times. Dr Gall's collection was very large, and the Phrenological Society of Edinburgh possesses crania from a number of the most opposite parts of the earth. Why, then, do you not lift your soul to the contemplation of these great facts, and give us some rational reason why the Caribs and New Hollanders have remained for ages in a state of the deepest mental degradation? You have, indeed, given a reason, such as it is, at the conclusion of your Essay, where you say, " In short, character, so far from being dependent upon bumps and their supposed contents, seen to de pend chiefly on circumstances of situation, and of these principally upon political institutions. Now, nothing can appear to me more false in philosophy than this. Political institutions are formed by the national character, and not the national character by political institutions. Your philosophy here puts, as former ly, the cart before the horse. Nations cannot be fitted with ready-made constitutions, like coats to their backs The most liberal political institutions will survive in no nation, unless they are the growth of the national mind. What has become of the liberal institutions that were tried in Sicily, Spain, and Portugal? The first liberal political institutions in France ended in a military despotism. And though, from the glorious Three Days, our light-hearted neighbours got a little fun, the nation is nei ther the wiser nor the more free, and, as every body knows, with very scanty means has had to pay the piper." But you antiphrenologists care nothing for facts, but, regardless of the nature of the soil, would plant political constitutions in the very face of the most obvious principles which regulate the whole consti tution of things under which we live, r

"

When I came to your pithy sentence, that "the theory itself is false and unfounded, for (1.) it is contradicted by the whole analogy of nature," I certainly expected facts and analogies of nature, brought to bear on the question in debate,instead of which, you enter into a discussion upon what you call the “har monious adaptation of one thing to another, to produce important ends," and about men being made for "social union." Now, who ever doubted one word of all this? and in what possible way does it bear against Phrenology? Why, Mr Combe has published a whole volume on the Constitution of Man, the ob jeet of which is to shew the admirable "adaptation" which exists between that constitution and the general constitution of nature. Were you really so simple as to believe that phrenolos! gists contended for the constitution of nature being one of anarchy and misrule!! So far is this from being the case, that they have been accused by some of your fraternity of teaching the doctrine of absolute perfectibility. "Tanta est discordia fratrum."

With respect to your remarks on physiognomy, and the dis

tinction between natural and artificial language, I am happy to inform you that your views on these points are strictly phrenological, and, indeed, have been confirmed and illustrated by phrenologists at great length. That, every faculty, sentiment, and passion of human nature has a natural aspect, tone, and language peculiar to itself, is beyond, all controversy. But is this not admitting that every faculty, sentiment, and passion has a distinct and definite constitution in nature, and is not the result of habit and association? for distinct faculties, and simple functions manifested by distinct and different organs, are the great foundations of Phrenology at the

Having now adverted to all your objections which seemed to me to deserve an answer, permit me to offer a few remarks on the uses of Phrenology and its importance to mankind, as contrasted with the old school of mental philosophy to which you belong. You see what a perverse logician you are; since I am compelled to end where you began, by turning the hind end of your Essay foremost!

J

Those who long denied the circulation of the blood, like you said cui bono? Short-sighted men! The knowledge of that simple fact has increased the power of the physician over the human frame a thousandfold. And if the functions of that magnificent organ the brain be now discovered, the utility of the discovery must be immense. Would it be of no advantage to have a sound philosophy of the human mind, based upon a correct knowledge of the constitution of human nature, which would enable us to lay down a philosophical and universal system of physical, intellectual, and moral education, which would apply to all the varied conditions of the human race? Would it be of no importance to know accurately the strength and weakness of our own physical and mental constitution? Self-knowledge has been sought by wise men in all ages, as of all knowledge the most important to their improvement in virtue and happiness. The functions of the brain once known, what a flood of light is thrown on the laws of health and disease, the cure of the insane, criminal law,-penitentiary discipline, and, in one word, all the relations in which man can exist as a physical, intellectual, and moral being!

Now, what has your habit and association philosophy done for the human race? Absolutely nothing. Mankind felt that it came not home to their business or their bosoms, and neglected it as a thing of no value. And how could it be otherwise? You reasoned about the powers and principles of a being of whom you had no experience. You spake of the mind as if it had already "shuffled off this mortal coil," or, rather, as if it had never put it on. And yet it is only from birth till death that we have any experience of the human mind; and during all

that period it is connected with a physical frame, modifying the mental phenomena at every step. And to say nothing of the influence of this physical power, is to say nothing of part of the elements composing the being, the phenomena of whose nature you profess to explain. Is not this to throw Lord Bacon's rules and philosophy to the winds of heaven? And, after ages of this kind of futile labour, when we ask you what is the actual constitution and nature of man, some of you say, that he is a compound of matter and mind; another says he is all matter, as miatter is mind, and mind matter. Some of you say he was once a certain animal, but unluckily lost his tail One of you says he is a social another, that he is an unsocial animal. Some say he has many faculties; others, that he has very few. Some say that he is a selfish; others, that he is a benevolent being. Some grant him a moral seuse; others none. Some allow him a conscience; others say that it is a thing of mere habit and education. The foundation of virtue itself has been made to consist in propriety, fitness, utility, benevolence, selfishness, sympathy, &c. Dr Reid, with his common sense, put all uncommon sense to the blush. Mr Stewart, that elegant and splendid writer, from his immense erudition, has given us the literature of many important questions, but nothing that can be called the philoso phy of the human mind. That acute reasoner, and delightful man, Dr Thomas Brown, threw the philosophy of Reid and Stewart behind his back, as a thing of nought; while, on the other hand, a learned Baronet, the other year, fell upon Dr Brown, and if he had not been weighed down with a load of German metaphysics, would actually have finished him. Nor can you have forgotten, that a simple note on Cause and Effect, by Professor Leslie, had some years ago nearly stranded the whole General Assembly.

Now, my dear sir, are you, belonging to a band of philosophers like this, entitled to assume airs, look big, and talk of Phrenology as a science that deserves to be "hooted off the stage ?"

Nothing has surprised me more, than that men of thought, reputation, and observation, should continue to deny the fundamental principles of Phrenology, when they must feel their own mental powers modified every day, by the different states of their physical frames in health and disease; or that they can resist such facts as that the most gifted minds become mere infants under disease of the brain. But here I stop for the present, till I hear from you again, which I hope will be soon.

I have said nothing regarding the tone and temper of your communication, which is certainly in both sufficiently irreverent. But I make no complaint. Some allowance must be made for an author who writes in defence of a sinking cause.-Yours truly, WALTER TOD.

THE TEACHER; Or MORAL INFLUENCES EMPLOYED IN THE INSTRUC! TION OF THE YOUNG! Intended Chiefly to assist Young Teachers in or ganizing and conducting their Schools By JACOB ABBOTT, Principal of Mount Vernon School, New England. Revised by the Rev. CHARLES -MAYO, LL. D., late Fellow of St John's College, Oxford. London: Seeley & Sons. 1834-12mo) /: Ppl 328,00 bonoba90

gif 2792 ",riont-foodbe silT MR ABBOTT remarks, that were teachers to visit the schools of each other, they would vastly increase, their knowledge of and interest in the art of instruction. It is not always the case," says he," that any thing is observed by the visitor which he can directly and wholly introduce into his own schools but what he sees suggests to him modifications or changes; and it gives him, at any rate, renewed strength and resolution in his work, to see how similar objects are accomplished, or similar difficulties res moved, by others." "Next to a visit to a school," he continues, "comes the reading of a vivid description of it. I do not mean a cold theoretical exposition of the general principles of its ma nagement and instruction; for these are essentially the same in all schools: I mean a minute account of the plans and arrange ments by which these (general principles are applied. Suppose twenty of the most successful teachers in New England would write such a description, each of his own school, how valuablei would be the volume which should contain them ! MH Abbott has followed this recommendation in publishing the work unders review. Its general nature is well set forth by Dr Mayo in his preface to the English reprint:→ To

"The little volume now presented to the British public, sets forth in a lively and practical manner, the every-day life of a North American school. We are fairly ushered into the classroom, introduced to the pupils, made acquainted with the lights and shades of their characters; and all the physical, moral, and intellectual machinery of the institution, is set in motion before our eyes, and its principles familiarly explained. It is not indeed an elaborate exhibition of abstract truths addressed to a few philosophical minds, but a lively picture of school scenes, a minute detail of lessons, many of which were actually given, and a circumstantial report of cases which have really occurred, and may any day occur again. It is a volume for the practical edu cator; the teacher in an infant school, the master of a proprie tary establishment, the professor in a university, the instructor in a private family or in a school of any description, may study its lively narratives and judicious remarks with profit to himself and his charge. It exhibits to us how moral discipline and re

ligious influence may be exercised, even in a day-school, and that without violating sectarian prejudices."

ان

Mr Abbott's work gives us a very favourable impression of his moral and intellectual qualities. He argues strongly against the prevalent compulsory system of tuition, and maintains that by adapting the mode of teaching, and subjects taught, to the minds to be operated on, and exciting motives in the pupils by skilfully addressing their various faculties, the business of instruction may be rendered comparatively easy and pleasant. "The school-room," says he, " is in reality a little empire of mindo If the one who presides in it sees it in its true light, studies the nature and tendency of the minds which he has to control, adapts his plans and his measures to the laws of human nature, and endeavours to accomplish his purposes for them, not by mere labour and force, but by ingenuity and enterprise; he will take pleasure in administering his little government. He will watch with care and interest the operation of the moral and intellectual causes which he sees in operation, and find, as he ac complishes with increasing facility and power his various objects, that he derives a greater and greater pleasure from his work. Scholars never can be instructed by the power of any mechanical routinez, nor can they be governed by the blind naked strength of the master such means must fail to accomplish the purposes designed, and consequently the teacher who tries such a course, must have constantly upon his mind the discouraging, disheartening burden of unsuccessful and almost useless labour. He is contidually uneasy, dissatisfied, and filled with anxious cares; and sources oft vexation and perplexity will continually arise. He attempts to remove evils by waging against them a useless and most vexatious warfare of threatening and punishment, and he is trying continually to drive, when he might know that neither the intellect nor the heart are capable of being driven."

Since, then, an accurate knowledge of human nature is so indispensable to the successful education of the young, it is mani fest that the study of Phrenology, the only science by which the faculties of man are practically disclosed, is of the deepest importance to teachers. Cowper has well said, that,

Though Nature weigh our talents, and dispense

To every man his modicum of sense,...
Yet much depends, as in the tiller's toil,
On culture, and the sowing of the soil."

And it may well be asked, Whether is the tiller who knows scientifically the quality of the soil, its relations to different kinds of seed, and the periods at which the business of sowing may be most advantageously performed, or he who is ignorant of all these matters, likely to be the more successful cultivator? Surely no one can hesitate to name the former in reply. As he who has