correct model of our immortal' poet's head: ARCHD. BLACKLOCK." 16. Conscientiousness, full A cast from the skull having been transmitted to the Phrenological Society of Edinburgh, the following view of the cerebral development of Burns was drawn up by Mr. George Combe, and published in connection with four views of the cranium, | 32. Tune, full (W. and A. K. Johnston, Edinburgh) : "I. DIMENSIONS OF THE SKULL. Inches. over the top of the head Ear to Ear vertically over the top of the head 221 14 13 8 Philoprogenitiveness to Individu ality, (greatest length) Concentrativeness to Comparison Ear to Philoprogenitiveness Individuality 7 Scale. 20 18 15 15 14 18 18 15 19 19 16 17 16 16 18 12 14 18 16 15 17 18 "The scale of the organs indicates their relative proportions to each other; 2 is idiotcy-10 moderate-14 full-18 large; and 20 very large. "The cast of a skull does not show the temperament of the individual, but the portraits of Burns indicate the bilious and nervous temperaments, the sources of 43 strength, activity, and susceptibility; and 44 the descriptions given by his contemporaries of his beaming and energetic eye, and the rapidity and impetuosity of his manifestations, establish the inference that his brain was active and susceptible. "Size in the brain, other conditions being equal, is the measure of mental power. The skull of Burns indicates a large brain. The length is eight, and the greatest breadth nearly six inches. The circumference is 224 inches. These measurements exceed the average of Scotch living heads, including the integuments, for which four-eighths of an inch may be allowed. "The brain of Burns, therefore, possessed the two elements of power and activity. "The portions of the brain which manifest 20 the animal propensities, are uncommonly 20 large, indicating strong passions, and great 18 energy in action under their influence. The 19 group of organs manifesting the domestic 16 affections (Amativeness, Philoprogenitive15 ness, and Adhesiveness), is large; Philopro18 genitiveness uncommonly so for a male 26 head. The organs of Combativeness and 19 Destructiveness are large, bespeaking great heat of temper, impatience, and liability to irritation. "Secretiveness and Cautiousness are both large, and would confer considerable power of restraint, where he felt restraint to be necessary. "Acquisitiveness, Self-Esteem, and Love of Approbation, are also in ample endowment, although the first is less than the other two; these feelings give the love of property, a high consideration of self, and desire of the esteem of others. The first quality will not be so readily conceded to Burns as the second and third, which, indeed, were much stronger; but the phrenologist records what is presented by nature, in full confidence that the manifestations, when the character is correctly understood, will be found to correspond with the developement, and he states that the brain indicates considerable love of property. "The organs of the moral sentiments are also largely developed. Ideality, Wonder, Imitation, and Benevolence, are the largest in size. Veneration also is large. Conscientiousness, Firmness, and Hope, are full. "The Knowing organs, or those of perceptive intellect, are large; and the organs of Reflection are also considerable, but less than the former. Causality is larger than Comparison, and Wit is less than either. Wit and Humour. The metaphysicians, however, have distinguished them, and in the phrenological works their different elements are pointed out. Burns possessed the talent for satire; Destructiveness, added to the combination which gives Humour, produces it. "An unskilful observer looking at the forehead, might suppose it to be moderate in size; but when the dimensions of the anterior lobe, in both length and breadth, are attended to, the Intellectual organs will be recognised to have been large. The anterior lobe projects so much, that it gives an appearance of narrowness to the forehead which is not real. This is the cause, also, why Benevolence appears to lie farther back than usual. An anterior lobe of this magnitude indicates great Intellectual power. The combination of large Perceptive and Reflecting organs (Causality predominant), with large Concentrativeness and large organs of the feelings, gives that sagacity and vigorous common sense, for which Burns was distinguished. "The skull rises high above Causality, and spreads wide in the region of Ideality; the strength of his moral feelings lay in that region. "The combination of large organs of the Animal Propensities, with large Cautious"The skull indicates the combination of ness, and only full Hope, together with the strong animal passions with equally powerful unfavourable circumstances in which he was moral emotions. If the natural morality placed, accounts for the melancholy and had been less, the endowment of the pro-internal unhappiness with which Burns was pensities is sufficient to have constituted a character of the most desperate description. The combination as it exists, bespeaks a "The combination of Acquisitiveness, Caumind extremely subject to contending emo- tiousness, Love of Approbation, and Contions-capable of great good, or great evil-scientiousness, is the source of his keen and encompassed with vast difficulties in preserving a steady, even, onward course of practical morality. "In the combination of very large Philoprogenitiveness and Adhesiveness, with very large Benevolence and large Ideality, we find the elements of that exquisite tenderness and refinement, which Burns so frequently manifested, even when at the worst stage of his career. In the combination of great Combativeness, Destructiveness, and SelfEsteem, we find the fundamental qualities which inspired Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled,' and similar productions. "The combination of large Secretiveness, Imitation, and the perceptive organs, gives the elements of his dramatic talent and humour. The skull indicates a decided talent for Humour, but less for Wit. The public are apt to confound the talents for H so frequently afflicted. This melancholy was rendered still deeper by bad health. feelings in regard to pecuniary independence. The great power of his Animal Propensities would give him strong temptations to waste; but the combination just mentioned would impose a powerful restraint. The head indicates the elements of an economical character, and it is known that he died free from debt, notwithstanding the smallness of his salary. "No phrenologist can look upon this head, and consider the circumstances in which Burns was placed, without vivid feelings of regret. Burns must have walked the earth with a consciousness of great superiority over his associates in the station in which he was placed-of powers calculated for a far higher sphere than that which he was able to reach, and of passions which he could with difficulty restrain, and which it was fatal to indulge. If he had been placed from infancy in the higher ranks of life, liberally educated, and employed in pursuits corresponding to his powers, the inferior portion of his nature would have lost part of its energy, while his better qualities would have assumed a decided and permanent superiority." A more elaborate paper on the skull of Burns appeared in the Phrenological Journal, No. XLI., from the pen of Mr. Robert Cox. This gentleman endeavours to show that the character of Burns was in conformity with the full development of Acquisitiveness. "According to his own description," says Mr. Cox, "he was a man who had little art in making money, and still less in keeping it.' That his art in making money was sufficiently moderate, there can be no doubt, for he was engaged in occupations which his soul loathed, and thought it below his dignity to accept of pecuniary remuneration for some of his most laborious literary performances. He was, however, by no means insensible to the value of money, and never threw it away. On the contrary, he was remarkably frugal, except when feelings stronger than Acquisitiveness came into play -such as Benevolence, Adhesiveness, and Love of Approbation; the organs of all which are very large, while Acquisitiveness is only rather large. During his residence at Mossgiel, where his revenue was not more than £7, his expenses, as Gilbert mentions, 'never in any one year exceeded his slender income.' It is also well known that he did not leave behind him a shilling of debt; and I have learned from good authority that his household was much more frugally managed at Dumfries than at Ellisland-as in the former place, but not in the latter, he had it in his power to exercise a personal control over the expenditure. I have been told also, that, after his death, the domestic expenses were greater than when he was alive. These facts are all consistent with a considerable development of Acquisi tiveness, for, when that organ is small, there is habitual inattention to pecuniary concerns, even although the love of independence and dislike to ask a favour be strong. The indifference with respect to money, which Burns occasionally ascribes to himself, appears therefore to savour of affectation--a failing into which he was not unfrequently led by Love of Approbation and Secretiveness. Indeed, in one of his letters to Miss Chalmers, he expressly intimates a wish to be rich." The whole of this essay is highly worthy of perusal by all who take an interest in the character of the Ayrshire bard. |