As the Scotch nation could boast of no great philosophical names before the appearance of Hume, one cannot be surprised, that they should have felt a very lively pride in the display of his admirable powers. It is a thousand, and ten thousand pities, that the admiration we can scarcely blame them for according to him, might not have been gratified at less expence to themselves. I fear, indeed, there is but too much reason for suspecting, that the influence he has obtained both among them and others, will outlive many generations; although it is sufficiently amusing to observe in his writings, the quiet sort of confidence with which he himself looked forward to his literary immortality-not much doubting, it would appear, that the name of David Hume would continue to be reverenced by all persons of understanding many centuries after the Christian religion should have ceased to be talked of, excepting as one of the many hundred antediluvian and exploded species of superstition. Whatever may be his future fate, this much is quite certain, that the general principles of his philosophy still continue to exert a mighty influence over by far the greatest part of the literary men of his country; and that almost the only subject on which these his pious disciples

dare to apply his principles in a different way from what he himself exemplified-is that of politics. Among them, as indeed I have hinted already, David's Toryism is always talked of, as one little foible which should not be too hardly thought of in the character of so great a man. The fund of jokes which he has given them the means of employing against himself, is sufficiently obvious; but such as they are, the jokes are uniformly put into requisition, whenever the subject of conversation gives the least colour of excuse for their introduction. They are delighted with the notion, that, in one thing at least, they are wiser than their master; and it would almost be a pity to put an end to so much pleasantry.

P. M.

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LETTER IX.

TO THE SAME.

OMAN'S.

DEAR WILLIAMS,

I SAW yesterday, for the first time, an original portrait of David Hume; and you, who know my physiognomical and cranioscopical mania, will easily believe that this was a high source of gratification to me. Really you are too severe

in your comments on my passion for "the human head divine." I wish to God some plain, sensible man, with the true Baconian turn for obser vation, would set about devoting himself in good earnest to the calm consideration of the skulls and faces which come in his way. In the present stage of the science, there is no occasion that any man should subject himself to the suspicion or reproach of quackery, by drawing rash

conclusions, or laying claims before the time, to the seer-like qualities, which a mature system of cranioscopy, well understood, would undoubtedly confer. All that can be done for a very long time, is, to note down the structure of men's heads in one page of a memorandum-book, and brief outlines of their characters, so far as these are known, in another. If fifty rational persons, in different regions of Europe, would keep such books for a few years, and then submit the whole to be inspected by a committee of cool inquirers, there can be no doubt data enough would be found accumulated, either firmly to establish, or fairly, and for ever, to overturn the idea of such a system. Whatever might be the result, I cannot think but that the time devoted to the inquiries would be pleasantly, nay, profitably spent. The person engaged in such a study, I do not at all mean perpetually engaged in it, could not fail to extend his acquaintance with his own species; for he would be furnished with a stronger stimulus than is common, to be quick and keensighted in his scrutiny of individuals. I, for my part, have already my skull-book, and I flatter myself its pages, even now, might furnish no uninteresting subject of study. I promise you,

I intend to enrich it prodigiously before you have any opportunity of inspecting it.

The prints of David Hume are, most of them, I believe, taken from the very portrait I have seen; but, of course, the style and effect of the features are much more thoroughly to be understood, when one has an opportunity of observing them expanded in their natural proportions. The face is far from being in any respect a classical one. The forehead is chiefly remarkable for its prominence from the ear, and not so much for its height. This gives him a lowering sort of look forward, expressive of great inquisitiveness into matters of fact, and the consequences to be deduced from them. His eyes are singularly prominent, which, according to the Gallic system, would indicate an extraordinary developement of the organ of language behind them. His nose is too low between the eyes, and not well or boldly formed in any other respect. The lips, although not handsome, have, in their fleshy and massy outlines, abundant marks of habitual reflection and intellectual occupation. The whole has a fine expression of intellectual dignity, candour, and serenity. The want of elevation, however, which I have alrea

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