some happy chance-kind to our wishes-could toss into the midst of our scientific conclave the skulls of Edipus, of Orestes, of Polinices, or some other eminent victim of the ancient fatality! With what intense veneration and entrancement of soul would these inestimable relics be surveyed! What Phrenologist so cold as would not catch fire from the enkindling sympathetic touch! The triumph of Phrenology would then, I have no doubt, be complete; we should then easily trace the characters of that deep Phrenological hand-writing, which would at once elucidate and confirm the dark vicissitudes of their respective fortunes; and Edipus, (if I may be allowed the bold poetic license,) from the shadowy dimness of so remote an age, would be heard to give forth his impressive Phrenological voice, and be the convincing and overwhelming commentary to the profane and incredulous, upon the actions of his former self.

I often imagine, of late, that I feel, even within myself, some strong, unambiguous promptings of a poetic and dramatic spirit. I cannot hope, indeed, to attain the energetic and impassioned poetic touch of my enthusiastic young friend. However, to the meditative and contemplative, the gravest and least-impassioned flow of poetic sentiment often holds out the richest and most instructive themes for philosophic thought. I cherish the hope, besides, that, when I fairly stretch out my poetic wings, they will be found more vigorous and thickly feathered than I at present anticipate. I have always admired, above all others, your historical plays. Poetry there follows not the vain and erring guide of fiction, but lavishes the force and beauty of its impressive colouring on the true and eventfully-chequered incidents of human life. In this conviction, I propose to adopt a similar walk of dramatic composition, and my Phrenology shall here, if I may so

say, be the favouring and effective gale which shall waft forward auspiciously my poetic bark. I shall select the heroes of my historical dramas, with a novel force of originality, from the gibbet, for there Phrenology has shown a peculiar regard; their characters have been always boldly and decisively marked; the delusive veil of a hypocritical courtesy and disguise sits not upon them; they seem, with a generous self-devotion, to have lived for the sole purpose of doing honour to Phrenology; and it cannot seem unsuitable that they should be remembered with somewhat of a sympathetic affection. I may add also, that with the Newgate Calendar before me as my poetical ground-work, I can, amidst all the delicious complexity of the dramatic scene, occasionally check my poetry by the logic of my Phrenology; and, like a skilful player at chess or backgammon, make no dramatic move without irresistibly clenching and fortifying it by the indicative and eloquent tokens of this sublime science. I shall thus wisely pursue, even amidst the fascinations of poetry, the Baconian method of investigation; and I shall not improbably merit the eulogy of having no less melted the enemies of my science, like Orpheus of old, by the overpowering fascination of my verse, than, like a more-refined Theseus or Hercules, of having struck their sneering incredulity dead by some vigorous blows of my Phrenological club.

I have found in the course of my scientific pursuits, that Phrenology, like adversity, makes one " acquainted with strange bed-fellows." I am a constant visitor of our Prison and Bridewell, and in following there the bent of my Phrenological passion, I am on an easy and familiar footing with many of the most daring and abandoned miscreants. It must be owned, indeed, to seem at first sight a slight disparagement of this great and novel science, that it leads its votaries ainidst such singularly and wildly-chequered society. But in the strength and fervour of my enthusiastic passion, I love to lay my skilful and inquiring hand upon these pulses of the moral man, where they beat most forcibly and distinctly. And should I find, in the configuration of the head of some wretch worthy, by his crimes, of the gibbet, some striking and indubitable confirmation of the truth of the system, I confess, at times, in the intoxication and enthusiasm of science, I am almost ready to hug him in my arms, to congratulate him upon the admirable consistency of his conduct, and to wish that the actions of his life may yet run in the same beautiful truth and sweetness of accordancy with the prognostics of his Phrenological developement, until science shall receive its triumph in their fitting and not unusual catastrophe. I regret, however, that candour must here compel me to praise the justice of the law somewhat at the expense of my Phrenology. I have frequently had my pocket picked by those whom the dictates of my science had led me to compassionate; and it is only a few days ago, that, after awakening from the intense rapture with which I had surveyed the strikingly-marked developement of the organ of honesty and integrity, on the head of one of the prisoners, I found that my watch was gone; however, your man of science is not more exempt than others from the accidents of life. I clear myself with the thought, that I am zealously pushing forward the advance of a new science; and should a dash of bitterness at times cross the delicious richness of my draught, I still drink on, and lose all feeling of its gall in the succeeding exhilarating and intoxicating sweetness. Indeed I ought not, perhaps, seriously to complain, if those from whom I derive some of the most cogent and forcible illustrations of my Phrenology should occasionally assume the right of somewhat rewarding themselves for the new revelations of knowledge which they passively impart. If, like Jonathan Wild, they exhibit some manifestations of their old calling, even when, as it were, about to mount the scaffold, I should remember that, by the publicity of their exit, they accomplish a singular union of advantages; they benefit the injured community, and strikingly illustrate and embellish Phrenological science.

I cannot, however, here disguise from you, that we anticipate much op position to the final general adoption of the doctrines of Phrenology. We have already been the objects of ridicule, of satire, and vituperation; but

under all these, we display much equanimity, and feel a soothing and consolatory pride in numbering ourselves among those distinguished worthies, who, in all ages, have been similarly persecuted in promoting the advance of science. Our philosophy even soars higher. We amuse ourselves with such puerile and impotent attacks of malignity, and, amidst the refined and contemplative orgies of the craniological club, when we have tossed aside our manual of skulls for the day, we often exhilarate and animate each other in the glorious Phrenological curriculum, by likening such efforts of the enemies of pure science to the noisy but feeble beatings of a shallow body of waters against a massy and irresistible barrier.

We, however, anticipate attacks of a more earnest and persevering kind, as it is natural to suppose that the advance of Phrenological science cannot be contemplated by the sceptical and incredulous without strong feelings of envy and dismay. It is proposed, in this event, to spring actively, and with power, from our present perhaps too passive and torpid state of defence, and to adopt, through the press, a vigorous and appalling mode of rejoinder. We shall call into exertion that rich and unparalleled concentration of varied and elevated talent, so eminently united in our Phrenological members; and, as the different poisoned and deadly arrows of wit,-of caustic satire,of withering irony, of overwhelming ridicule,—of irresistible ratiocination, shall be separately launched by those vigorous arms whom the sure aids of Phrenology shall peculiarly point out, I feel assured that the issue will be at once striking, exemplary, and effective. Indeed, to be candid, I am somewhat against crushing our enemies by the first decisive and overwhelming exertion of our intellectual strength. I am rather fond of a prolonged wrangle, where I hold the means of victory and triumph in my hands,-1 would wish to play with these unscientific men of Gath like the monarch Pike, who sports long with his feeble prey, and delights to cheat it with many vain hopes of escape, before he finally darts upon it in his strength, and devours it; I would wish thus to treat those who have so wantonly sounded the tocsin of ignorance and incredulity against us,-I would frequently beguile them into a belief of our feebleness, or too melting compas sion,-I would enjoy the singular emotions and transports of their delusion, -I would display some transient and heedless gleams of intellectual strength, merely to damp their confidence, that I might again behold the singularity of its growth, I would witness the alternation of every vain and inconsiderate passion in their minds, until at length, fatigued with my long for bearance, and nerved by the dignity of the cause, I would at once put forth the hitherto sleeping energies of my giant strength, and, amidst the peals of their insane merriment, strike from beneath them the pillars of their safety and security.

I cannot here, amidst the exultation of our anticipated triumph, refrain from saying, that I think it not improbable that this admirable science shall, at no very remote period, penetrate with its guiding light into our Courts of Law. I despair not, indeed, of seeing every Judge upon the Circuit attended by his Phrenological assessor. With what true and delicious feelings of rapture would I then gaze upon some Phrenological friend, in this enviable situation, seated near the Judge! I think I see him, as it were, charming with his infallible divining rod, if I may so speak, from the lists of the Sheriffs, your most efficacious and finely-endowed jurymen. I think I see, in the triumph of this divine science, the stream of fitting mental powers, of dispositions and predilections, rolling into the jury-box with a beautiful and consistent similarity of force, until the great magician Phrenologist holds up his guiding and infallible hand, and, in an impressive voice of authority, cries out, to the submissive clerk, "Hold! close the intellectual sluice-there is enough!" Your Phrenologist shall then, in the easy familiarity of an equal dignity, shake hands with the legislator; his scientific skill shall give a finer movement and precision to the mighty engine of the law; and the dross of human character, could it ever find its way amidst jurymen, would be purged away, so to speak, by his refining