genital deafness, by J. H. Curtis, Esq. Surgeon Aurist to the King, is in the press.

Lord King is preparing for the press an account of the Life and Writings of the celebrated philosopher John Locke, which will contain extracts, never before published, from his correspondence, English and Foreign, from 1660 to the last year of his life in 1704, and also from his Journals and Common-place Book.

YORK MINSTER.-A public meeting has been held in London, where a subscription was opened for the rebuilding of this noble structure. Lord Pitz-William gave £3000, and other noblemen and gentlemen liberally followed this laudable example.

THOMAS MOORE.-Our readers will learn with much regret, that the author of Lalla Rookh is at present suffering under one of the severest calamities which can overtake a parent-the loss of his eldest daughter, a beautiful and promising young lady, who has died in her sixteenth year.

MISS ELIZA PATON'S CONCERT.-We had prepared an article upon this subject, which, for want of room, we are obliged to omit. The Concert was very crowdedly attended, and the performances seemed to afford very general satisfaction. The Misses E. and I. Paton particularly distinguished themselves; and they were ably supported, especially by Miss Noel and Mr Murray. FINE ARTS.-Two of Wilkie's celebrated paintings are about to be engraved in the best style of art,-the Chelsea pensioners reading the Gazette of the Battle of Waterloo, and Alfred in the Neatherd's Cottage.-Our townsman, Allan, sent up to London, for exhibition, a few days ago, a very spirited painting he has just finished,-Jonah about to be thrown overboard. We have no doubt that this work will still farther increase his well-merited reputation.

PHRENOLOGY.-On Friday, the 20th inst., an interesting and able communication was read, by Mr Stone, to the Royal Medical Society, on the Phrenological Developements of the heads of a number of notorious characters. Our readers may recollect that we promised them, some time ago, a paper on the cranioscopy of Burke and Hare. This paper was then in preparation for the LITERARY JOURNAL, by Mr Stone; but the subject grew upon his hands, till it much exceeded our limits, and assumed a different and more extensive form.-The first part of Mr Stone's paper was devoted to a consideration of the question, whether the phrenological developement of Burke and Hare correspond with their acknowledged character? After depicting the character of cach, and detailing numerous illustrative anecdotes, Mr Stone proceeded to contrast it with the phrenological developement. By reference to the measurements of upwards of one hundred crania, he proved that the organ of Destructiveness in Burke not only fails to possess an endowment proportioned to the extent of its alleged manifestation ; but is both absolutely and relatively below the average size. Burke's organ of Benevolence is also, unfortunately for Phrenology, proved to be above the average size. Mr Stone, besides, considered the question, whether it be possible to recognize the crania of murderers by any of the phrenological signs attributed to them, and adduced measurements of the crania of a variety of murderers, giving a brief statement of the atrocities of which they were guilty. A number of the facts brought forward in this part of his communication were exceedingly curious, and seemed to prove, beyond a doubt, the complete uncertainty of phrenological conclusions. Mr Stone then proceeded to contrast the acquisitiveness and conscientiousness of the most notorious thieves in the Edinburgh Jail and Bridewell, with the same organs in as many as eighty living individuals of exemplary character, by which he showed that in the thieves, the organ of acquisitiveness, or theft, was below, and conscientiousness above, the average size. The whole communication was a condensed mass of striking and irresistible facts, which are decidedly irreconcilable with many of the most fundamental propositions of the phrenological theory. It is announced for publication, and cannot fail to interest both the scientific and popular reader. We were a little surprised that none of the professed champions of the phrenological cause were present, more especially as many of them, we understood, were aware that such a paper was to be read, as it had been announced by the author a fortnight previously. When Sir William Hamilton read his paper at the Royal Society, the complaint was, that no discussion by strangers was allowed;-but here, before an audience, including some of the most distinguished literary and scientific men in Edinburgh, where free discussion was allowed, no phrenologist ventured to take up the gauntlet. The only objections that were hazarded against Mr Stone's communication, he replied to in a very satisfactory manner.-As the measurements referred to are numerous, it is worthy of observation, that one of the presidents of the Society stated that he had himself re-examined them, and

found them in every case accurate. These measurements are still more conclusive, from the circumstance of many of the most important having been taken by a professed phrenologist. Mr Stone certainly deserves great credit for having thus attacked the science in the very part where it was deemed most invulnerable; and, by a laborious and extensive induction of anti-phrenological facts, he has, in a great measure, overturned the whole hypothesis.

Theatrical Gossip.-The new musical piece, called "Home, sweet Home, or the Ranz des Vaches," has been very successful at Covent Garden. It owes this success principally to some lovely Swiss scenes, the exquisite dresses of its Swiss peasant girls, and two or three pretty Swiss melodies which it contains. Madame Vestris sustains the principal female part in a style which seems to have delighted the Londoners exceedingly. There is no other Henry Siddons had an excellent benefit on Tuesday, and Thorne novelty stirring in the dramatic world of the metropolis.-Mrs Lady Patronesses of the Fancy Ball, the new national Opera of a very good one on Thursday.-Last night, at the request of the "Rob Roy" was performed for the first time. decided hit in the part of Bailie Nicol Jarvie, and we venture to Mackay made a predict, that this will be, in future, one of his favourite charaeters.-To-night, Charles Kemble commences an engagement of ten days, and is to play Don Felix, in the "Wonder."-Our readers are aware that Miss Noel is just on the eve of leaving the stage. She is to play to-night in the "Bee-Hive;" but we do not see that her name occurs in the bills for next week. It will be a long while before the blank which she will leave can be supplied to us; we question whether we shall ever hear our national melodies sung so well again. She takes with her our sincerest wishes for her happiness in after life,-wishes in which we are sure the public universally join; for, whilst she has delighted with her talents, she has, at the same time, endeared herself everywhere by the unassuming modesty and gentleness of her manners.

SAT.

TUES.

MON.

WEEKLY LIST OF PERFORMANCES.
March 21-March 27.

The Rivals, The Beehive.
The Soldier's Daughter, & The Noyades.
Beaux Stratagem, & Charles XII.
WED. Recruiting Officer, & Free and Easy.
THUR. The Tempest, A Vocal Concert, & The Bottle Imp.
Rob Roy, & Paul Pry.

FRI.

MUSICAL EPIGRAM.

Says Rossini to Braham,-" I'll tell you one ting,
When you've lost all your teeth, Mr Braham, how to sing."
"How is it?" says Braham. "Ah! mio diletto,
You must do like your maestro, and sing in false-setto.”

TO OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

"GOETHE and his Poetry," by the author of "Anster Fair," will appear in our next.

We have much pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of Professor Gillespie's recent communication, which will appear speedily.

The Sutor of Selkirk, a remarkably true story," by one of the authors of the "Odd Volume," "Tales and Legends," &c. is in types.-Several other interesting articles are unavoidably postponed from a press of matter.-We have to return our thanks for the extract from Burchell's Travels in Southern Africa, which confirms the opinions advanced in an Essay on "Comets, and other Celestial Phenomena," published in the Literary Journal & few weeks ago.-Our Leith correspondent is informed, that in future we propose devoting, if possible, a larger space to "Dramatic Criticism."-We have received the communications of "R. F." of Kirkaldy, and shall write to him upon the subject.

"The Third Dream" shall have an early place.-"W. D." of Guisborough will hear from us shortly; we owe him an apology for not having written to him sooner.-We suspect that original poetry is not the forte of the author of " Navarin," "The Vision," and "The Ball;" we shall be glad to hear from him again. -There are some very sweet lines in "Poor Adelaid;" but we are afraid the story, as a whole, is hardly perfect enough for publication. Would the author favour us with a prose article, perhaps on some scientific subject ?-The verses by "J. B." and " H. M.” will not suit us.

LITERARY CRITICISM.

IT will readily be confessed, by all parties, that the sixteenth century-the century of the Reformation-is the most important, to say the least, in the history of man, since the promulgation of Christianity, and the foundation of the Christian Church. It is an era in which men of every nation, every kindred, and of every succeeding age, are deeply interested; it is one on which we look back with enthusiasm and the future triumphs of which we anticipate with exultation; for sin cerely do we agree with the motto from Cowper, which Mr Mackray has prefixed to his work, and maintain that 'tis the cause of man."

The

ually bad; but surely a man may maintain this without indulging in theoretical hatred against it. truth simply is, that improvements can be accomplished only by the slow and imperceptible hand of time, An Essay on the Effect of the Reformation on Civil not by any sudden reformation of life or manners; and Society in Europe. By William Mackray, Minister here, Mr M. must allow us to tell him, was the great of the Gospel, Stirling. Edinburgh. W. Black-evil of the Scottish Reformation, and the cause of the wood. 1829. 8vo, pp. 320. strife, turbulence, and sedition, which scourged the country for more than a century afterwards, that the Reformers thought improvements ought to be instantaneous, not gradual, and were thus induced to become as intolerant as their Popish predecessors. We do not deny that the Church of Ronie was the ostensible cause of much of the ignorance which prevailed throughout Europe anterior to the Reformation, but the radical source of this ignorance must be sought for elsewhere. It solely originated among, and was introduced by, those hordes of northern barbarians who overthrew the Roman Empire; and, in proof of this, we merely refer Mr Mackray to the annals of the Pontificate of one of the greatest and the best of the Roman Pontiffs, (for surely he will not deny that some good, and pious, and holy men, have sat in the chair of St Peter,) namely, Gregory I., surnamed the Great. That illustrious Pontiff, for such he was, was not free from the superstitions of his age; but no man displayed more admirable prudence than he, in his management of the fierce and warlike nation of the Lombards. All that can be charged against the Romish Church (and the charge is heavy enough) is, that she took undue advantage of these circumstances after the Pontificate of Gregory; and the ambition of the Pontiffs made them grossly abuse that spiritual supremacy which, after the Pontificate of Hildebrand, or Gregory VII., was awarded to them, whether right or wrong, by the unanimous consent of the Western, or Latin Church.

Thus feeling as we do, and as all enlightened men, we doubt not, will do, we are disposed to hail with satisfaction every attempt to elucidate the history of that important era, on the principles of sound philosophy, and of a pure and rational theology. Most truly has it been observed, that we ought to be serious in a serious cause:" and, therefore, we shall always rejoice to see the effects of the Reformation discussed in a dignified and tenperate manner, apart from the fanatical declamations of ignorant enthusiasm on the one hand, and the philosophical lukewarmness of stoical indifference on the other. This work could not have appeared, indeed, at a more seasonable time; and we recommend it to all who think as the illustrious Reformers of Germany, England, and Scotland, would probably think, were they to appear among us, on the great question which is at present agitating the nation. How they would think, we do not pretend to determine ;-some of our most eminent Scotch divines believe that it would be in favour of Catholic emancipation.

Now, in order to make ourselves understood, we maintain, in opposition to what appears to us to be Mr Mackray's hypothesis, that men are not able in every age to appreciate civil liberty; and, therefore, we think it unfair to allege it against the Roman Church, that she destroyed the liberties of mankind for so many centuries But, while we thus speak in general commendation of after her undue assumption of the temporal and spiritual the work before us, we are far from saying that it is supremacy. That she endeavoured, and was too successfaultless, either in style or argument; and, therefore, ful in restraining the freedom of the human mind, we Mr Mackray will allow us the liberty, so far as our li- freely admit, as the fact is indisputable; but we do sinmits will permit, of very briefly analysing some of his cerely believe, and we are ready to prove it when called statements, while we assure him that we do this in upon, that her domination, though at first repugnant, the greatest good-feeling towards him, and respect for his became afterwards systematic; and she herself was unabilities. For ourselves, however, we must say, that we conscious that the extravagant powers she arrogated to have hitherto studied the annals of the Reformation, and herself were not virtually jus divinum. Nothing, inof our own country, very imperfectly, if many of Mr deed, was more natural than that the pontifical supreM.'s arguments or conclusions be correct. First of macy of Rome should at last be universally acknowall, then, respecting civil liberty, about which Mr M. ledged. The advantages, local and general, were all on commences his first chapter, we dissent altogether from the side of the Holy See; and the radical evil lay, not the argument which he evidently is anxious to establish, so much in the assumption of this power in an ignorant that, had it not been for the Church of Rome, civil li- and turbulent age, as in the using of it too frequently berty would have been earlier enjoyed by mankind, and to a gratification of the worst of passions. The assothat there was nothing but tyranny before the Reforma-ciations of pious zeal had been always in favour of Rome; tien. Popery is bad,morally, politically, and spirit- and it was the destruction of the Western Empire,

may Heaven in future avert!) ere it was established on its proud pedestal. But take this constitution, which is our boast and our glory, and plant it in Turkey, Russia, Spain, or Portugal, and the people would not endure it a single hour, simply because they are unable to

faith in these countries, and on the very same principle, the Turks would prefer Mahomet, the Russians the doctrines of the Greek church, and the Spaniards and Portuguese would still bend the knee before the Virgin's shrine.

A.D. 476, five hundred and twenty-three years after the battle of Pharsalia, which laid the foundation for the rise of the ecclesiastical power. The Church, however, after the Pontiffs obtained the mastery, did not destroy civil liberty, for the best of all reasons, that none previously existed to destroy. But, since the contrary ap-appreciate it. In like manner, establish the Protestant pears to be the hypothesis of Mr Mackray, will he have the goodness to describe that liberty which was enjoyed by the ancient Church, by the world before the reign of Constantine the Great, before the rise of the kingdom of the Lombards in Italy, the Pontificate of Gregory the Great, or even that of his successor, Gregory VII.? We It is impossible for us to agree with Mr Mackray's venture to say, that there was no such thing as liberty arguments at p. 21, et seq., respecting the Popes, at all, according to our notions of it; and that the peo- where he alleges that at first they made a wilful and ple were not one whit more enlightened before the as- direct "conspiracy against the liberties of mankind,” sumption of the supremacy by the Pope, than they were that "mind was doomed to stagnation,”—and that after it, when the Pontiffs were stimulating all Europe they filled up to the very uttermost the measure of to the fanatical chivalry of the Holy Wars, or Crusades. their atrocious wickedness," by establishing the InThen, again, let us go farther back: let us go to far-quisition. As to the last assertion, we have nothing famed Greece and Rome; and here we shall first hear to say, and most sincerely do we join our author in Mr Mackray: his reprobation of that infamous tribunal. But we "Diffuse knowledge," says he, "among a people, have something to say as to the first. In the name of confer upon them liberty of thought and of investigation, Heaven, what liberties? According to Mr Mackray, and you give them resources that cannot be exhausted, one would think, that before the assumption of the su energies that cannot be overcome. Memorable is the il-premacy by Gregory VII., the nations of Europe were lustration of this remark, which we find in the history of all that is excellent, civilized, enlightened, religious, Greece. What was it that raised her little states to the ingenious, and free,-living in a very elysium of freecommanding eminence which they occupied among the dom; and that the Bishops of Rome beheld this with nations of the world? It was liberty. Greece was the diabolical hatred and envy, and conspired to take their land of freedom, while the people of other lands were civil liberty away. The very reverse was the case. slaves. And why was Greece free? Because she was Liberty indeed! Where is Mr Mackray's authority for intelligent," &c. p. 20. this mighty transformation of the northern barbarians? Why, in the very heart of Italy, and almost at the gates of Rome, the Lombards, a nation of incorrigible barbarians, had established themselves in all the pride of savageness, and insolence of successful victory. This was in A. D. 570, in the reign of Justin II., and in the last year of the Pontificate of John III., the sixtieth Bishop of Rome; and this powerful kingdom, which began then to exist, continued for more than 200 years. Liberty indeed! We challenge any man to look into the history of those ages, and then to tell us that such a felicitous state actually existed. The Bishops of Rome have done evil enough to mankind; but Mr Mackray must suffer us to tell him once more, that his zeal is, in this instance, greater than his know. ledge, and that it is too much to make them actually the enemies of the human race. We vindicate them not; but we maintain that the Popes only took advantage of the ignorance they found; they did not begin it. Has Mr Mackray forgot what Cæsar Baso

Our author goes on in a similar style, and then concludes that Greece lost her freedom when she became "corrupted by the gold, and enervated by the luxuries, of conquered nations." Now, Mr M. must allow us to tell him, that this is all pure declamation, and that, while we admit the facts, we deny the theory. By liberty, our author must mean public opinion; but will be maintain that public opinion ever existed in Greece? Indeed, the liberty of Greece is a Utopian theme; and we really thought that it had been long exploded by men of learning, and left only to schoolboys. We maintain, therefore, in opposition to Mr M., that there was no such thing as that which he calls liberty, and which we call public opinion, (for the terms are synonymous,) in Greece;-that she was governed for the most part by popular clamour, as witness the Athenians; and, in farther proof of this, we shall lay down certain propositions of our own for Mr M.'s consideration, which will at once illustrate our meaning. 1. There can be no real liberty, or rightly-grounded publicuius has said of the 7th century alone, which, for its opinion, where there is no proper religious feeling.-2. That, consequently, there was no real liberty in the ancient states. 3. That where there is no public opinion, the government is arbitrary, and the people ignorant. -4. That public opinion necessarily supposes certain pre-requisites, that is, that it is but the effect of which knowledge, religion, and civilization, are the causes.-5. That it depends on the middle class of society, because that class is, in general, best instructed.

Now, as these propositions are very different from Mr Mackray's notions, we leave our readers to say whether he or ourselves are visionary. But nothing, it appears to us, can be more evident than this, that before a people can appreciate the advantages of civil liberty, they must undergo a preparation for it, and must be, to a certain extent, enlightened and educated. The same

barbarism and wickedness, he denominates the iron age; for its dulness and stupidity, the age of lead; and for its blindness and ignorance, the age of darkness? And yet, no doubt, he will charge this on the Popes!

And this brings us to combat another of our author's notions, as connected with this boasted state of civil liberty in the primitive times. At the period of the Reformation, begun by Luther, or rather by Zuinglius, who was in reality the first Reformer, the church of Rome was never in a better state; for it is a fact beyond dispute, that it was only in those countries, far removed from the Holy See, that ignorance, superstition, and licentiousness, prevailed to excess. The Pon. tiff was the illustrious De Medici, surnamed Leo X. a Pontiff, we maintain it, as illustrious for his virtues, as he was for his birth and his magnificent genius. It remark applies to religion; for though truth is in every was a singular arrangement of Providence, that the age the same, eternal and immutable, it is nevertheless Reformation should have begun under a Pontiff reliable to be operated upon by human passions, preju-markable as the munificent patron of letters and of dices, and errors. Look at the British Constitution. learned men. Surely Mr Mackray is not a sincere be It sprang not up to its present perfect on like a mushroom, in a night, but was the work of centuries, and was accompanied by tremendous national convulsions, (which,

liever in the hackneyed report, that Leo promoted the sale of indulgences merely to gratify his sister's avarice; if he be so, we are prepared with ample proof