The Sun.
London, England, 1838-10-09 00:00:00

ENCYCLOP/E'DIA BRITANNICA. Vol. XVII.

Part. 11. Black. Edinburgh. 1838, •
There is an elaborate article in this Part, on the subject
of Phrenology, in which the arguments of the upholders of
that absurd system are shrewdly and dispassionately can-
vassed, and proved to be utterly without foundation. The
writer justly observes, " it is obvious that nothing like direct
proof has been given that the presence of any particular
part of the brain is essentially necessary to the carrying on
of the operations of the mind. The truth is, that there is not
a single part of the encephalon which has not, in one case or
other, been impaired, destroyed, or found defective, without
any apparent change in the sensitive, intellectual, or moral
faculties. Haller has given us a copious collection of cases
which bear upo❑ this point ; and a similar catalogue has
been made by Doctor Ferrier, who has selected many of
Haller's cases, with considerable additions from other au-
thors. The evidence afforded by this mass of facts, taken
conjointly, appears to us sufficient to overturn the funda-
mental propositioa of the phrenologists." The dissertation
on .‘ Physiology" is an article of great length, indicating
considerable research and ingenuity of reasoning. From the
learned and abstruse quality of the essay—abstruse, by-the-
bye, not from the manner in which it is handled, but of ne-
cessity from the nature of the subject—we conclude that it
is the production of Mr. Macvey Napier, the Editor. The
above are the two most important treatises in the Part before
us, which is illustrated by several clever Plates.

THE THEATRES.

COVENT-GARDEN.

Last night brought one of the testing trills of this theatre,
and of its present hopes, when the friends of the high drama
might have been expected to make a rally and show their
numbers. Hamlet was performed, with Mr. Macready in his
favourite part, and the other characters of the tragedy effec-
tively distributed. Nor were the just anticipations of the
occasion disappointed. The pit was crowded from the open-
ing of the doors, and the dress circle was well attended ; half-
price quite filled the house. Mr. Macready was received with
a most enthusiastic greeting. It were now utterly superfluous
to descant on the met its of Mr. Macready's Hamlet ; it has
been a thousand times, and on all hands, canvassed, until nothing
is left to criticism but iteration ; for our own parts, we shall at
present merely remark, and generally, in conformity with opi-
nions already frequently expressed, that the performance is not
only one of his best efforts, but one in which he allows least
pretext to the laudatores temporis acti to revert regrettingly
to his great contemporaries or predecessors. Mrs. Warner's
Queen has not been equalled in latter times on our stage.
She assumes a truly regal air in the part, which well becomes
the once-beloved consort of the great royal Dane, while it
renders her degraded posit;on the more monstrous. Mrs.
Warner also imparted a fine pathos to the celebrated scene
with Hamlet, which, on this occasion. was certainly the moat
effective portion of the play. Mr. Warde was a highly im-
pressive Ghost. Bartley is by no means the ideal of Polo-
nius ; he makes the old courtier merely humorous and farci-
cal ; thus, nevertheless, winning much indiscreet applause.
The whole performance of the tragedy was very effective, and
it occasionally drew down reiterated plaudits.

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1838.