Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-07-18

worthy of the high confidence of Washington,
'ehs'S0'' ''4O'''' '"N AN OBSERVER.
Phyenoloeicnl examination of P0pe's skuN-A
cast from the skull of the Bard Of Twickenham
is now selling in London, taken, it is said from
the real skull recently dug up in Twickenham
church. The account in circulation is that the
Vicar having permitted the corpse OF some
person to be buried III the church, though al
ready fall, the grave diggers a few weeks since,
broke the spot where the remains OF POPE were
living, when very deep coffin was found, and
the skull OF the poet taken out OF it-by whose
permission or order, we do not hear but as The
story goes, the skull was removed, and is now
in the possession of the Vicar; this alleged fact
is however doubted by some OF the good Peo-
pie of Twickenham, who Will not believe tina.
the Rev. Gentleman, would set the sacrili5ons
example of robbing the church, even II he re-
tanned no respect for the well known wishes Of
the Bard, that he light be saved from bad COM
nany and allowed to repose unmoleStcd:
'sIieroes and Kings yous distance keep,
sIn peace let ore poor poet sleep"
There are not wanting persons who cry out
"shame'' on the whole transactions; and one IN
dividual declared that such scandal would ne.
yer have occurred, if "the gentleman (meaning
the immortal bard) had left any relatives IN the
Parish" This sort ofindignation will not per
haps, be felt by all, and indeed ii is a question,
whether Pope himself, who used his head with
such advantage while living would have telt
any particular grief had he been aware that his
skull would have been "mrned to good account
when he was dead Whatever the possessor
Of the relic may do, -Phrenologist will make
much OF it"
In consequence of the report of this discov-
cry, eight celebrated phrenologists started OH
in eight different post chaises from London,
where they arrived precisely at the same mo.
ment, when the josting among them to see
which should lay hands OH the skull first, was
as our reporter says, truly ridiculous. The tol-
lowing as nearly as we can give it was the &C
count Of the examination, which in few days
will be published in pamphlet form by Mr..
Murray
On an accurate inspection of the Uranium
(which, like that Of Professor Persons, was un-
usually thick we discovered, jnst beside the
tenn 3es, the organ of music strongly develop
ed; we Immediately referred 10 the poets works
which we had brought with us, when we pitch
ed, as ifby inspiration, on that splendid passage
in his "Ode on ST. Ceciia's Day." beginning
with "By music minds an equal temper know"
which was evidently written in consequence OF
the full development of that organ.
On the summit of the Uranium, and Just un-
der the top Of the wig, we discovered the hump
Of generation: an organ miraculously developed
in the Bards noble hymn
"Fa.her of all, in every age,
In every cline ador'd."
We then passed our hands on towards the &C.
ci2ut, when we found them rub violently against
the organ of theft. This puzzled US at first;
!,
our friend DR.. -, luckily discovered that he
had been much addicted to literary larcenies;
and had drawn largely, and without acknow-
Iedgment on the classics o. Greece and Rome.
On continuing our researches towards the neck,
we found the skull unusually lhickened, a fact
perceptibe only in gentlemen who have been
hanged; this also puzzled US not little; re.
solved, however, not 10 despair, we adopted
new theory of DR.. Calls, namely, that there is
strong organ, called the bump Of tipping,
perceptibe in adults, and increasing in size and
substance towards age. which has hitherto been
enormously called philoprogenitiveness This
organ, on reference to the poets works, we
found happily exempli6edin that celebrated ex'
hor,ation of"Drink deep" Ssc.-(Vide his es
say on Critcism.) The organ Of combative-
ness was also prodigiously full, SO full indeed
that under other circumstances its proprietor
could easily have knock ed known an OK: where
as his combativeness, taking literary turn,
led only TO the preparation of the "Dunciad,'
After all, there is nothing like phrenology!!-
In pursuing our researches still further, we dis.
covered the organ of ama,veness in high state
of developement a fact which we found fully
borne ou,, when referring 10 Mr.. Bowles' cd-
ton we saw, that "the rwickenham Bard" had
been notorious for his penchantfor lady NJ.
Montague, and the Miss Blounts; in conse-
quence of which aforesaid amativeness he had
indited 'currenie caiomo.' the far. famed Eioisa
10 .46etard, as we'll as the translation of Ovid's
glowing Sappho 10 Phaon. After all, we again
repeat our assurance that as far as truth, down
right inco ntrovertible truth is concerned "there
is nothing like phrenology."
A, this state Of the examination, adds our
reporter, monstrous scuffling was heard Oh
the stairs leading to the study of the clergy
man In whose house this inquiry was going
forward, and presently in came the Twicken.
ham sexton, accompanied by the parish clerk
who had found out that the skull in question