all the peculiarities of human character in a singular degree. The other faculties of the mind are differently circumstanced. With few, or perhaps with no exceptions, they carry the mind directly to their objects. Benevolence is exerted on our fellow creatures. Conscientiousness intermingles itself with all the business of ordinary life. The love of offspring finds its gratification at home; and the daily intercourse of life both enlightens and regulates the exercise of all the affections; but Veneration, abstracting from its use in society, knows not the object on which it is to be exerted.* It craves for gratification of a higher order than is afforded by any sensible thing; and it carries the mind to a superior being, or class of beings, of some kind or other. But, even when aided by the profoundest intellect, it wanders much in the dark ; and, as St Paul said of the Athenians, it is for ever, by its unenlightened dictates, leading to the erection of an altar "to the unknown God."

In the last place, it is observable of the sentiment of Veneration, that it is essentially of the nature of a passion. This is not, like the former, a peculiarity limited to Veneration. It also attends Destructiveness, Ideality, and Wonder, which carry with them the quality of excitement and exquisiteness. All the propensities and sentiments, indeed, when excessively active, lead to passion. But those which have now been mentioned cannot, by their definition, exist in a state of quietude. It is of their very nature to be warm. All the parallel expressions, accordingly, in language common to the principle of Veneration, imply excitement and animation. Awe, deference, reverence, dread, fear, adoration, are of this description; and in their essence, they are impassioned. All of them, no doubt, imply Cautiousness, and other powers, combined with Veneration; but this is

*We hold, that there is no difference, in this respect, between Veneration and any of the propensities or other sentiments. Philoprogenitiveness and Conscientiousness are as blind in their own nature as Veneration; and all of them, when not enlightened and directed by intellect, are prone to produce abuses.

EDITOR.

of no importance. All language, like all feeling, is necessarily of a mixed character; but it is at once felt that, in so far as they are expressive of Veneration, they are of a glowing kind; and the language of Veneration has, in all ages, been of the same character.

Holding, therefore, that this is a natural peculiarity of the principle, it is plain that men under its influence require, in a peculiar degree, the control of some other power. Superstition, accordingly, as its not improbable excess, is carefully to be avoided: but, at the same time, as it results also from the very nature of the principle, that its legitimate manifestations are impassioned, it is unphilosophical and unfair to regard these as being, on this account, unreasonable; or, as Mr Hume does, to designate them as necessarily either superstitious or enthusiastic. On the contrary, where elevated conceptions are entertained of the glory and excellence of God, it is both natural and right, that an enthusiastic devotion should be offered to him; and it thus has become the distinction of Phrenology to prove, (what is so little thought of by the proud followers of the old doctrines), that the ardour of devotion is just as philosophical as the calmness of speculation. Let those thinkers, then, who judge of the religious world by the principles of that philosophy, be led to doubt the justice of the views, which condemn as irrational a feeling which is the result of a natural principle, and so is irrational only when it is kept down below the standard of

nature.

From the quality which has now been described, we are led, by the way, more clearly to perceive, that Mr Stewart's deductions of reasoning and general views of the economy of Providence cannot be the originating principle of the sentiment; for it is too animated in its essence, to be consistent with any process of mere reasoning.

Considering, then, the peculiarities which have been explained, in particular, the blindness and warmth of the sentiment, and remembering the high place which it holds in the

economy of life, the benefits of instruction in this department of mind become peculiarly striking. And yet, how strange is it that, in every prevalent system of philosophical education, this is the branch of inquiry which is especially neglected! With the views, indeed, of the foundations of religion, which are taken by the philosophers, it is not strange that this should have been the case; for, by resting the principle wholly on a deduction of reasoning, they have, in fact, driven away all that is strengthening, consolatory, or elevating in the sentiment, from the system of the schools. The religion, accordingly, which is taught in the church and practised in the family or closet,—that supports in the season of distress, and strengthens in the hour of death, has become one thing; and the religion of the schools,—if, indeed, it merit the name,—has become another. The philosophy of the schools may justify a patient inquiry into the existence of the Deity, and even a calm affection for him; but it in no way justifies that warmth of devotion which is essential, and has been universal.

A twofold evil has arisen from this cause. An interesting branch of philosophy has been neglected in the schools; and divines have lost for their pursuit, that support which it derives from the discoveries of a just philosophy. They have submitted to the imputation of drawing their lights exclusively from the revelations of their holy book, apart from any principles implanted in human nature by the Deity himself;-which they, in consequence, have neglected to trace, as affording a sure foundation for their revealed doctrine. The result has too often been an unnatural dissevering of religion and philosophy;-a habit, on the part of philosophers, to regard with contempt the victims of what they deem a heated imagination; and a disposition among divines, to abjure the pursuits of philosophy, as detrimental to the integrity of their faith. When an individual, therefore, after a period of thoughtless or studied unbelief, comes, at any stage of life, to avow himself a convert to the doctrines of religion, he is viewed by philosophers and the world as weak or foolish

the victim of disease or melancholy,-instead of being, in truth, only one instance added to thousands, where the principles of his human nature have gained the mastery over the deceits of a vain philosophy, he really being the wise man, and his masters the fools. No doubt, he must feel, how much is to be undone of his former education, before he fully can submit to the influence of a real devotion. He must feel, that his new views are, indeed, unconnected with what went before; and that not only do they receive no confirmation from his philosophical principles, but are too often in direct hostility to them. He may, perhaps, from the beginning, have supposed that it is philosophical to love God; and thus, gradually, he may have been led to those warmer feelings which accompany a better religion: but it is plain, that his latter feelings are, in no sense, the result of his former, but are caused by some other principle, which, independently of them, has been formed in his mind; and, accordingly, that if called at once, in the beginning of his progress, to those higher sentiments, he must have been repelled, instead of attracted by his early education.

The consequences of this state of things were strikingly manifested in the overthrow of religion at the period of the French revolution; when the people of that country, after centuries of submission to the church, were roused to a spirit of inquiry, and when the faith of their ancestors, tried by the principles of the common philosophy, and assailed by the ridicule of profane wits, sunk at once, without a struggle. It cannot be doubted, that, had the union, which is natural, between religion and philosophy then existed, France never could have disgraced herself by the spectacle of a goddess of Reason, paraded for public worship; nor would she now again have become the no less miserable patron of an abject superstition.

With those views, it is matter of equal surprise and regret that so little provision is made for the education of youth in the foundations of religion; so that, even in this present year,

when London is about to become the seat of a university, it has been deemed fitting, to exclude the subject of religion from its classes by a positive law. In such an arrangement, there must, on obvious principles, be something defective. If our powers of reasoning, of fancy, of moral judgment, of mechanical contrivance, are to receive culture, can there possibly be grounds for refusing similar advantages to our powers of devotion? If we are, indeed, to live beyond the grave,➡ if we are endowed by nature with a principle of devotion; can it be wise,—is it philosophical, to make provision for every worldly interest, and to make none for the realities of eternity? If it be answered, that the subject is avoided, because it is one on which men cannot agree, we reject the argument as implying a reproach on the Creator; who, on that supposition, would be calling us to duty and trials for which, in his providence, there was no provision. It is the dictate of common sense, that in a matter so important to our highest interests, the truth is discoverable, if men will but condescend to use the means placed within their reach. Should Phrenology become instrumental in removing this prevailing mistake, it will be one,-not the least,-of the many benefits which it is in the course of bestowing on the human race.*

ARTICLE II.

CONTINUATION OF THE SINGULAR AND IMPORTANT CASE OF R. W.

NARRATED AT PAGE 235 OF THE PHRENOLOGICAL TRANSACTIONS; BY MR ALEXANDER HOOD, SURGEON, KILMARNOCK.

FROM an idea that the sequel of this case must be interesting to those who have read the history of it, already be

* The sentiment of Veneration embraces the subject of the religious affections, and also the principles of political, family, and personal submission; having regard thus not less to human society than to the Deity. The first of these alone is treated of in the present paper, and only in part. We shall, by and by, pursue the inquiry farther.