Nugae literariae: prose and verse

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to Surrender our consciolisneSS to the omnisic power of bruteflesii, and to describe thought as the effect of organised, and asthe accident of perishabie, matter 8 It is patrifully evident that laterialism has made a great advance; that it is viowed withless apprehension than it was Wont to eXcite; that it is flatiore iby a candour Whicli it never eXhibiis, that it has corruptedour language, that it has debased our sinest thinhing, that itthreatens the Palladium os our Religious Falth. Yet in Our candour We are to open every gate for it, and never forbearuntii it is Within our WallS.

Instamus tamen immemores, caecique furore, Et monstrum infelix sacrata siStimuS arce.

a desti ny decides every thing, that human liberty is a fiction, that virtve and vice are only conventional, and that he is rurining but an appotnted race. The Deedom of the will, it

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may be alleged by the advocates of this system, is not dented, nor is this impulse os disposition in conquerable. But such extenuation Will appear as Unmeaning as must ollier tWo Statements of the poet on the fame Subjeci:-

Inform any ordinary man that on such portioris of bone aresiamped his leading propensities, his poWerfui appetites ; thatyou can teli his character froin his situli; surely his apologyWill be immediate, and placing his hand on the part he will

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But is these indulgerices bo refusod, I cannot withhold his indignant imprecation S

RS the common Source of human error and woo l Amiabis

specimens of this temper begin to appeari Eut for theseianweariod philanthropisis some of the most sinished charactersmight have been uitrecorded. They have rescited neglected excellence froni the gravet What though prematuro deathwithdr0W a Haggari froin the present Scene Z They have em balinod his virtuos i It was theirs, ulso, to honour a much-injured man ; to throw a blage of benevolence around his memory ; I spsali of tho lumented Thurioli l This sweet sorbearanco issexercised to ali but to the unbellevers in Craniology. In thesrst number of the above-mentioned Journal, os course besere any provocation, they divide their opponents into tu elue equallyolegant and charitable depariments: WaSps, buttersites, anis,

I Would intimato in this place the propriety of disclosing

the resulis of Craniological investigation rather more prudently than has besen tho habit os iis professors. There a re certain Delings whicli cannot bo eradicated at once i , There are particular scruples Whicli must not be too abruptly shockod i Lot the weali eye be strengthened by gradual alloWances of light, ore it be required to endiare the noontide sun i Wo havo

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tho profane indecency of many recent attempis to connect theomnipotent With peculiar studies. He is introduced as a poetical machine. His holy and reverend nam e is abused tosanction, While it is miXed up With, the most hideous incongruitios. Is my indignation hindled of too earthly elements when I denounce a practice of as bad laste as of implous levity ΘThat namo is sufficiently blasphemeti Without any philosophical auxiliaries. Alan has alWayS possessed this superadded portion; V but by wisdom lineW not God.' Did Tully successsullydiscover the nature of the gods,V or the existerice of the Truo

tablo of elective attractions, spealis of that particular combination and mode of chrystalligation whicli constitutes the Divino Boing Θ Thus meri Will leave the fource of ali religious knowlodgo to 61id it in a bone or a pulp; Wili turn hom every manifestation of His nature With which the Supreme meets them, for the desperato hagard of one Which he Will never deigri; and create the horror of thicli darkness whicli descend s iapon them

They Who are acquainted with the publications of this school Will recollect the prevalling attempt of many to reconcito the system With Revelation. The position Whicli the Divine Word rather assumes, than intends to argue, is the universat depravity of man. The great alm it proposes toitself, is to achieve a morat revolution in his condition and nature. Other dogmata are contained in it, Which neither thotone nor compaSS of my theme can alloW me to discuss. But Craniology assures iis that it calis not for the surrender of these

trullis ; that it provides their basis and ground-work; that it

constitutes their evidelice and rationale. It repeais the very ignorance of Nicodemus, and to be born agamV we ought,

according to iis doctrine of physical formation, to enter thesecond time into our mothe 's Womb, and be born. Thusine unWary are deceived ; and the bellevers in Revelation arebetr ed into a league with Materialisis, Fatalisis, and Insideis, against it.

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- Lucernam fur accendit ex ara Iovis, Ipsumque compilavit ad lumen Suum. Repente vocem sancta misit Belligio Ne ignis noster facinori praeluceat Per quem verendos excolit pietas Deos, Veto esse tale luminis commercium.

A rem k may be introduced here tolaching the supposed

Organ os Veneration. To What accidenis may We trace iis

devolopnient or diminution l Wo know that this part is very yielding in birth: that tho laminae of tho insant head continue for a time unciosed: that Very frequently a depreSSion, a Vali , is tost iapon tho spol sor iiD. Yet ali of religion depends uponthis formation lΙ am not disposed to go into those objections Whicli might

be raised against this system on ground s of religion. Theseare not seW nor trifling. It is one sneer at morat responsibility. Tho dispositions whicli it ascribes as necessarily belonging to usare incompati ble with any state of innocence. Did they attachio man whon he stione in his Μaker's image 8 Has his structure, the index of his present dispositions, received a similarchange of conformation since 8 Or, When his foui is restored, whon it is renowed aftor God,V-osten most suddenly-is this

And in disposition and signiferetice are We to mark the identityos the με now creaturo ΘΠ Acquisitive the Same, While consentingto ρε the loss of ali things ΘΠ Secretive the sanie, While ρε going forti, without the gate 8' SelLapproving the fame, Whilo nothaving on their own righteolasness8V Combative the fame, While -- gentio unio ali mon 8 ' Imitativo the sanie, Whilo εῆ walkingnot as Othors walli Θη' It is irksome to enlarge: it is an unplea-sant contention : for there can be no common principies bet ween Craniologi sis and Christians lWo are in possession os facts strictly religious. Tens of thousands of the negro race have embraced Christianity. Thess

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truth, and the truth made them Deo. Conformation and tint, is dissiculties to that reception, Were instantly oVercome. ChriSthas Wel comed these sabie converis, Saying, Behold, my mother

is in fuli gail for that politi, while dissection is a sori of e edition over land. From what I have stated,' says SpurZheim, it resulis that tho philosophy of the mind must be entirelychanged l' Α modest warning truly, and his recent lectUres demonstrate his qualiscations sor the tash. In thom he has laiddoWn one most novel position. με Ι repeat, ' says he, the asse tion, and it is an important one in the consideration of the phi

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leavo others to determine. Is it be the true One, We have muchto Unlearn. We have mistaken our nature; and may changeour humanity with a b oon.'' Ηe who can admire it, must, on his own principie, have a most uncommon Akuli. 'Thero is a liberal intercommunity hetween the genuine sciences: they reciprocate kiud ossices and useful Succours. This new system is the most in tolerant sirebrand. It denounces ali other enquiry to be absolutely fruitiess. Liko Μoliore sΜaistro de Philosophie, it treais ali instructors besides itselfwith singular disdain: με Io votis troiive totis trois bien impertinens, de parier devant moi avec cette arrogarice; et de donnerimpudem ment te noui de science a des choses que l' on ne dolipas meme honorer du nom d' ari, et qui ne PeuVent eire comprises que Aous te nom du metier miserable de gladiateur, dochanteur, et de baladin. ' It knows no bounds to iis contemptos metaphystcs. Did Craniologisis but know the meaning of this Word, they Would never apply it to the philosophy of mind. But as this is What they ignorantly intend by it, a more gratuitoUS, groundleSS, RVerment Was neVer rished than their commonone, that litile or nothing has been done in this depariment. As there is no subjeci So Worthy of being studied, so thereis no One that has receiVed greater eXplanation. I fearlesstyconjoin a Loche with a NeWton, and a Berkeley with a La Place. Only in this enquiry have We the united aids of consciousnessand induction. This intuition is far more certain than demon- Stration, or testimony, or eXternat Sense; sor upon it ali theseother instruments of conviction depend. What do you know of tho substance of mind 8 is frequently asked ; equalty as much, We reply, as you knoW of the Sub8tance of matter. When youinform iis of the one, we shali he inducod and enablod to informyou of the other. In the mean time, We Shali content ourselves with tho perceptions of the 6rst, and willingly remit you to allthe qualities Which your lavourite study of the secorid canreveat: the contexture of either element and iis substratum willstili bo ovit te and latent. - Α strong objection is allogod against the Intellectual En quiry, because it can go no sarther than effecis, and is ignorant of the correSponding causes.

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Those, Craniology declares it has discovered ; but, with ali iis

causality, it shows littie knowledge of causation. The relationos a cause and effect no man, Who has thought at all, Would protend to dofine. The fact is, that We do not understand alaw or reason os nature. Let the experimentalisis, in What ismost absurdly, When restrictiVely, called Physical science, teli, -Why the sea ling-Wax iapon friction Will gather light substances abolit it ; why the load stone draws certain metallic matter; Why atorias cohere; Why bodies are borne in a particular direction: Why limpid Water is arrested into crystals. It is notoriough to answer that these phaenomena are caused by Electrici ty, Μagnetism, Attraction, Gravitation, Congelation. Theseare only so many declared essecra ς or, more Properly Speaking, so many 8utaequent States in Whicli these things are solanii. Iknow Dom experienee When I may eXpect these states ; in What order of succession they Will occur; but of their causal su sistence nothing has been apprehended. of mentat operations me may Speak as correctly and considently ; We are only stopped

But when Intellectual Science is mentioned, ait must have a gird at it. Iis persecution is as common as it is urare sonablo. Is it possessed os facts 8 Are those facts within our

protexi for iis depreciation hiat this; that it is so accessibis and so transcendent. It may be dangerous to the other sciences byiis greatness. They may be neglected in consequence of iis attraction. They may Shrink Dom comparison with iis para-mount importance. They, theresere, by a Species of ostracism,

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ON CRANIOLOGY.

sense, a Universat Humanity Class i By a better in anagement of heads, prisons and lagaretios Will soon bo gwept Doni the earth lερ Redeunt Saturnia regna.' Servants Will Deed Do character, register ossices Will be superseded, and counties Will ontrusi tothe returning ossicer, the business of measuring the candidates'

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Tho fulcrum is obtained sor tho levor Which shali move thoworid. Aster the falliares of Six thousand years, this grandoxperiment Will malle man the subject of knowledge and virtve and ronder earth the dwelling of happiness and love l

To conclude this Essay, Ι Would sum up with as much indulgence as the case Will alloW ; and reatly do think that Craniology Will deserve respecimi attention when it can exhibitono fact for iis basis, one plausibili ty for iis recommendation, one application for iis use :-but not tili thens Is my facultiesbo developed or not, is they be Variolis or not, ali of whicli Iam consciolis determine me against this system. Aly orderrevolis at a confusion os genera and species and substances, Such