the giddy and the heartless, but to those alone, afford amusement during the period of youth and vigour,-but what is to become of their declining years? Where is then the affection that should smooth the bed of sorrow, and watch the languid eye of disease? Looking, then, to present happiness alone, particularly if we extend our view to the whole of life, there is surely nothing which should tempt us to forego the satisfaction accompanying a life of virtue; nor is there any thing in the feverish delight of the libertine to be compared with the following picture of true affection, unsubdued by the united pressure of age and sickness: "Old Derby, with Joan by his side, "Ör sit in the sun at the door, "And at night, when old Derby's pot's out, "No beauty or wit they possess, "Their several failings to smother; "Then what are the charms, can you guess, "These traces for ever will last, "Which sickness nor time will remove; "By reviews of such raptures as these, "Which decrepit old age cannot freeze." It was observed to me, that in this passage the poet is wrong in attributing the friendship, in any degree, either to the existence or remembrance of bodily qualities, and that the friendship here described sprung from Adhesiveness, and the other moral faculties, over which these have no influence. I am inclined to be of a different opinion. I conceive that both circumstances may have their effect, or rather that they may mutually contribute to increase the effect of each other. Adhesiveness may tend to keep alive "the pleasing remembrance of youth;" and this last may tend in no small degree to maintain the activity of Adhesiveness. Both may therefore assist in maintaining the equal and constant flow of that "current of fondness" which constitutes the happiness of the old couple; so that the poet's description of their feelings is correct and consistent with Phrenology. As a farther evidence of the same thing, I shall again resort to the lines of our national bard, making no apology for the triteness of the quotation : "John Anderson my joe, John, "When we were first acquaint, "John Anderson my joe, John, "We've seen our bairns' bairns, "I'm sure ye'll ne'er say no, "Though the days are gane that we hae seen, "John Anderson my joe, John, "And mony a canty day, John, I have but one observation more to make before I conclude the present subject, tending to shew the completeness of that adhesion, if we may so express it, of that thorough intercourse of souls which takes place in a well-assorted union between two individuals of opposite sexes. The male and female seem to be formed with qualities so related, as that each is in a manner supplemental of the other. With a general resemblance, and even sameness of powers, these are in each combined in such different proportions, and are so modified by this difference of combination, that they form, as it were, the counterparts of each other. What is wanting in the one is made up by a corresponding fulness in the other. The soft and yielding nature of the female is compensated by the Combativeness and Firmness of the male. Her Philoprogenitiveness comes in aid of his Adhesiveness. Her Veneration is suited to engage his Self-esteem. His Benevolence and Hope, and perhaps also his Destructiveness, are moderated and kept in proper bounds by her Cautiousness. His Ideality is grateful to her Love of Approbation. It is not intended, and indeed the attempt would be absurd, to shew all the instances of corresponding and supplemental qualities. It is sufficient to shew, that there is such a general correspondence and adaptation of qualities between the sexes, as to render the institution of marriage, the union of one man with one woman, a natural and almost a necessary consequence of the constitution of his nature; and it requires no great sagacity to perceive, that the greater the number of correspondent and suitable qualities in a pair so united, the union will be the more perfect and the more happy. ARTICLE VIII. MUSICAL TALENT ;-CASE OF MR DW TO THE EDITOR. Edinburgh, 9th December, 1825. SIR,-I have explained to numerous individuals the circumstances attending the case mentioned in the following letter; but, as erroneous reports of it continue to be circulated, you VOL. III.-No IX. G will oblige me by publishing the letter and my answer to it in the Journal, as a record to which persons who take an interest in the matter may in future be referred. I am, &c., GEORGE COMBE. LETTER FROM MR A D TO MR COMBE. "Edinburgh, 14th November, 1825. "SIR,-I trust your zeal in the cause of Phrenology will induce you to pardon the liberty I now take in addressing you on a mat"ter connected with the science, although I have not the pleasure of being personally acquainted with you. "As a believer in the doctrines of Phrenology, it is frequently necessary for me, as well as others, to stand on the defensive against the attacks of scoffers; and, on such an occasion, a few "days ago, the following story was brought forward, and although "I declared my disbelief of its correctness, yet, as I had it not in my power to contradict it authoritatively, of course the laugh went "not against me, but the science. "It was stated, that Mr D- W who, you are per haps aware, is celebrated in town for his musical talents, parti"cularly in the vocal department, had been brought to you with his face covered, and your opinion asked of his development, his "character being stated to you as remarkable. What account you "gave of his development in other particulars is not said; but it is stated, that on examining the organ of Tune, you declared him "not only to be nowise above mediocrity, but to be totally deficient "in the faculty indicated by that organ. 66 "If you can find as much leisure, it will be conferring a favour "on me if you will let me know the truth of this story, as, if it re"mains uncontradicted, it will, of course, be supposed correct. "am," &c. I ANSWER. Edinburgh, 7th December, 1825. SIR,-In reply to your letter of 14th November, I beg to state, that on 29th June, 1821, a gentleman called on me, and introduced, as his friend, Mr D. W., whom I did not know. Mr W. mentioned that he had read the Essays on Phrenology, and had written down the degrees in which he was conscious of possessing the different faculties, and requested that I would examine his head, and state the size of the organs, with the view of comparing the two statements. This proposal was agreed to; Mr W. laid on the table his own estimate of himself; and, without looking at it, I stated the size of the different cerebral organs; a note of which, made at the time, in the hand-writing of himself or his friend, was preserved, and is now before me. Out of the thirty-three organs, thirty-two were found essentially to coincide with Mr W.'s note of his own powers; and one only was found to differ, namely, the organ of Tune. In his estimate, it was entered as large, while the development of it was stated by me as "not "large." These are the identical words in the MS. referred to. Of the other organs some are stated as small, some moderate, some full, some large, and some very large. In all the books on Phrenology it is mentioned, that every individual of the human race possesses all the organs, in a greater or less degree. The report to which you allude, therefore, that I declared the organ of Tune in Mr W. "not only to be nowise above mediocrity, but to be totally "deficient," is altogether incorrect. On the contrary, the words used obviously indicate the organ, although not developed in the highest degree, or large, to be nevertheless so considerable that it could not with propriety be denominated small or even moderate. Mr W., at my request, got a cast of his forehead made, which is sold by O'Neil and Son, and the organ of Tune will be found to be rather full or full; so that the alleged total deficiency is in diametrical opposition to the truth. It was quite possible, however, that I might have erred in estimating the size of the organ of Tune in Mr W.; and, if it is to afford any satisfaction to the opponents, I freely acknowledge that I have occasionally erred in estimating the size of some of the organs; and, owing to such errors, there have |