sary to the full enjoyment of the laugh, that the observer should be capable of feeling and duly appreciating the original witticism, and that it should be still present to his mind. If Littlejohn had not written the original lines, Samuel Johnson's inscription would have been merely a piece of incomprehensible dulness, and would have been read without producing the slightest feeling of pleasure. The pleasure arising from what are termed bulls, is invariably traceable to the same causes. An Englishman, writing a letter at a coffee-house, observes an Irishman reading it as he writes it. Without taking any notice of the offence, he goes on to say, that he has a great deal more to write about, but that a d-d tall Irishman is reading over his shoulder every word he writes. The Irishman reads this, and, amid the tempest of his feelings, witlessly denies the fact, by his very denial proving it. Here the pleasure again arises from a perception of real difference and apparent resemblance, a difference between the thing intended and the thing done. The pleasure arising from practical jokes is derived from the same source. A boy rises for a moment from his seat, which is covertly removed, and upon his attempting to sit down, he overbalances himself and falls. If he is not hurt, and is tolerably good-tempered, he himself cannot refrain from joining in the laugh which follows. The pleasure here again is traceable to a supposed resemblance and real difference, the difference between the thing meant and the thing done.

But although the organ of Wit (as it is termed), aided by the organ of Comparison, appears to me thus to be the principal organ which enables us to enjoy the perception of Wit, I am far from thinking that it is the only organ by means of which the feeling which accompanies that perception is capable of being excited. On the contrary, it would appear to me, that each intellectual organ, within its own sphere, by means of its own innate power of perceiving resemblances and differences, is capable of originating the feeling. Thus a large organ of Tune perceiving the resemblance and difference between the performances of a good and a bad singer or musician, a feeling of ridicule at once arises in the mind, and a smile is the natural expression of the feeling. Nothing, therefore, can appear to me more unphilosophical, than to assign the name of Wit, and particularly of Gaiety, to the organ in question. The organ may, generally speaking, be essential to the perception of wit-according to Mr Scott's theory and mine, it would be; the gaiety too may be inseparable from the peculiar exercise of the organ under discussion: but it by no means follows, that either appellation is appropriate, even if every argument in favour of Discriminativeness should be disproved. Convinced, however, as I feel, of the truth of Mr Scott's theory, I cannot help thinking,

that in the end the fact will be satisfactorily ascertained, and that the alteration he proposes will be adopted; in which case, I would venture to propose that some such term as the organ of Assimilativeness should be substituted for the organ of Comparison.

I will make no apology for the freedom with which, in discussing this question, I have ventured to dispute an opinion which has so long since obtained the sanction of your authority. You have not only taught your scholars too well to admit of their allowing any thing but complete conviction to satisfy their minds in matters of philosophy, but have also inspired them with too high an opinion of their master to allow them to doubt for one moment his readiness to receive with gladness any effort to remove an impediment in the paths of science. For my part, though your opinion has gone forth, I am so perfectly satisfied that you would derive nothing but pleasure from the success of my attempt, that, in common gratitude for the many hours of pleasure and sources of knowledge for which I am indebted to you, even if I had no other motive to actuate me, I should feel bound to make the effort. With every feeling of respect, I remain, &c. GEORGE HANCOCK.

7 DELAHAY STREET, WESTMINSTER, 15th May 1835.

P. S. Should you be of opinion that any new light is to be obtained by the publication of this in the Phrenological Journal, of course I shall feel gratified by your sending it.

ARTICLE VI.

THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND'S INDIA MISSION, &c.; BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH, ON 25TH MAY 1835. By the Rev. ALEXander Duff, A. M., the Assembly's First Missionary to India. 8vo. Pp. 27. Waugh & Innes, Edinburgh; Whittaker & Co., London. 1835.

WE had intended to write a notice of Mr Duff's Speech, and to call the attention of our readers to the forcible illustration which it affords of the manner in which Phrenology may be used as a means of preparing heathen and superstitious nations for receiving the Christian religion,-when we met, in the London Courier of 9th July 1835, some remarks upon it which, on account of their brevity, we prefer transferring to our pages. The writer in the Courier applies the facts stated by Mr Duff to the education of the Irish peasantry; but they are equally applicable to the education of all ignorant and superstitious nations.

"In lately making some remarks on the First Report of the Commissioners of Public Instruction for Ireland, we observed, that after three hundred years of incessant exertion, and after all that has been done by violence and injustice of every description to diffuse the Protestant faith in Ireland, six millions and a half of her people are still Roman Catholics, and only 852,064 are Protestants; and we drew the conclusion, that there must have been some great imperfections in the means of conversion employed, to end in such a result. We have perused the report of a speech delivered before the General Assembly on the 25th of May last, by the Rev. Alexander Duff, the first missionary sent to India by the Church of Scotland, on the subject of converting the Hindoos to Christianity; and it is so full of valuable instruction applicable to all nations, that we recommend especial attention to it to those who are particularly interested in Ireland. We noticed the speech at the time when it appeared in the newspapers, as remarkable for its honesty and judgment; and the full report confirms our favourable opinion. The parallel between India and Ireland holds good to a greater extent than might at first view be supposed.

"The Hindoos, it is said, have a religion of their own, which has come down to them from a very ancient period, and is attested by a revelation and miracles, and supported by the sufferings of saints and martyrs.

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Exactly the same might be predicated of the Catholics in Ireland, in regard to their peculiar dogmas. Of the Hindoos, Mr Duff says You try the argument from miracles: this argument, when disentangled from the mazes of sophistry, when understood aright, is invincible. They retort, however, that they themselves have miracles far more stupendous. And doubtless, if mere gross magnitude is considered, they say what is true; for, in this respect, their miracles set all comparison at defiance. Besides, with them the original miracles form an inherent part of their theology; and they have no notion of what is meant by an appeal to them, in order to authenticate a doctrine. And modern miracles they have in such abundance, that they are exhibited on the most trivial occasions, and become matters of daily occurrence.'

"Terms almost precisely similar to these have been used in describing the ignorance and superstition of the Catholic peasantry of Ireland; but mark the means by which Mr Duff proposes to remove this obstacle to the Hindoos embracing pure Christianity. It is not by appointing bishops and preachers for the purpose of expounding to them the Scriptures. His words are Again you are compelled to wish that you had the power of conveying such a knowledge of common science, the laws of nature, or first principles of things, as would prevent

their confounding things monstrous with things divine; things merely extraordinary with things absolutely supernatural.'

"The excellent sense of this observation cannot be too highly commended; yet this is precisely what the enlightened friends of education insist should be done with a view to the religious reformation of the sister isle.

"Mr Duff next adverts to the inefficacy of the argument from prophecy, and says Of the countries where the prophecies were uttered, the people to whom they were addressed, the times and circumstances in which they were fulfilled, they (the Hindoos) know nothing, and wish to know nothing; so the argument falls powerless on their ears as the evening breeze upon the solid rock. Once more you are aroused to a sense of the necessity of communicating general knowledge that is sound in quality and sufficient in quantity."

"Is the Irish intellect more capable of appreciating the true value and importance of prophecy, in a state of ignorance quite equal to that here described, than the intellect of the Hindoos? The Irish do not, like the Hindoos, dispute the general truth of Christianity as a revelation; but the Protestants are pleased to say that they are grossly misled in regard to the doctrines of that revelation. For this evil the only remedy is obviously that proposed by Mr Duff:- Give them data in general knowlege for sound thinking, and train them to investigate and reflect, and you may then expect some progress to be made in throwing off their superstitions.'

"Mr Duff proceeds: Driven to the last shift, you perhaps appeal to the internal evidence. You find yourself farther than ever from your purpose. Internal evidence is to them preeminently a new and unheard-of idea. It implies spiritual purity, and wisdom, and excellence. And how minds like theirs, that are either pre-occupied with airy subtleties, or stultified with utter neglect, can be brought, in the first instance, to attend to or comprehend such topics, constitutes the great, the insuperable difficulty. You are now reduced to the lowest degree of helplessness; and however sincere, and honest, and apostolic in your zeal,-if not blinded by a wild and senseless fanaticism, you cannot help exclaiming, O that I had the means of conveying the knowledge that would enable me to establish, by enabling these people to apprehend, the nature of my authority!' Thus the urgency of the call to communicate general knowledge to such a people is felt to be resistless.'

"Is it not said that the minds of the Irish peasantry are ' either pre-occupied' with gross errors, or stultified with utter neglect'? And we again inquire, Whether a people so circumstanced can be efficiently reclaimed, without the communication of general knowledge, in Ireland more than in Hindostan ?

"In short, the speech of Mr Duff is one of the most powerful vindications that we have ever read, of the system intended to be pursued by government in regard to the religious instruction of Ireland. Instead of paying an enormously overgrown clergy for merely preaching against Catholic doctrines, they propose to apply the surplus revenues of the Church, after providing for Protestant ministers sufficient for the instruction of the Protestant population, in promoting the general education of all classes and denominations; and if this be the only effectual method of propagating Christianity in Hindostan, we cannot conceive that it can fail in also correcting errors in belief in Ireland.

"Mr Duff's speech deserves most serious attention from all persons interested in missions, foreign or domestic. He places the propagation of Christianity on the basis of reason, and fairly discards all pretensions to success from influences operating independently of the known laws which regulate the human understanding. We were much gratified to observe several highly judicious remarks to the same effect in the second volume of Lieutenant Moodie's Ten Years Residence in South Africa,' founded on his observations of the inefficacy of mere preaching in converting the Hottentots and Caffres."

To our readers who are familiar with the applications of Phrenology contained in Mr Combe's "Constitution of Man," it will be unnecessary to point out how much it is calculated to promote the object which the Rev. Mr Duff has in view. If it, or a book of a similar nature, were translated and presented to the Hindoos, it would effectually undermine their superstitions, and open up their minds for the reception of the highest views of Christianity. The work, we imagine, might also be employed with advantage as a text-book in the Irish schools. It teaches the great moral principles of Christianity, and shews their foundation in nature. It affords a stimulus to the intellect, and gives a clear view of the utility of knowledge of nature in every department. Experience warrants the opinion, that such a work, if properly expounded, and illustrated by examples, drawings, and other means, would make an indelible and beneficial impression on the youthful mind.