The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-06 00:00:00

PHRENOLOGY.

The ninth Lecture of Dr.tem777witn , on the science of Phreno-
logy, was delivered on Saturday evening. The professor opened
with Insisting upon the great importance of not confounding the
moral and religious feelings with each other. Every sentiment con-
cerning the relation between man and superior beings was properly
termed religious. If it related to the connection between men in
civil Society, it was properly termed moral. The same command-
ment, therefore, might be termed religious as far as it wax dictated
from above, and moral as far as it was applied to social intercourse.
There could be no doubt that the natural activity of the religious
sentiment was in proportion to the development of a particular
portion of the cerebral mass. No other sentiment or faculty was in
the same uniform proportion to the manifestation of its peculiar
organ. If this sentiment depended on the exercise of the reasoning
faculties, then the more energetically those faculties were employed,
the stranger might to be the emotion of piety. Bu. the facts were
otherwise. It was when we ceased to reason, and mnely contem-
plated the objects df religion. that the emotion arose with greatest
force. This faculty, however. gave only a general tendency to
venerate, without discriminating what was properly entitled to
veneration. The nett sentiment to which he should direct the atten-
tion of the auditory was that of Hope. This was a primitive power
of the mind, and was manifested by Its special organ. Its place
was next below that of Veneration. There were great differences
among individuals in their power of experiencing the fascinating
influence of this sentiment. It inspired feelings the reverse of
Cautiousness. In those in whom the organ of Hope was largely
developed, gay and delightful emotions were ever most active.
With them futurity was painted fait and Smiling like the regions of
primeval bliss; every prospect was gilt and adorned with shades
of enchanting excellence. The individual in whom Hope was more
powerful than Cautiousness, lived its the enjoyment of brilliant
anticipations which were never realised while, on the other hand,
he in whom Cautiousness was more powerful than Hope, lived tin-
der the painful apprehension of evils which seldom existed but in
his own internal feelings. It was the province of the reflecting
faculties to regulate both these sentiments duly. Daily experience
must confirm to the most inattentive observer the existence of this
sentiment ; some individuals passed their lives in what was fami-
liarly called building castles in the at. In these persons its exces-
sive activity would be invariably found to be accompanied with a
considerable development of the organ. The next primitive feel-
ing the Professor noticed was that of Marvellousness, which pro-
duced surprise and astonishment, and disposed its possessor to be-
lieve in supernatural occurrences, and every kind of amazing event.
In its religious application, this faculty cherished faith, and led to
the belief of the immortality of the soul. Too great an endowment
of it disposed the Individual to be credulous. The Professor was
anxious to insist on the phrenological principle that the feelings
were all blind, and therefore required to be enlightened in their
direction by intellect, and cultivated in harmony with each other,
since every one, by its isolated senor, produced disorder and
abuse. tiveral instances of known persons were stated in illustra-
tion of this principle, and the casts of the heads exhibited. The
organ of Ideality was next pointed out. This sentiment gave only
a mantle: of feeling, and did not form ideas. It was discovered to
be strongly developed in poets, though poetry was the result
of various combinations of mental powers. This faculty
produced the feeling of exquisiteness or perfectibility, and
was delighted with what the French called le beau ideal. It
infused inspiration into the poet. A primitive feeling was neces-
sary to give the poetical form to mental compcsitions; but it pro-
duced neither versification nor rhyme. It was observable by the
excitation it bestowed on the other intellectual powers. The know-
ing and reflecting faculties perceived things as they existed in pa.
tore, but this faculty desired for its gratification something more
exquisitely perfect thatt the scenes of reality; it desired to elevate
and endow with excellence every object presented to the mind ; it
gave a manner of feeling and thinking befitting the regions of
fancy more than the abodes of men. Only those on whom it was
powerfully bestowed could possibly be poets, and hence the pro-
verb, " Poeta nascitur uon fit." In general this faculty induced
those individuals who had the organ fully developed, to consider
things and deeds as they ought to be, rather than as they were.
There was great difference apparent as to the endowment of this
faculty in different individuals. According to the degree of its
energy and activity poetry would be relished and prized. Sonic
persons eminent in all other respects for intellectual ability, were
known to avow that they could perceive no excellence in poetical
compoeitions, and could derive no gratification from them. This
faculty gave a peculiar tinge to all the other fatuities. In common
life those who possessed it were easily distinguishable; they spoke
generally in an elevated strain of language,. and when animated,
showed a splendor of eloquence and of poetical feeling which
others were never able to ennimand. In conversation they dis-
played a fascinating sprightliness and buoyancy. When mani-
fested to excess, it was the cause rot upfrequently of many dis-
appointments to the individuals in whom the organ was thus
developed. in this state it inspired extravagance and enthusiasm,
and induced exaggeration of terms and violence of tone. The
Professor, in conclusion. stated, that in his next lecture he should
proceed to consider the knowing faculties—those which constituted
the understanding or intellect. This would form the most inte-
resting part of the science they had yet passed through.