76 EDUCATION, AS IT IS AND AS IT SHOULD BE. 



cle ?" or is it intended to convey an intimation that an outline or ge- 

 neral idea of every subject should be possessed? If the former is 

 intended, the idea is absurd ; if the latter, it is very good, but can af- 

 ford no plea for putting one subject of comparative insignificance in a 

 prominent place, to the exclusion of one of importance. 



Man is ever apt to branch into extremes. Formerly it was the 

 plan to teach only one subject, and those who came after, seeing the 

 absurdity of this, declaimed on the necessity of knowing every thing. 

 But if asked for a definition of this every thing, the supporters of 

 this scheme would probably be very much puzzled. No phrenologist 

 would hold such a doctrine. I shall quote some excellent remarks on 

 this subject by an able phrenologist. " As man cannot cultivate all 

 his powers equally, it is surely better that he should cultivate those 

 which he can turn to some account, than, by unavailing efforts, en- 

 deavour to excel in something for which he was never designed by 

 nature. How ridiculous it would be for an individual paralytic in the 

 lower limbs to choose the pi-ofession of dancing ! But would it not 

 be equally absurd for an individual destitute of musical talent to fol- 

 low Music as a profession ? or an individual who could not discrimi- 

 nate colours, to wed himself to the profession of Painting ? When 

 talent is naturally weak, it may, by cultivation, be rendered strong- 

 er, but no education can compensate for natural deficiencies ; and 

 hence, when any power of the mind is very weak, the cultis'ation of 

 the power will never lead to any satisfactory result, and time will be 

 lost in the effort, which might have been beneficially employed in 

 training- some of the other powers more susceptible of improvement. 

 As no human being can excel in every thing, why should not every 

 one confine his attention to that department of art or science most 

 congenial to his nature ? But how are we to discover the talents or 

 genius of the individual ? In two ways : 1st. In observing the natural 

 bias or inclination of the individual ; and 2nd. By following the light 

 which Phrenology throws so broadly and steadily upon the subject." 

 This is all sound and judicious. In another part of the Philosophy 

 of Phrenology we find the following passage : — " It must be admitted 

 that the majority of mrnkind are possessed oi partial talent. A man 

 who can excel equally in every department of art and science does not 

 exist. His existence is a physical impossibility. But, even admitting 

 the possibility of the case, a question arises whether it would be more 

 prudent to cultivate one or a few of these powers to the degree of 

 which they are susceptible, or to attempt to cultivate all the powers, 

 and attain only a mediocrity in each. Had Paganini, for example, 



