PHRENOLOGY. 103 



then, of my surprise to learn from Mr Coxe (and I 

 warned him to be wary) that Nature intended me for a 

 musician. You are aware that 20 is the highest number 

 in the phrenological scale, the proportional develop- 

 ment of music in my head is as 16. But if more than 

 justice be done me as a musician, in other respects I 

 have cause to complain. The organ of language is more 

 poorly developed than any other in the head. One, of 

 course, can't claim the faculty one is said to want with 

 as much boldness as one may disclaim the faculty 

 one is said to possess ; but you will forgive me if I pro- 

 duce something like testimony on the point. The effects 

 of an imperfect development of language, say the phren- 

 ologist, are a difficulty of communicating one's ideas to 

 another from a want of expression, which frequently 

 causes stammering and a repetition of the same words, 

 and a meagreness of style in writing. But what say 

 the critics in remarking on my little book ? " What 

 we chiefly found to admire," says one, " is the singular 

 felicity of the expression." " The wonder of the book," 

 says another, " lies in the execution ; there is nothing of 

 clumsiness, and the style is characterized by a purity 

 and elegance, an ease and mastery of expression, which 

 remind one of Irving, or of Irving's master, Goldsmith." 

 The Presbyterian Review and Leigh Hunt testify to a 

 similar effect. " But has not vanity something to do in 

 calling in such testimony ? " Nothing more likely ; still, 

 however, the evidence is quite to the point ; and as I 

 have perhaps in some little degree influenced your 

 opinions regarding phrenology, I deem it proper thus to 

 state to you the facts which have since modified my own. 

 The rest of the forehead, regarded as an index of mind, 

 has its discrepancies. Causality is largely developed ; 

 wit, will you believe it ? still more largely ; whereas com- 



