by the general dictate of all the organic wants. If this is done, we shall be in no danger of being carried away and shipwrecked, by the destroying influence of some lying appetite or passion. When the brain is uncommonly large, and its functions unusually vigorous, in childhood, there is a strong desire of mental excitement, which if gratified, interferes injuriously with the wants of other organs also demanding their proportion of excitement. In such cases, the dictate of nature, of reason, and of all experience, is, to withdraw the usual stimuli to mental action. Thus according to a law of our economy, those energies which ought to be distributed over the body, not only cease longer to concenter unnaturally about the brain; but this organ, by the effect of diminished exercise, actually, by degrees, loses its unnatural preponderance, and, after a period, shrinks within those bounds of relative size which are compatible with a strict equilibrium of the organs and powers. Whereas, if the opposite course is pursued, as is frequently done -if the too voluminous and too energetic brain is indulged to the utmost in its individual desire for action, and perhaps even goaded on by all the expedients which the ingenuity of a fond parent can devise, not only is irreparable injury done to the vital functions, but the over excited member itself, acquiring more developement, and accumulating more power, by the violence of its own action, is finally disorganized, and death is the consequence. The result most favorable to self-preservation, which can follow such outrage upon the laws of the system, is fatuity-an event by which, in such cases, nature preserves the fragments of the human machine, by cutting off the source from whence the destructive influence

comes.

The intellectual and moral faculties are the noblest attributes of man. They maintain him in his most exalted relations, and confer on him the capacity of endless improvement. It is the principal and more direct object of education, to secure them their natural ascendency, in the economy of man-to give them the highest degree of developement which is compatible with that just balance of the faculties and organs, to which we have so often referred. To attain this end, all the laws of organization which have been noticed, must be regarded, if we would not encounter disaster and defeat. The appropriate excitement must be applied to the brain, at a proper time, with a steady, discriminating, dexterous hand; not neglecting the law of relaxation, nor the watchful regard which is due to the system at large. The mighty power of such a mode of management, in attaining the object to which it is directed, we are confident, has not yet been thoroughly tested. Without doubt, some of our faculties, the intellectual in particular, are susceptible of a degree of developement, by pursuing the right method, which has not yet been known. The wonderful VOL. V.

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results of education upon the eye, the ear, and the other senses, are familiar to all. There can be no question of its power to produce effects as surprising upon the brain and mind.

We do not wonder, that the true object of education, on the plan which is generally pursued, is to a great extent defeated. On tracing the progress of the youth, destined for a literary life, through the whole course of his preparatory, collegiate, and professional studies, we are not surprised that he so often makes a wreck of himself and his hopes, before he has realized any of the numerous expectations which ambition has so fondly cherished. Often both he and his teacher seem to regard nothing as worthy of a thought, except the intellect. Ignorant of the relations between intellect and brain, and between brain and the other organs, they seem to think that, though the body become a heap of ruins, they are only near spectators. Every consideration seems to be merged in the single one to call forth into instant action, the greatest possible amount of mind. Ultimate effects are scarcely thought of. Sometimes, ruined health is rather desired, because of its frequent association with scholarship!

We have already said, that intellectual exercise is not of itself a cause of deranged health-that degree of exercise, which, as its ultimate result, is productive of the greatest intellectual energy. We confidently believe, that, out of a given number of students who have the name of becoming sickly by hard study, not one in ten can be found, who could not have made all the attainments which were made during this period of study, with perfect impu nity, had his course been marked by an observance of the organic laws. Even when the mind is the avenue of disease, the intellectual department of it, is by no means the common channel by which it finds admission. That portion of man which renders hin susceptible of emotions, is far more frequently the inlet of mischief. It is true, there is a condition of the system, and that, unfortunately, of common occurrence, in which any considerable mental exercise of any kind is injurious; but this is the result of diseasethe effect of previous error of conduct-the penalty of violated law. A disordered brain can no more bear thought, than an inflamed eye can light, or an irritable stomach, food. Exercise, in either case, is followed by pain, sometimes agony, which is a sure indication that exercise is hurtful. Repose is a dictate of nature. It is required for the purpose of restoration. It is the only condi tion on which recovery can take place. To expose a man ill of phrenitis, to the excitement of a powerful emotion, would be madness. It would be like directing upon the eye in ophthalmia, rays of a meridian sun. A brain which has been injured by neglecting the conditions of health, requires the rest of months or years: sometimes of life. A little over exertion, under such

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circumstances, may protract recovery indefinitely. A single imprudence may undo the work of a month. Here we see the penalty of disobedience in its just magnitude. Here we may see reflected, in the bright and fearful characters of truth, the superlative folly of those habits of literary men, by which, for a doubtful and trifling immediate good, (as the saving of an hour's time,) or for the gratification of some inferior and subordinate propensity, health is sacrificed, and half a life of suffering, and mental and corporeal incapacity, incurred. Such is the wisdom of three fourths of these ghostly characters ("shadowy films" both in body and mind,) which so stare upon us from the ranks of literary valetudinarianism! Such is the source of that frailty and susceptibility of the constitution, so much complained of in these times, which renders an hour's vigorous mental exercise productive of such nerVous excitabilaty and exhaustion, as to unfit for any serious business, for the space of a week. When the brain and system have become thus morbidly excitable, it is necessary to reduce the amount of intellectual exercise to the point of easy intellectual action; just as in indigestion we reduce the amount of food to the point of easy digestion.

The mode in which what is called relaxation from intellectual pursuits operates to preserve health, is not well understood. The human mind is made up of certain assemblages of faculties, which may be comprehended under the general terms, propensities, moral sentiments, perceptive and reflective faculties. These make sentient, thinking, emotive, acting, man. They are all essential ingredients in his constitution-all demand a due degree of exercise. If this demand is disregarded, the brain and system suffers, and health is lost. If a single set of these faculties is called into frequent and fatiguing action, while the wants of all the others are neglected, natural laws are infringed, and sure detriment experienced. Now, the occupation of the student requires almost the exclusive use of the reflective powers. All the others, of equal importance, are in a state of profound repose, during the period of study. The object of relaxation is double; first, to give rest to such faculties as have become weary of exertion, and secondly, to call into use such as have become tired of inaction. That relaxation which effects only the first of these objects, does not promise to preserve health. Something more than the mere intermission of labor is required. Man is not a mere mass of intellect-a cold, lifeless, heartless, lump of reasoning clay. He has affections and sentiments. He is susceptible of emotion and admiration, of love, of hope, of joy. He is a lover of works of taste, of social enjoyments, and innocent pleasures. He must be regarded in relation to all these constituents of his being-all these susceptibilities. These relations, it has already been said, are neglected during the

hours of study, and it is a principal object of relaxation, to bestow on them the attention which the wants of the economy require to give the livelier and lighter faculties and feelings, the needed exercise of which they have been deprived. Who has not felt the instant renovating effect of a few minutes' light conversation, or listening to some delightful strains of music, after having been all day engaged upon some knotty question of divinity or metaphysics? And what is the cause of this wonderful invigoration of all the powers, but that which we have pointed out? Would thrice the time spent in mere solitary lounging have answered the same purpose? There are those who think that even innocent amusements are unworthy of the dignity of man; but we cannot think so, until his constitution is changed. Students we know require them. It is true, there are some who are naturally so grave as to need none but grave occupations; but most are not so made. Among the latter, we are persuaded, all attempts to suppress entirely the lighter feelings and playful dispositions, will be either unsuccessful or disastrous in effect.

But the neglect of muscular exercise is the most obvious peculiarity of the life of the literary man, and is that circumstunce which has chiefly attracted attention. This neglect is certainly one of the causes, and a powerful one, of the ill-health of studious men; but, from what has been said, it will be seen that it is not exclusive, as seems often to be assumed. It is perfectly true that the muscular system constitutes an important portion of the body, acts a part in the economy of great importance, and involves in its sympathies and relations the most momentous interests. It is true that muscular exercise is an indispensable condition of health. But, as, in the actual case of the student, the neglect of this condition is only a concomitant cause of the complaints from which he suffers, it follows, that the observance of the condition in question, would not of itself secure him soundness of body. This fact has been nearly overlooked in the plans which have lately been recommended and adopted, for removing the evils attendant upon literary pursuitsa circumstance which is sufficient to defeat the purpose of the otherwise best contrived plan.

To illustrate our meaning;-let us suppose that a student, who spends twelve hours a day in his study, should undertake to renew and sustain his vigor by devoting, statedly and frequently, a sufficient period of time to such sort of exercise as is furnished by pulling and lifting at the corner of a church, or by simple and silent contortions of body in some lonely garret, would he feel his powers recruited and his constitution fortified, by these means? Surely, he has, or may have, a sufficiency of muscular action. Why then does he become pale, lose strength and fall into a decline? We answer-because he still violates the laws of his nature-neglects the

prescribed conditions of health; conditions which are not fulfilled by the occasional interruption of intellectual labor, even when accompanied by adequate corporeal exercise. The purposes of relaxation require, as has already been said, that the feelings be called into play. That exercise be salutary, it must excite pleasureable feelings. It must have nothing mechanical about it. While it allows repose to the intellect, it should communicate an agreeable excitement to the affections and passions—those faculties which have been dormant during the period of study. Hence, the attempts to preserve health in our institutions of learning by the introduction of artificial modes of exercise, as gymnastics, have generally failed of their object, and finally fallen into disuetude.

From the above considerations, it follows, that exercise in order to answer the design of relaxation, must be adapted to the tastes and dispositions of men. Peculiarities of temperament, and other individual differences, must be regarded. Some, by long habit or by constitution, require more bodily activity than others. Some are buoyant and lively; some are distinguished by staidness and gravity. The exercise of the former should have combined with it much that is exciting, while that of the latter needs less of this ingredient. Hence, the great difficulty of prescribing any particular kind, as universally applicable to the wants of students. No one kind that can be named will suit every case. Irksomeness and disagreeable associations must be avoided. There must be excited some glow of feeling-a result which is not produced uniformly by the same means. We do not feel prepared, then, to lay down any rules which should be followed in order to secure the benefits of relaxation. We would leave to every man, as much as possible, the freedom of choice. Constraint is not wise. The idea of compulsion takes away very much of the pleasure, which we might otherwise derive from the doing of a thing. It defeats the very end of exercise. He who walks, not from that internal impulse which renders walking agreeable, but because a master commands it, is not likely to be much invigorated by his obedience. The student, who at the hour of intermission, sallies from his room, and, in compliance with a law of college, resorts to the wood pile, there to renew his energies by the use of the axe, does not often find that for which he seeks, if every stroke is accompanied with a groan, as it is apt to be in such cases. The principal object of exercise is defeated the moment we make it a task. It would be a sort of incongruity in terms to call such exercise relaxation.

Though all we have said about the impossibility of giving general rules admitting of no exceptions, is true; yet, we are well persuaded, that, in a great majority of cases, what are called the sports are peculiarly well adapted to the wants of students, for the purposes of relaxation. To stigmatize such sports as puerile

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