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most daringly presumed to adulterate our tragic verse, as if it were nought but common, highway poetry, Here indeed, my Lord, I could have wished, when you introduced your abominations into the sanctuary of our Tragic Muse, that her statue had fallen and crushed you. Upon this subject, British feeling is morbidly sensitive. We have excelled all modern nations in the principal arts and sciences; we have excelled the ancients but in one, the Drama. There is more of the genuine spirit of dramatism in the English nation, than has ever yet appeared on the boards of mortality. She has produced the only dramatist, in its true sense, worthy of the name. SHAKSPEARE is the rock upon which Eng land's fame must rest; her claims to pre-eminent glory are founded on her Drama. Milton has been surpassed as an Epic poet; Newton, himself, will not carry down her name to posterity, for his works are even now becoming dead letter. But the dramas of Shakspeare will descend to the last ages of the world, and it is from them that we must expect celebrity when our island is a waste for wild animals. Homer, Virgil, and Shak speare, will be the three great names of antiquity, to the future world. Our other tragedists, without equalling Shakspeare, have excelled the rest of mankind, in a dramatic point of view; and, however inferior in the general scope of mind, have always exhibited a superior talent for the stage. Now, my Lord, we might have permitted you to teach women and fools, weak-headed poetasters, and

the ordinary mob of verse-makers, to lisp in effeminate numbers with im punity: but what reprobation do you not deserve for setting a copy of prose poetry to our rising tragedists? for naturalizing that detestable thing amongst our dramatists? That you have done so, is manifest from a slight inspection of your plays; † and I honestly tell you, if I could damn you with a dash of my pen,-for this deed of sacrilege, I would do it. Hence comes it that we are inundated with such a flood of tragedies. Every witless babbler, every loquacious simpleton, every pert popinjay "smit with the love of poesy and prate," who can bedizen his words with a flush of gaudy, glittering, half-formed images, and deliver himself out to the public with a velvet volubility of phrase in something of your Lordship's elongated suavity of manner,-writes a tragedy incontinent. A tragedy! the highest effort of human poetical powers! O tempora! O prose-poesy!

In predicting the decline of English poetry from this period, I may be in error; I hope I am. In arraigning your Lordship, as the chief degenerator, I may be unwarranted ; I wish I were. You will, however, Í am sure, my Lord, allow that the remarks which I have made above and throughout these letters, mostly on your works, if not superior in point of judgment or discrimination to the common cant of criticism, are at least dictated by a spirit of honesty and candour, not always to be found in this disreputable province_of literature. JOHN LACY.

*We have had some revenge of this kind; his Lordship has never held up his head since he profaned the temple of Melpomene.

+ Vide Lioni's speech (Doge of Venice) in particular; an eloquent, profuse, effeminate, voluptuous specimen of beautiful prose-poetry.

SKETCH OF FOREIGN LITERATURE.

GERMANY.

THE Leipsig Michaelmas fair does not appear to have produced any thing very remarkable, and we even miss in the catalogue some important works which there was every reason to hope would be announced in it; among these are the Travels of Drs. Spix and Martius, in Brazil, which we understand are not likely to appear before February, 1824; Baron Minutoli's Travels in Egypt, de

ferred till the end of this year; and Raumer's History of the House of Hohenstaufen, which is expected with great impatience; the first Number of the Botanical part of Dr. Martin's Travels in Brazil is, however, published, and, we believe, the first Number of the Zoology. Our correspondent in Germany mentions the following works as amongst the most worthy of notice:-Professor Niemeyer's Observations on his Tra

vels, vol. 3; Parrot's Travels in
the Pyrenees; Ch. Muller, the Cam-:
pagna of Rome, in reference to An-
cient History, Poetry, and Art,
2 vols.; F. Schiller's (inedited) Let-
ters to Dalberg, in 1781–85. Such
relics cannot fail to be welcome. H.
Hirzel, Views of Italy, part 2; H.
Döring, the Life of Herder; Hulse
mann, the History of Democracy, in
the United States of North America;
Bergmann, Peter the Great, as a
Man and a Sovereign; Casanova's
Memoirs, part 5; Busching, the
Castle of the Teutonic Knights at
Marienburg, with seven plates.
Among the Novels are three by the
much esteemed author, F. Laun;
two by Baron Fouqué, and one (the
Exiles) by his Lady; the Messenger
from Jerusalem, by Maria Muller;
the Baron and his Nephew, by S.
Contessa; Iwan and Feodora, and
two others, by C. Hildebrandt; there
is besides a whole host of translations
from the English and French, among
which Sir W. Scott and Viscount
d'Arlincourt occupy the first place.
The translations from Sir W. Scott fill
nearly a whole page of the catalogue.
There are likewise translations of al-
most all the travels that have lately
appeared in the other languages of
Europe, as well as of numerous
other works, including the Napoleon
Memoirs, by Montholon, Gourgaud,
Las Cases, &c. &c. and various books
and pamphlets about Greece and
Turkey.

The Dramatic department offers nothing original of any note; there are various new versions of single plays of Shakspeare. Among the latest Travels are the second volume of Dr. Schubert's Tour through Sweden, Norway, Lapland, and Finland; the first volume of Dr. Naumann's Excursions in Norway in 1821 and 1822; and a third volume of Dr. Sieber's Travels, being a journey from Cairo to Jerusalem and back, with a plan of Jerusalem. The Count Caspar Von Sternberg has published the third number of his Essay towards a Geognostic-botani'cal representation of the Flora of the Antediluvian World. Several numbers of the Prince of Niewwied's representations of the Plants of Brazil are also published; and it is reported -that his Highness is going to make a second expedition to that interesting country.

FRANCE.

The Drama. The French theatres are all very busy in getting up what they call Pièces de Circonstances, to celebrate the success of the French in Spain. At the Opera, they are preparing Vendôme en Espagne: a new opera, called the Snow, or the New Eginhard, was produced at the beginning of this month. The author, M. Scribe, has founded his piece on the well-known (though probably fabulous) anecdote of the Princess Emma, daughter of Charlemagne. He lays the scene in Germany, in the 16th century, as it seems, and makes Louisa his heroine, daughter to the Duke of Suabia, and united by a clandestine marriage to a Count Lensberg, who, on returning from a military expedition, finds the Duke ready to give his daughter in marriage to a Prince of Neuburg. The Parisian critics agree, that it is full of improbabilities and attempts at effect, but that there are many scenes that are highly interesting. It has proved very successful; the first six representations having produced 25,000 francs. Encouraged by this success, the managers are going to bring forward The Mother and the Daughter, an opera, in three acts; which will be succeeded by Leocadia. L'Auteur Malgré Lui, brought forward at the Theatre Français, is founded on Marmontel's tale, Le Connoisseur, and has, in many respects, a great resemblance to the Metromanie. was very well received by the public. The author's name being demanded, M. J. Remy was announced; but this is presumed not to be the real name of the author.

It

Poetry.-L'esclavage, by M. Marie Dumesnil; the second edition of the Death of Socrates, by Lamartine; a new translation, in verse, of the Inferno of Dante, after the new edition of Mr. Biagioli.

History, Memoires, &c.-The principal productions under this head are volumes 35 and 36 of the Universal Biography; they contain many interesting articles, under the letters P. Q. and R.; A General History of Gaul, from the first conquests of the Gauls, to the establishment of the French monarchy; followed by a View of the Religion, Government, and Manners of the Gauls, 3 vols. Svo. by M. Serpette de Marincourt. This work is very highly spoken of:

the 13th livraison of the Memoirs of great satisfaction of the subscribers the Revolution is very interesting; This abridgment of the great dietione it contains a Precis, by Baron Go- ary in 40 volumes, which has been guelat, on the attempts made to out of print for some time, has the carry away the Queen from the Tem- advantage of being in a great meaple. dhis work gives the corres- sure composed by the authors of pondence of that Princess in fac- the first work, who have abridged, simile. M.. Goguelat replies to see and in many cases improved, their veral assertions of Madame Cam- own articles. M. Richard, whose pan, respecting himself. The second New Elements of Botany and Vege volume of the Memoirs of the Pri- table Physiology are highly esteemed, sons, forms, with the Memoirs of has published, in 2 vols. 8vo. a MediLouvet, the other part of this liv. cal Botany, or Natural and Medical raison. The third 'livraison of the History of Medicines, Poisons, and Memoirs of the English Revolution Aliments, obtained from the Vegetais published.

ble Kingdom. A Dictionary of the Antiquity, Fine Arts, 8c.-M. Terms of Medicine, Surgery, Phar. Champollion-Figeac has just pub- macy, &c. is advertised for imme lished a Notice of Two Egyptian diate publication, 1 vol. 8vo. Papyri, in demotic characters, of Among the translations : Mrs the reigns of Ptolemy Epiphanes Helme's History of England; BigEuchariste. They are two contracts, land's History of Spain; Karamsin's dated in the 4th and 8th years of the History of Russia, vol. 9. Becreign of that prince. The Rosetta caria on crimes and punishments, inscription is of the 9th year. The into modern Greek, by M. Coraç. comparison of these three documents We had nearly forgotten to mention has enabled the author to remove Etudes pour servir à l'Histoire des some doubts respecting the duration Schals, by J. Rey, manufacturer of of certain offices of the priesthood Cashmere shawls, a book which conin Egypt, and to fill up two import- tains much pleasing and useful inant blanks in the Greek text of the formation on the subject, which the Rosetta inscription, on which Mr. author treats with all the gravity of Letronne is preparing a great work, an historian. which will soon be published.

Geography, Voyages and Travels. A new edition of Tasso's works, Nothing new has appeared in these by Gioy. Rossini, vol. 9, 8vo. is branches; the 58th number of the announced as more complete than Journal des Voyages contains a very any preceding edition. The first long historical and geographical ac number of a work on the Baths of count of the city of Cadiz and its Titus has appeared. There are to island, with a very good chart. Mr. be 10 plates and 30 sheets of letterM‘Carthy has published, in 10 vols. press, in folio. The object of the Svo. a judicious selection and able work is particularly to make known abridgment of Voyages and Travels those parts of the baths of Titus in the four quarters of the Globe which were not discovered till the since 1806. Another part of the con- years 1811-1814. The literary intertinuation of the great work on Egypt course with Italy is so extremely licontaining 50 maps, is we believe mited, that works of importance are now published. This is not the 2d not even heard of till long after pubedition publishing by Panckoucke, lication: -such a work we presume is but part of the sequel to the great the Nuovo Prospetto delle Scienze work commenced under Buonaparte, Economiche, of which we must conand which the King of France has fess we had never heard, till we saw ordered to be completed on the origi- a few days ago an article in a foreign nal scale. Views of the Coasts of paper stating that the author had France on the Ocean and the Medi- received from the Emperor of Russia terranean, drawn and engraved by a bill of exchange for 20,000 francs, Garnerius, with descriptions by M. with an order for 100 copies, which Jouy, will appear in 15 numbers, had been accordingly sent to St. Pe4to.

tersburg; the whole making 800 Medicine, &c.-The 9th volume of .volumes : so that the work must conthe abridged Dictionary of the Medi- sist of 8 volumes in 4to. cal Sciences, has just appeared, to the

ITALY

PHRENOLOGY."

A FEW years ago, when on a visit to our friend Mr. Owen at New Lanark, we had the pleasure to meet Mr. Combe, brought thither, like ourselves, not by the falls of Clyde its ancient attraction-but by the new world of men which Mr. Owen, goodnaturedly and absurdly enough, is now busy in constructing among his cotton-spinners. At the request of various individuals of the party, and in particular of our hospitable entertainer, Mr. Combe agreed to make a survey of the heads of the children attending the institution. These might amount at the time to one or two hundred; and of the character of a great majority of them, Mr. Combe did, in our presence, give a little general estimate, which the head master who attended us, declared to be almost invariably correct.

This experiment, which was of the greater value, inasmuch as at New Lanark the master does not merely teach the children to read, but professes to study and train their natural dispositions, surprised us very much. It seemed ridiculous and unphilosophical to ascribe the uniformity of the result to mere casual coincidence; and we thenceforth became prepared, scoffers as we had previously been at Phrenologyto look into it with candour, if not with some little prepossession in its

favour.

Our whole subsequent study and observation has only tended to confirm us in the belief of it; and we have little doubt, that where it is disputed, the error proceeds more from ignorance of its true nature and pretensions, than from any fairly considered judgment on its evidence. The world conceives of Phrenology as an empirical pretence to discover human character from the shape of the skull, as if this congeries of bones contained the soul; and running away with this idea, its ignorant and its unprincipled enemies (the last being those who, for a laugh, will sacrifice friends, principle, truth, religion, and honour) lavish every reproach and ridi

cule upon it which their wit can supply. But what is Phrenology? - Phrenology is a system of philosophy of the human mind, and is founded on facts ascertainable by consciousness and observation. Transactions, p. 65.

of

Man (say the Phrenologists, Trans. p. 27.) as existing in this world, is compounded of a thinking principle and a material body. The thinking principle cannot by itself become an object of philosophical investigation, because in this life, so far as we know, it neither acts nor can be acted upon except through the medium corporeal organs. If then, in this life, organization is so indispensable to the manifestations of the mind, and exerts so great an influence over them, no system of the philosophy of man is entitled to the name, which neglects its agency, and treats of the mind as a disembodied spirit: and yet Locke, Reid, Paley, Stewart, and Brown, are as silent upon the organs of the mind, as if the mental functions were performed independent of the body. The Phrenologist, on the other hand, regards the ideas of Mr. Stewart) desires to inman as he actually exists, and (to adopt vestigate the laws which regulate the connexion betwixt the organs and the mind, but without attempting to discover the essence of either, or to explain the man-ner in which they are united. The me thod which he follows, namely, that of com paring the power of manifesting particular mental faculties with the development of particular portions of the brain, is philoso phical in the most rigid sense of the term; and only prejudice and ignorance can undervalue the object of his investigation, or state any serious objection to the means.

The circumstance which became the origin of the science affords a striking instance of this mode of philosophizing; and as it is calculated to remove the prevalent notion that Phrenology is the mere offspring of a heated fancy, a tissue of chimeras. and theories, we make no apology for quoting it.

Dr. Gall from an early age was given to observation, and was struck with the fact that each of his brothers and sisters, companions in play, and schoolfellows, possessed some peculiarity of talent or disposition which distinguished him from others. Some of his schoolmates were distinguished

Transactions of the Phrenological Society, with five engravings. Edinburgh: John Anderson, jun. ; and Simpkin and Marshall, London.

Nov. 1823.

2 N

by the beauty of their penmanship; some served a particular part of their heads to be by their success in arithmetic; and others very largely developed. This fact first by their talent for acquiring a knowledge of suggested to him the idea of looking to the natural history, or of languages. The head for signs of the moral sentiments. compositions of one were remarkable for But in making these observations, he never their eloquence, while the style of another conceived for a moment that the skull was was stiff and dry; and a third connected the cause of the different talents, as has his reasonings in the closest manner, and been erroneously represented,- he referred clothed his argument in the most forcible the influence, whatever it was, to the brain. language. Their dispositions were equally different; and this diversity appeared also menced by Dr. Gall has since been

The mode of inquiry thus comto determine the direction of their partialities and aversions. Not a few of them followed out with distinguished sucmanifested a capacity for employments cess by Dr. Spurzheim and Mr. which were not taught; they cut figures Combe; and it bids fair to reduce to in wood, or delineated them on paper ; certainty much of that involved and some devoted their leisure to painting, or mysterious, yet limited, useless, and the culture of a garden ; while their com- ever-varying speculation, which hirades abandoned themselves to noisy games, therto has stripped metaphysics alor traversed the woods to gather flowers, most wholly of practical usefulness, seek for birds' nests, or catch butterflies. The scholars with whom young Gall had stock. It is easy to explain how

and made the very name a laughingthe greatest difficulty in competing were those who learned by heart with great faci effects so great may safely be anlity; and such individuals frequently gain. ticipated from the new study. ed from him, by their repetitions, the places

When we reflect (says Mr. Combe, Trans. which he had obtained by the merit of his p. 20) on this mode of inquiry into the funcoriginal compositions.

tions of the brain, we find it to be in the strictSome years afterwards, having changed est degree philosophical, and to be free from his place of residence, he still met indivi- certain insuperable objections which have duals endowed with an equally great talent opposed the success of all investigations, of learning to repeat. He then observed, conducted by the methods previously in that his schoolfellows so gifted possessed use. From an early period, anatomists prominent eyes; and he recollected that have dissected the brain, with the view of his rivals in the first school had been dis- discovering its functions; but, by this tinguished by the same peculiarity. When method, they could not attain the object in he entered the university, he directed his at. view, because the structure of the different tention, from the first, to the students whose parts of the body does not of itself indicate eyes were of this description ; and he soon their functions. By examining the liver, found that they all excelled in getting ra- independent of experience, no person could pidly by heart, and giving correct recita. predicate that its function is to secrete tions, although many of them were by no bile, &c. Every effort, therefore, to dismeans distinguished in point of general ta- cover the functions of the brain by mere lent. This observation was recognized also dissection, has necessarily proved abortive; by the other students in the classes ; and and physiologists, in general, still reprealthough the connection betwixt the talent sent the uses of its different parts as a and the external sign was not at this time mystery in science. Metaphysical in established upon such complete evidence as quirers, on the other hand, have tesorted is requisite for a philosophical conclusion, chiefly to reflection on consciousness, as a yet Dr. Gall could not believe that the co- means of cultivating the philosophy of incidence of the two circumstances thus ob- mind; but as consciousness does not rereal served was entirely accidental. He sus- the existence of the organs, by which the pected therefore from this period that they mind communicates with the external stood in an important relation to each other. world, they were incapable by this method After much reflection, he conceived that if of throwing light upon the connexion be. memory for words was indicated by an exter. twixt the mind and the body. nal sign, the same might be the case with the And, further, Mr. Combe might other intellectual powers; and, from that have added, that metaphysicians, moment, all individuals distinguished by however intensely they may put their any remarkable faculty became the objects consciousness to task, never can of his attention. By degrees, he conceived thence discover any other human himself to have found external character. istics, which indicated a decided disposition being than the one who reflects; for painting, music, and the mechanical while Phrenologists, by diffusing arts.

He became acquainted also with their inquiries over the general world some individuals remarkable for the deter- of mind, get access to all that variety mination of their character; and he ob. of character which undoubtedly ex

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