ized. The good man's sighs over sin prove that he is not all sin. Man has indeed an animal nature, but he has also an intellectual nature. When the former absorbs the latter-when the mind, or soul, is swallowed up in mere sense-then truly man becomes an awful offender. His enormities are terrible. He would then disgrace the beasts, and perhaps even dishonour demons. But, when the animal part of man is purified by man's moral sentiments and absorbed by his intellectual faculties, then is it manifest that there is a noble spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding. His deeds then are wrought in the love of God and man.' He then evinceth the same mind which was also in Christ:' and then he gives forth evidence that God hath made him but a little lower than the angels, and hath crowned him with glory and honour.""

The second lecture is devoted to the moral sentiments, regarding which the teachings of Phrenology and Christianity are thus compared. "The one teaches that there are certain natural moral sentiments, which are elementary constituents of the human mind; the other appeals to these sentiments as to things which actually exist in man. By one it is asserted that these sentiments, rightly directed, will lead to the discharge of individual, relative, and religious duties; by the other it is affirmed that man must employ those powers to do as he would be done unto,— to serve his God, and to work out his salvation. One system teaches that human beings are constituted moral agents; the other treats them as such. Every page of man's history proves his possession of those moral powers. Every page of the New Testament addresses itself to them. Too often have they been most wofully neglected, misapplied, enfeebled, and debased. But was there ever upon earth a people devoid of the sentiments of right and wrong, honour and dishonour? Did ever a people exist who evinced no sentiments of wonder and veneration towards things stupendous and a power superhuman? The religion of the most superstitious is evidence of some natural powers in man which prompt to the adoration of superior objects; the grossest idolatry must be the effect of some mental cause. What is it? From the animal propensities alone it could not possibly proceed. Were man reduced to the condition of the ourang-outang, he would not then be a worshipper of even an idol. Paganism, under its most disgusting forms, still points up to mental powers which in their nature must be good and noble, and in their designed use most salutary. The worshippers of Boodh in India, of Foe in China, and of Lama in Thibet, evince the very same mental sentiments as those which are manifested by the worshippers of the only true God. Only change the object of worship and the truth of this position will be demonstrated. The inhabitants of India, China, and Thibet,

might worship the Christian's God without undergoing a change of nature; and any people might exchange an inferior code of morals and religion for one that was better, without exchanging a single power of the mind for some other."

66

Mr Clarke has included among the moral sentiments SelfEsteem, Love of Approbation, and Cautiousness; because, says he," they have in their uses a decided moral tendency." SelfEsteem he regards as "the basis of all true honour, dignity, and moral greatness," and as "that which exalts the mind above meanness, servility, and baseness." We suspect that few of our readers will here concur with Mr Clarke; for humility, which is the only result of deficient Self-Esteem, is neither inconsistent with "true honour, dignity, and moral greatness," nor necessarily accompanied by" meanness, servility, and baseness." When directed by higher faculties, Self-Esteem, Love of Approbation, and Cautiousness, have doubtless, like every other mental power, a moral tendency;" but still, in themselves, they have no tincture of morality. Indeed, we have long been much inclined to the opinion that the received list of "moral sentiments" is far too extensive; and that Benevolence, Veneration, and Conscientiousness, are the only affective faculties which exercise a disinterested control over the animal powers. So far as we are able to perceive, neither Hope, nor Wonder, nor Wit, nor Firmness, nor Imitation, exercises any such control; and even Ideality can hardly be looked upon as a barrier in the way of selfish indulgence, at the expense or to the annoyance or disregard of other men. Every one of the six faculties last named, may be so harmoniously leagued with the propensities, as to start no objection whatever to the performance of the most immoral acts.

In the third and concluding lecture, Mr Clarke treats of the human intellect, and the necessity of cultivating and enlightening it before Christianity can be fully realized. "As the intellectual faculties," says he," are the only media of access to the moral sentiments, and the moral sentiments are the only instruments by which the animal propensities can be duly restrained and beneficially directed, virtue, piety, and true religion, must be in proportion to the strength, activity, and harmonious co-operation of the intellect and moral powers. It has been said, that ignorance is the mother of devotion.' But of what devotion? Can ignorance produce the devotion of the wrapt-ennobled soul? Can it send forth the devotion of Christ ?-No. The devotion of ignorance is low, grovelling, superstitious; it is mere fear, tinctured deeply with the dark colouring which the animal nature has given it. It is false devotion. That which is true is ever brightened highly by the glowing tints that the combined energies of the intellect and moral powers have impressed upon it. There is no beauty in the devotion which is

the offspring of ignorance; its parentage is base; the issue is of but little worth; too often has it proved worse than worthless. It has led men to fanaticism and persecution-to the commission of the most atrocious crimes, and the infliction upon themselves and others of the direst miseries. It has given the name religion to that which was positive madness. But such insanity was never produced by hearing the Word and understanding it, and receiving the good seed into the good ground of the mind. Thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold of bigotry, anger, wrath, and malice, are the very counterpart of those fruits of love, and joy, and peace, that the religion of Jesus is designed to produce; and, by their fruits shall ye know them.' If a man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his.' But, to know what that spirit was, requires the exercise of both the perceiving and reflecting powers. The fundamental command, Learn of me,' cannot be obeyed without a vigorous use of the intellectual faculties; but, the more carefully these are trained, and the more assiduously the moral sentiments are at the same time cultivated, the higher must the individual ascend in excellence, true religion, and positive enjoyment."

These lectures evince in their author a refined and cultivated understanding, great purity of moral and religious feeling, and an ardent desire of the improvement and instruction of mankind. We trust that their circulation will be extensive, and are sure that they will meet with a favourable reception from every enlightened Christian, whatever opinion he may entertain with respect to Phrenology.

ARTICLE VIII.

CHARACTER AND CEREBRAL DEVELOPMENT OF WILLIAM MANUEL, A PRECOCIOUS CHILD.

WILLIAM MANUEL, the subject of the present sketch, was born in Flintshire, in March 1830. He is the object of public curiosity, on account of his being able to read five languages, though he is but four and a half years old: they are English, Welsh, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. His father is a leadminer, of a dull and heavy aspect, and slothful in disposition; but his mother is of an active temperament, and appears to be possessed of more than common shrewdness and sagacity. They have five children, of whom this is the third; and the whole are healthy and intelligent.

His mother affirms that he was always a boy of very quick observation. When only ten months old, he was very fond of

having a book in his band; which exciting her attention, as soon as he was able to speak she taught him to read, by pointing to each word as it occurred in the book, and pronouncing it to him; and this she did without teaching him to spell, or even letting him first learn the alphabet or single letters. His easy acquirement of English and Welsh having attracted observation, a gentleman supplied him with a Latin book, to which he ap plied with similar success; and he was afterwards taught Greek and Hebrew in the same way by another gentleman. He can now read all these languages with nearly equal facility, whichever way the book may be turned; and, though his pronuncia tion is not very distinct, and he is quite unacquainted with the meaning of the words, he contrives to execute his task not only without hesitation, but even with rapidity. His mother has taught him to repeat some little prayers and hymns; and she distinctly states that his verbal memory is not superior to that of other boys of his own age, though in other respects he is decidedly in advance of them. In disposition the boy is resolute and determined, and in character he combines boldness with caution: he is fond of truth, and particularly fearful of being ill advised: he is candid, kind hearted, and benevolent; not to be compelled by force, yet easily led by affection. His principal fault is passion; but he is very open to the conviction of error, especially when gentleness and reasoning are employed to produce the effect.

.

In general appearance, the boy is of large growth and healthy aspect. His temperament is sanguine, and there is a restless activity of mind and body. His manners are engaging, and his look intelligent. The three great divisions of the brain are in pretty equal proportion.

In comparing the leading features of this boy's character with his cerebral development, we perceive at once the relation they bear to each other with respect to the propensities and moral sentiments. He evidently belongs to that class of persons in whom the ultimate direction of the character depends more on the circumstances in which the individual is placed, than upon any preponderating influence in his own natural dispositions. By the judicious exercise of authority on the part of an intelligent parent, the inferior faculties have hitherto been restrained withinproper bounds, and have evidenced themselves only by that restless activity and indisposition, for repose already alluded to; and by occasionally displays of passion, of the guilt of which he has afterwards been easily made sensible.

1

In looking at the intellectual region, our attention is attracted to the extraordinary size of the three organs situated in the middle line of the forehead. In the unusual development of these, but especially of the lowest, with a moderate endowment of Language, we shall find the elements of the talent which renders this boy so remarkable. From observing the last named organ to be but moderately developed in a boy so quick in the acquirement of language, some have been disposed to draw inferences unfavourable to Phrenology; a little consideration, however, will show that this is one of many instances in which apparent exceptions to its rules have subsequently served to confirm the principles on which the science is established. If we attend to the manifestations of his power, and analyze the nature of the mental exercise, I think we shall be brought to admit that the faculty of Language takes a part of but secondary importance in the process. At his age, the ideas or mental conceptions excited by their appropriate signs, as he meets with them in the book, must be very few, even in the English and Welsh, and in the others he is unacquainted with them all. Yet he reads each language with equal facility, and is quite indifferent as to the position in which the book is placed.

It appears to me, that in the act of reading the boy recognises each word as a single object, which he individualises from the rest as a distinct and separate existence. To one who understands its meaning, every word is the arbitrary sign of some specific idea, and therefore requires the exercise of the organ of Language to receive and retain it as such. To William Manuel the words are not arbitrary signs, but simple objects of existence; in fact, the sign itself becomes to him the thing signified the mental action thus far is confined to the organ of Individuality, and those about the brow, and the exercise of that of Language is limited to the extent of associating a particular sound with each word, as he has been taught and accustomed to apply it. He is assisted by pointing to the words with his