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"the Cabinet d'Estampes of the great royal library at Paris. I "thankfully acknowledge my obligations to M. Duchesne, the conservator, for his kindness in affording me every facility in further"6 ance of my design. The descriptions of the individual characters are taken from the Biographie Universelle, Ancienne et Mo"derne, published by Michaud, frères; from the Galerie Histo"rique des Hommes les plus Célèbres, published by Landon; "from the General Biographical Dictionary, revised and enlarged by A. Chalmers; and from the General Biography, by J. Aikin " and W. Enfield."

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Of Vitellius, figure 3d, very little need be said. His head is remarkable for extraordinary breadth, indicating an excessive development of the animal organs in general, and of Destructiveness and Secretiveness in particular; while the height is greatly deficient, pointing out a proportionally small endowment of the human organs, particularly those of Benevolence and Reflection. The character exactly corresponds; for Vitellius is universally known to have been one of the most false, cruel, and detestable of the Roman emperors, monsters who disgraced humanity.

As a contrast to Vitellius we select the head of Sully (figure 4). "This head," says Dr S., " is very high, whilst "it is at the same time of considerable width. The organs of "Constructiveness, Secretiveness, and Cautiousness, are strongly "marked; the whole sincipital region is likewise large, and the "forehead voluminous, particularly the organs of Individuality, Configuration, Size, Locality, Order, Calculation, and of the re"flective faculties. Such a brain fits a man to attain excellence in "various departments of the arts and sciences. Happy the country whose administration is committed to such a head! there the "general welfare will never be neglected ;-and fortunate the king "who selects men with such a brain as Sully's for his counsellors! "the glory of his reign will be lasting."

"He was considered as one of the ablest commanders of the king"dom for the attack and defence of fortified places. He also made "himself especially useful by his skill and integrity in managing "financial affairs. He was employed, too, in many important ne"gotiations, of which one of the principal was for the king's second

marriage with Mary de Medicis. Sully hastened this alliance as "much as possible, dreading Henry's weakness towards his mistress "Mademoiselle d'Entragues, to whom he had given a promise of marriage. This promise he put into the hands of Sully, and that "faithful friend, deeply affected with the disgrace the king must "incur from such a connexion, after pondering a while, tore the

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"writing in pieces. Are you mad?' cried Henry. Yes, sire,' " said Sully, 'I am mad, and I wish I were the only madman in "France. As soon after as he could gain a hearing, he laid be"fore the king all the reasons to convince him of his extreme imprudence in the step he meant to take."

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"Within ten years he paid the crown-debts of two hundred mil "lions, and accumulated a surplus of thirty millions, raising less money by taxation all the while than had been done before his "administration. Prior to his ministry, the governors of provinces "and powerful nobles were in the habit of levying taxes for their private advantage, sometimes on their own authority, and frequently by virtue of edicts which they had obtained through "court-interest. Sully suppressed these abuses, and had to en"counter not only the intrigues and machinations of the persons "immediately interested, but the facility of the monarch himself, "always disposed to comply with the requests of his favourites and "mistresses. On one occasion the king's mistress d'Entragues said haughtily to Sully,- To whom would you have the king grant ""favours, if not to his relations, courtiers, and mistresses? Ma"dame,' replied he, you would be in the right, if his majesty "took the money out of his own purse; but is it reasonable that " he should take it from those of the traders, the artizans, the la"bourers and peasants? These people, who maintain him, and all "of us, find one master sufficient, and have no need of so many "courtiers, princes, and mistresses.' Sully, of whose integrity "the king was fully convinced, relieved him greatly when assailed "by improper requests; he could always throw the refusal upon "one who had no reluctance to undergo the odium, provided the "good of the state were consulted.

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His table was

<< Sully was very active and very temperate. "simple and frugal, and when reproached with its plainness, he re"plied with Socrates, that if his guests were wise, they would be "satisfied; if not, he did not wish their company.

Of Pope Alexander VI., figure 5th, Dr Spurzheim says, "This cerebral organization is despicable in the eyes of a Phrenologist. The animal organs compose by far its greatest portion. "Such a brain is no more adequate to the manifestation of Chris"tian virtues than the brain of an idiot from birth to the exhibi❝tion of the intellect of a Leibnitz or a Bacon. The cervical and "whole basilar region of the head are particularly developed; the "organs of the perceptive faculties are pretty large, but the sinci"pital region is exceedingly low, particularly at the organs of Be"nevolence, Veneration, and Conscientiousness. Such a head is "unfit for any employment of a superior kind, and never gives birth "to sentiments of humanity. The sphere of its activity does not "extend beyond those enjoyments which minister to the animal "portion of human nature.

"Alexander VI. was in truth a scandal to the papal chair; from

"the earliest age he was disorderly and artful, and his life to the "last was infamous.

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"He is said to have bought the tiara by bribing a certain num"ber of cardinals, or rather by making large promises, which he "never fulfilled. It is well known that, when he became pope, he "had a family of five children,-four boys and one daughter. He "made a regular practice of selling bishoprics and other ecclesiasti"cal benefices to enrich himself and his family. Though profane "and various religious writers do not all agree in their judgment concerning the disorderly conduct of this man, many atrocities "committed by him are well-ascertained facts. History will always "accuse him of the crimes of poisoning, simony, and false-swearing, "—of reckless debauchery,-nay, of incest with his own daughter. "In political matters he formed alliances with all the princes of his "time, but his ambition and perfidy never failed to find him a pretext for breaking his word and disturbing the peace. He engaged "Charles VIII. of France to enter Italy in order to conquer the kingdom of Naples; and as soon as that prince had succeeded in "the enterprise, he entered into a league with the Venetians and "the Emperor Maximilian to rob him of his conquest. He sent a "nuncio to the Sultan Bajazet to entreat his assistance against "Charles, promising him perpetual friendship in case of compliance; but, after the receipt of a large remittance from the Turks, "he treacherously delivered Zizim, the brother of Bajazet, then at "the court of Rome, into the hands of Charles. As a singular ex"ample of Alexander's arrogance, his bull may be mentioned by "which he took upon him to divide the new world between the "kings of Spain and Portugal, granting to the former all the territory on the west of an imaginary line passing from north to south, at one hundred leagues distance from the Cape de Verd Islands. "Alexander possessed eloquence and address; but a total lack of "noble sentiments rendered him altogether unfit for his sacred sta"tion. Poisoned wine, which had been prepared for certain cardi"nals whose riches tempted the cupidity of his holiness, was given "him by mistake, and ended his profligate career. Some writers "have questioned the truth of this account of Alexander's death, "but there is nothing in the relation inconsistent with the acknow"ledged character of this pontiff. Lowness of feelings and lowness "of brain are seen together."

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Figure 6th represents the head of Philip Melancthon, from a portrait by Alb. Durer." It is very narrow," says Dr S. " above and behind the ears, and the whole basilar region is I very small; almost the whole of the brain, indeed, lies in the fore"head and sincipital regions, both of which are exceedingly large. "It is the brain of an extraordinary man. The organs of the mo"ral and religious feelings predominate greatly, and will disapprove " of all violence, irreverence, and injustice. The forehead betokens "a vast and comprehensive understanding. The ensemble, a mind

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"the noblest, the most amiable, and the most intellectual that can "be conceived. If there be any thing to regret, it is, that the organs of the animal powers should have been so small in comparison with those proper to man. Such a head may be called cho"sen; its only cause of unhappiness is in contemplating the injus"tice of mankind, and its too eager wishes for their better condi❝tion.

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"Melancthon was born at Bretten, in the Palatinate, in 1495. "He received the rudiments of education in his native place, went "to the college of Pforzheim, and two years afterwards to Heidelberg, where he made such rapid progress in literature, that, before "he had completed his fourteenth year, he was intrusted with the "tuition of the sons of a noble family. He was still very young "when Erasmus wrote of him,- Good God! what hopes may we "not entertain of Philip Melancthon, who, though as yet very "young and a boy, is equally to be admired for his knowledge in ""both languages? What quickness of invention! what purity of "diction! what powers of memory! what variety of reading! "what modesty and gracefulness of behaviour!""

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"He soon contracted a close intimacy and friendship with Lu"ther; and though he approved Luther's design of delivering theology from the darkness of scholastic jargon, his mildness of temper "made him extremely averse to disputation of every description. He, however, rendered great services to the cause of reformation by his admirable abilities and his great moderation. He was even "forced to sustain a conspicuous part in all the principal religious "transactions and ecclesiastical regulations of that period. For the "sake of peace and union, he was naturally inclined to yield where "essentials were not concerned, and always anxious to soften the "acrimony of religious controversy. It is said that his mother hav"ing asked him what she was to believe amidst the disputes which "divided the world, he replied, Continue to believe and pray as "you have hitherto done.' He was humane, gentle, and readily "won upon by mild and generous treatment; but when his adver"saries made use of imperious and menacing language, he rose su"perior to his general meekness of disposition, and showed a spirit of ardour, independence,-nay, of intrepidity, looking down with "contempt upon the threats of power, and the prospect even of "death."

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"Never was any man more civil and obliging, and more free from "jealousy, dissimulation, and envy, than Melancthon; he was "humble, modest, disinterested in the extreme; in a word, he pos"sessed wonderful talents and most noble dispositions. His greatest "enemies have been forced to acknowledge that the annals of anti"quity exhibit very few worthies who may be compared with him, "whether extent of knowledge in things human and divine, or "quickness of comprehension, and fertility of genius, be regarded. "The cause of true Christianity derived more signal advantages and “ more effectual support from Melancthon than it received from any

"of the other doctors of the age.

His mildness and charity per

haps carried him too far at times, and led him occasionally to "make concessions that might be styled imprudent. He was the "sincere worshipper of truth, but he was diffident of himself and "sometimes timorous without any sufficient reason. On the other

hand, his fortitude in defending the right was great. His opi"nions were so universally respected, that scarcely any one among "the Lutheran doctors ventured to oppose them. He was inferior "to Luther in courage and intrepidity, but his equal in piety, and "much his superior in learning, judgment, meekness, and hu"manity. He latterly grew tired of his life, and was particularly disgusted with the rage for religious controversies, which pre"vailed universally."

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ARTICLE VIII.

On the Character and Cerebral Development of James MacKaen, who was executed at Glasgow on 25th January, 1797, for the Murder of James Buchanan, the Lanark Carrier. Communicated by a Member of the Phrenological Society of Glasgow.

THE skull of M'Kaen is deposited in the Anatomical Museum of the University of Glasgow, and casts of it are in the collections of the Phrenological Societies of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and of the Medical Society of Hamburgh. His crime and subsequent conduct excited an extraordinary interest at the time. The information as to his life and character is derived from the Glasgow Courier of 8th October and 13th December, 1796, and 26th January, 1797; and also from "A Narrative of the Life of James M'Kaen, taken " from his own mouth" (5th edition), by a respectable bookseller in Glasgow, who is still alive, and the "Last Letter of "James M'Kaen to his Wife and Children."

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