The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-22 00:00:00

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.
The Duke of Wellington had • grand dinner party yesterday at
.salty House, Piccadilly.
Whitworth and the Duchess of POVP4t entertained the
Duchess of Richmond, the Lattios Lennox, Mr. and
=Mae Peel, and a large party at dinner on Saturday, at their
Uwe in Grosvenor-square.
GeorgelVarrender, Bart. had a dinner and an evening puny
G. Sull4lll, at his Louse, Whitehall-place
kle. Secretary Peel entertained a distinguished party at dinner on
Seteclay at his house ia Privy Gardens.
Mrs. Tighe entertained the DJWIfeT Duchess of Richmond, the
Ladies Lennox, and a distinguished tarty, at dinner yesterday, at
her house in St. James's-place.
Mrs- John Drummond will have an asaentlAy on Thursday even-
ingAther house, Charing-cross.
Countess of Essex has issued cards of invitation far a rout
an the 4th April, at her Douse in Hill-tweet, Berkeley-square.
The Marchioness of Westmeath has arrived at St. James's Pa-
lace from a visit to the Dukg and Duchess of Clarence at Bushy
Park.
The Earl and Countess of Darlington have arrived at their seat,
Newton House, Yorkshire, from Raby ('.anti".
The Earl and Countess of Jersey have arrived in tcwn from their
sear, Middleton Park, Oxfaidshire.
The Eral and Countess of Caledon hare arrived at the Earl of
ILirdwiek's seat, Wimpole Hall, Carnbridge,Lire, from Ireland.
The Marquis of Chandos has arrived in town from his seat, 'trot-
trs Busks.
Loyd Nugent left town on Sunday for the Duke of Bucking-
Itarn'a, Stowe.
Lady Caroline Lamb left tows yesterday for Chiswick.
I'ao.Sarl and Countess of Cassini, have arrived at their house in
Privyt Gardens from their seat, St Margaret:a.
rlll4el Tighe, ksq. and his bride arrived in town yesterday front
thicheptcr.
Sir Charts and Lady Ogle have arrived at Sir Wen. Burroughs,
in Grafton-street, front a tour.
Lord George Lennox left town yesterday for his scat in Furies.
Mr. and Mrs. Poynta have left their seat, Cowdery, Sumv, for
Burleigh, Lincolnshire, on a visit to the Marquis and Marchioness
at Exeter.
The Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Courtney Boyle have arrived at their
house In Somerset-plate from Hampton Court Palace.
Sir Philip Durham has arrived at his house in Hill-street, Ber.
ireley-square, from Scotland.
Arrivals at Jordan's Hotel, St. James's street :—Mr. and :Hrs.
Silvester, from Brussel.; Mr. and the two Misses Pollard, front a
tour. Departure: —Wm. Russell, Esq. 31. P. for Durham.
Departures from Fenton'a Hotel, Si. James's-place :—Sir Wm.
Parker, Bart. for his seat, 3lellord Hall, Sitfililk ; Hon. Charles I
Tollemache for his neat in Herts ; Captain Burton forSuffulk and
Ole Rev.lVra.Vansittart for Berks.

PHRENOLOGY.

On Saturday evening Dr. SPURT NEI m
on the science of Phrenologe. After slightly adverting to the ieete
wrhich he had already ieroved and illustrated, he proceeded to re. I
riark on the size xnd shape of heads in different individuals : size, I
considered separately, could not, he said, discover to the observer
the collective strength or superiority. of any particular mind;
much would necessarily depend on its combination with shape.
Ikleuuring from the binder part of the head to the front, great
length would manifest activity in the different functions of the brain;
breadth, on the other hand, though indicative of less activity, de-
noted intenseness, and in the latter case the application of the in.
dividual to any pursuit or to any object would be steadier and
more persevering. The fnemer class of persons were observed to
derote themselves with great earnestness to any particular science OT
pursuit, with which they were for a time, as it were, enamoured.
But when their short-lived enthusiasm had expired, they would
abandon it ; while the others, on the contrary, commencing with
ear ardour, pursued their object with steady perseverance, not to
be discouraged by difficulties, nor repelled by satiety. One point
in the study of Phrenology he was desirous to Impress on the atten-
tion of the auditory, viz. that they should not found their judg.
meet. of individual character on particular elevations of the head,
hut on the development of all the different parts considered as a
whole ; because the more equally the different internal parts were
developed, the less there would be of inequality in the outward sur-
face. The finest formed head was that in which all the time inns
uf the brain were combined in the best relative proportions, and
consequently there would be less of any particular predominant
"4,ItY or feeling to be denoted by the greater elevation of a parti-
cular part of the head.
The Lecturer then proceeded to descant on the fundamental
powers of the mind, as manifested by the particular divisions of
the brain ; he dwelt with great force and felicity of illus.
tration on the vague and indefinite language which all the
philosophers, from the days of ARISTOTLE downward, had em-
ployed in all that relates to the science of t'ie human mind. One
compendious answer to all inquiries as to propensities both of
men and animals was, to refer the particular act to the opetation of
instinct. To every inquiry as to what prompted animals to the
ctions peculiar to their species, the same general answer was always
given: it was instinct. If it was asked why did some animals pro-
vide against wintcr ? The answer was ready; they were led to
take these nteaaures of preeautien purely by instinct. Be the gum-
non what it might, there was no other answer ; and it was both sue.
prising and mortifying to reflect how long that unmeaning answer
wad been deemed sufficient. All that animals did we were told was
the work of instinct: to man exclusively was intellect given. But
however the pride of man might be offended by being brought into
comparison with the animal creation, it was certain that many of
our functions and faculties were possessed by us in common with
them. It was easy, but not very philosophical, to call that instinct
in them to which, in ourselves, we give the name of intellect. But
i: was obvious to the slightest observation, that animals compared,
reflected, judged, and exercised all those faculties which in matt
were called the reasoning powers; and surely nocourse could be less
&mordant with the principles of sound philosophy than to ascribe
tbs voluntary actions of animals to a cause designated by a term
that had no definite meaning whatever in diecounsing on the mind.
Metaphysical writers spoke of judgment, memory, imagination,
wit ; but all the notions which they taught, either as to their origin
0: their operations, were vatrue and indeterminate. The heart was
said to be the seat of the affections, and the brain the seat of the
intellectual faculties ; but that each faculty has its peculiar organ.
That the intellectual powers had their peculiar manifestations--
that the activity of the mental functions are developed externally
on the skull according to the greater or less quantity of the brain
'beneath, were facts utterly unknown until the science of Phreno-
iogy was taught. Dr. Ball was led to his first discoveries on the
staheect by his peculiar habits of close observation. It was not sue-
prising that his first nomenclature should have been defective ;
his errors arose from his too strict attention to particular facts.
Ilia original mode of proceeding was this : havingfound that criminals
who had been found guilty of murder had a peculiar development
el brain near the ear, he called this the organ of murder. Having
remarked that criminals who had been condemned for stealing had
entertain portion of the brain specifically developed in another part .
of the head, he named that the organ of theft. 'Whet, the objectors
to his system contended that these different parts of the brain were
found to be considerably developed in persona who had never been
meaty of either murder or theft, his answer always was, " I find
that part of the brain large in all persons of this character. Show
me a man of this disposition in whom this development is not
foend, then you refine my observation ; till then, I shall hold it to
be. what I have hitherto always found it." Dr. Gall was so far
right; but his error consisted in this—and it was an error not to be
wupdered at in the infancy of the science—that he considered the
inactions of the brain and its developments separately, and with.
Gat allowing for their mutually-controlling influence. He had con-
telleplated individuals who had their particular propensities in a
state too active and energetic, and he named the functions front
tfleir abuse, because his observations had been chiefly drawn to in-
stil:lees of their excessive development. The organ of theft was in
the new nomenclature more properly called Acquisitiveness. Where
the part of the brain which was the seat of this organ was
but little, if at all, developed, very little desire of acquinng pro-
perty was manifested, and other natural desires usually predomi-
nated in a proportionably stronger degree. The individuals in
r.. 00.
wh wee moderetely developed were prudently careful of gain,
sad thrifty in the use of what they acquired—in proportion as this
portion of the brain was largely developed, the covetous and
Miserly propensities prevailed ; and in cases where there were no
moral qualities to counteract the excessive activity of this prevail-
log desire, it led to theft. In many instances it manifested itself
where there was no excitement from want, and even where what
wasitolen was, as far as enjoyment was concerned, superfluous.
the same observations might be applied to the organ of murder,
now termed Destructiveness.
With regard to the fundament:4 powers of the mind, the writer
saidthe meant to enter into fuller detail hereafter. Ito contented
ltimeelf on this occasion with observing, that these powers existed
with-very different degrees of activity on different species—that they
veered in the sexes and in different nations—that they did not bear
Per relative proportion to each other in the same individuals—thrt
they did not all expand together, or come into action simulta-
neoetely —that they might act singly, that is to say, some might
be in a state of activity while others remained at rest—that
they might be inherited separately, and that the functions of
the brain might become, some of them, diseased, while others
remained sound and unaffected g as in cases of insanity, where
ere particular subjects the mind was manifestly distempered,
%Silt on others it was rational, and betrayed no evidence of
aluention.
in cenclusion. the Lecturer illuetreied the fundamental prin-
ciple of Phrenology by reference to facts, and suggested the proper
iefsrentee to bo drawn from them. 'sVe must, he said, seek the
goof of the system in observation and experience. Nature was
oar best instructor in her own system, and our only guide in all
our itmuiries as to the facts which we would establish, or the truths
we would infirm. Thu students of Phrenology in London had,
ha obeerre4, the best assemblage of casts is Europe in the valuable
coil mtien of Mr. Da Ville. 'lbis circnmstance afforded, in the
surly of this science in London, faciltties which were nowhere else
to iet found. It was necessary to combine with practical observe- I
W.;:a ad 0..: proofs to be derived front comparative anatomy, as the
Ilikk3efelee of the science of Phrenology applied to the whole animal
weld. The difference of national tha-acters corroborated in the
fejeeet degree the truth of the phrenological system ; and the intel
lutisal disparity of the sexes was explained by the peculiarity of
stawatere in their heads. 111 the next Lector., Dr. Spartheini
matad it was his intention to elucidate these facts mono in detail.
Flutist present ill took his leave.
'Zee auditory had inceessel considerably in number beyond that
4 Thursday The dseppaasstt attention was paid to the Lecture
stroughont, sod its. eodllasiao. was again marked by a general
Devillestalloo of satisfaction.