are the defects of the instrument, Nature? It does not appear to me that such assumptions would support those notions about free will, and some other matters, notions absurd in our eyes, which they are adduced to uphold. When men desert nature, and neglect fact and reason for the imagination, they are sure to entangle themselves in their own web. How far a man does resemble an instrument will, I think, be better seen in contemplating the facts of phrenomesmerism. There, any doubt which might remain in regard to the mind's independent action must, I think, be swept away, and the law of dependence be exhibited as clearly as in regard to all other physical fact.

Of course, men do not, at first, receive willingly the intelligence of this inestimable truth, of man being wholly subject to law and material conditions. Objections arise, in opposition to new truths, at every step of the world's progress; for error is the first growth of the infant life of the world; but those who study the laws of mind, and trace the history of objections and errors back to their parentage, find interest and instruction in all conditions of mind;—in investigating the nature of the blight of prejudice, as well as in enjoying the flowers of truth. The bigot loathes every newly-developed truth which interferes with his assumptions and selfendeared views; but the morrow comes, and statues are raised to those who were persecuted in their time. The new philosophy which looks so dark and cheerless, at first, as to make the youthful poet ex

the brain and the several faculties of the mind, and demonstrated the true method of dissecting the brain by tracing out the origin and course of the nerves and fibrous structure; the common method being to slice it through, as if you were cutting up a turnip. Sir Charles Bell, by careful investigation, was enabled to exhibit the fact of there being distinct nerves for the offices of motion and of sensation; thus demonstrating a general truth already inferred by Gall and Spurzheim, and confirming the fundamental principle of their philosophy.

Gall proved that each faculty of the mind was a consequence of the action of a particular portion of the brain, and thus laid the foundation of a true science of Mind: but though the principle be correct, that, other things being equal, size is a measure of power, his method of observing had its limits, owing to the difficulty of observing the size of parts with accuracy; and more particularly with regard to those portions of the brain not in contact with outward portions of the skull, or with the surface exhibited in the living head. Some help was sought in observing brains after death: but this presented other difficulties, and did not avail much. The study of abnormal conditions of brain in relation to abnormal conditions of mind was also resorted to; and experiments were made by injuring, irritating, or destroying certain portions of the brains of living animals and comparative anatomy was put to the test. But very little has been ascertained by these last methods, beyond establishing the general prin

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ciples of the science. However, the several means must be resorted to as helps, just as we require the various senses to correct and confirm the impressions of each. The more we extend our knowledge, the more shall we be able to avail ourselves of the different means of confirmation: for it is essential to have established certain fixed points as landmarks, or our experiments will present to us nothing but uncertainty and confusion. Very little had been ascertained by these various means, even after nearly half a century, beyond the original discoveries of Gall, with a few additions by his pupil and fellowlabourer, Spurzheim.

On first looking into Phrenology, I felt the want of some additional means of observation, and the unsatisfactory and imperfect condition of the science. I found phrenologists to be, for the most part, ignorant of anatomy, and of the labours of philosophers, and resting with the same confidence and presumption on their thirty or forty organs as some others do upon their thirty-nine articles of faith. I am not at all surprised, therefore, at the reception Phrenology has met with from the scientific world; for it was easy to reject the whole where there was really so much error. Phrenologists were dogmatizing and fortune-telling with strange incaution, and disgusting people by their presumption and blundering, while the subject was yet in its infancy, and all were professors and few were students at the very commencement of the inquiry. But there are difficulties and imperfections and errors in all sci

ences; and over-confidence, and hasty theorizing, and system-making: but when, as Bacon wisely says, men dogmatize and lay down the principles of a science in its infancy with a show of completeness, it may add to the glory of the professor, but will not leave the science in a state of growth. Phrenology has been a glaring instance of the evil of making too great a show of exactness and method.

I will next explain to you what has occurred to me in my investigation, and what appears to me to be the principle of the general arrangement and division, &c., of the faculties. In the brain is cast in stereotype, as it were, the whole nature and philosophy of man; and in a language which exists for all nations and for all times. It is the most wondrous structure, and the most beautiful in arrangement, that men can contemplate. May we approach the subject with reverence, and with a due sense of its importance and of our own inability! and be guarded that in seeking truth, we assume not something which is false; always being regardless of the opinions of men, and however vehemently they may say "No," so long as Nature whispers "Yes."

V.

H. M. TO H. G. A.

We are coming to the pith of the matter now. When people speak of the brain as "the instrument of the mind," I want them to tell me whether they think the dog, and the bee, and the ape, have each a mind which puts the brain in operation: and if so, whence it came, and whither it goes. You remember Scott's dog, which somehow attacked or alarmed a certain baker; and how this dog slunk into a corner whenever his master spoke of the adventure, whatever might be the tone of voice or the artifice with which the story was introduced; and how, when the upshot was told," and the baker was not hurt after all," the dog came out of his corner, frisking and joyful, and barking merrily. Now, this creature evidently felt shame and fear, and consciousness of self, relief andjoy. And, again, when the monkey puts the wig into the boiler, and hides the plum-pudding, and then gets out of reach of punishment, as soon as any one goes near the boiler,-here is an exercise of several faculties, besides the most prominent ones of imitation and consciousness of self. Will any one say that these creatures have a separate mind, which uses the brain as a manifesting instrument? If so, what is the evidence? and how do we know that these animals are not of a nature equal to man, but

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