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diff --git a/30489-0.txt b/30489-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..44f5e7b --- /dev/null +++ b/30489-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,286 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30489 *** + + Phrenological + DEVELOPMENT + of + ROBERT BURNS + + + BY + George Combe. + + + Engraved & Published by W. & A.K. Johnston, Edinburgh. April 1834. + _REPRINTED JANUARY 1859._ + + + + + PHRENOLOGICAL + DEVELOPMENT OF + ROBERT BURNS, + from a Cast of his skull + MOULDED AT DUMFRIES. + THE 31ST DAY OF MARCH 1834. + + With Remarks by + George Combe, + AUTHOR OF "A SYSTEM OF PHRENOLOGY,"--"THE CONSTITUTION OF MAN" &c. + + [Illustration: MAUSOLEUM, + Erected at Dumfries, to the Memory of + Robt Burns] + + Engraved & Published by W. & A.K. Johnston, Edinburgh 30 April 1834. + + Reprinted January 1859. + + + + +[Illustration: VIEWS OF THE SKULL OF ROBERT BURNS.] + + +[Illustration: KEY TO THE PHRENOLOGICAL ORGANS.] + + + + + OBSERVATIONS ON THE SKULL OF BURNS, + BY + GEORGE COMBE. + + +Robert Burns was born on 25th January 1759, and died at Dumfries on 21st +July 1796, in the 37th year of his age, and, on the 26th, was interred in +St Michael's Churchyard. Eighteen years afterwards, a Mausoleum was +erected by subscription to his memory in that cemetery; and, on the 19th +September 1815, his remains were privately exhumed and transferred to the +vault attached to it. Mrs Burns, the Poet's widow, having died on 26th +March 1834, the vault was opened for the purpose of depositing her remains +beside those of her husband; and the gentlemen who took charge of the +proceedings, being aware of the anxiety which had long been generally felt +to obtain a Cast of the Poet's Skull, resolved to avail themselves of the +opportunity to gratify this desire. The consent of the relatives having +been obtained, Mr M'Diarmid, the Editor of the _Dumfries Courier_, went +with several other gentlemen to the vault, and successfully effected their +purpose. + +The following description is written by Mr Archibald Blacklock, Surgeon: +"The cranial bones were perfect in every respect, if we except a little +erosion of their external table, and firmly held together by their +sutures; even the delicate bones of the orbits, with the trifling +exception of the _os unguis_ in the left, were sound and uninjured by +death and the grave. The superior maxillary bones still retained the four +most posterior teeth on each side, including the dentes sapientiæ, and all +without spot or blemish; the incisores, cuspidati, &c., had, in all +probability, recently dropped from the jaw, for the alveoli were but +little decayed. The bones of the face and palate were also sound. Some +small portions of black hair, with a very few grey hairs intermixed, were +observed while detaching some extraneous matter from the occiput. Indeed, +nothing could exceed the high state of preservation in which we found the +bones of the cranium, or offer a fairer opportunity of supplying what has +so long been desiderated by Phrenologists--a correct model of our immortal +Poet's head; and in order to accomplish this in the most accurate and +satisfactory manner, every particle of sand or other foreign body was +carefully washed off, and the plaster-of-Paris applied with all the tact +and accuracy of an experienced artist. The Cast is admirably taken, and +cannot fail to prove highly interesting to Phrenologists and others. + +"Having completed our intention, the Skull, securely enclosed in a leaden +case, was again committed to the earth precisely where we found it. + + "ARCHD. BLACKLOCK." + DUMFRIES, _1st April 1834_. + + + + +CEREBRAL DEVELOPMENT OF BURNS. + + +I.--DIMENSIONS OF THE SKULL. + + Inches. + Greatest circumference, 22-1/4 + From Occipital Spine to Individuality, over the top of the head, 14 + ... Ear to Ear vertically over the top of the head, 13 + ... Philoprogenitiveness to Individuality (greatest length), 8 + ... Concentrativeness to Comparison, 7-1/8 + ... Ear to Philoprogenitiveness, 4-7/8 + ... Ear to Individuality, 4-3/4 + ... Ear to Benevolence, 5-1/2 + ... Ear to Firmness, 5-1/2 + ... Destructiveness to Destructiveness, 5-3/4 + ... Secretiveness to Secretiveness, 5-7/8 + ... Cautiousness to Cautiousness, 5-1/2 + ... Ideality to Ideality, 4-5/8 + ... Constructiveness to Constructiveness, 4-1/2 + ... Mastoid process to Mastoid process, 4-3/4 + + +II.--DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORGANS. + + Scale. + 1. Amativeness, rather large, 16 + 2. Philoprogenitiveness, very large, 20 + 3. Concentrativeness, large, 18 + 4. Adhesiveness, very large, 20 + 5. Combativeness, very large, 20 + 6. Destructiveness, large, 18 + 7. Secretiveness, large, 19 + 8. Acquisitiveness, rather large, 16 + 9. Constructiveness, full, 15 + 10. Self-Esteem, large, 18 + 11. Love of Approbation, very large, 20 + 12. Cautiousness, large, 19 + 13. Benevolence, very large, 20 + 14. Veneration, large, 18 + 15. Firmness, full, 15 + 16. Conscientiousness, full, 15 + 17. Hope, full, 14 + 18. Wonder, large, 18 + 19. Ideality, large, 18 + 20. Wit, or Mirthfulness, full, 15 + 21. Imitation, large, 19 + 22. Individuality, large, 19 + 23. Form, rather large, 16 + 24. Size, rather large, 17 + 25. Weight, rather large, 16 + 26. Colouring, rather large, 16 + 27. Locality, large, 18 + 28. Number, rather full, 12 + 29. Order, full, 14 + 30. Eventuality, large, 18 + 31. Time, rather large, 16 + 32. Tune, full, 15 + 33. Language, uncertain, + 34. Comparison, rather large, 17 + 35. Causality, large, 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 strength, activity, and susceptibility; and 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 8, and +the greatest breadth nearly 6 inches. The circumference is 22-1/4 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 the animal propensities are +uncommonly large, indicating strong passions, and great energy in action +under their influence. The group of organs manifesting the domestic +affections (Amativeness, Philoprogenitiveness, and Adhesiveness), is +large; Philoprogenitiveness uncommonly so for a male head. + +The organs of Combativeness and 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 development, 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. + +The Skull indicates the combination of strong animal passions, with +equally powerful moral emotions. If the natural morality had been less, +the endowment of the propensities is sufficient to have constituted a +character of the most desperate description. The combination, as it +exists, bespeaks a mind extremely subject to contending emotions--capable +of great good or great evil--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 Self-Esteem, 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 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 +Cautiousness, and only full Hope, together with the unfavourable +circumstances in which he was placed, accounts for the melancholy and +internal unhappiness with which Burns was so frequently afflicted. This +melancholy was rendered still deeper by bad health. + +The combination of Acquisitiveness, Cautiousness, Love of Approbation, and +Conscientiousness, is the source of his keen 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. + +The Drawings of the Skull are ably executed by GEORGE HARVEY, Esq., S.A. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Phrenological Development of Robert +Burns, by George Combe + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30489 *** |