ness, liberality, generosity, and justice, and is a friend on whom the most perfect reliance may be placed. Perhaps the high tone of moral feeling which pervades his conduct, is best seen in his relations to his pupils. Instead of shewing jealousy of them, and concealing his ideas from them, as many not undistinguished chemists have done, he systematically furnishes those who are qualified for the task with interesting subjects of research, guides and assists them with his advice, and thus is enabled to point, every year, to a new series of important practical papers, produced by his pupils. By this liberal treatment, he has the advantage also of retaining the warmest attachment on the part of his pupils, whose views in life he is always ready to promote, when they have shewn themselves men of capacity.

The very large Veneration gives a peculiarly strong feeling or instinct of natural religion; and Liebig's works on Agricultural and Animal Chemistry are full of the most striking illustrations of the Divine power and wisdom, as manifested in the laws of animal and vegetable life. These works, indeed, furnish an inexhaustible store of new illustrations of the adaptation of means to ends, and of the infinite simplicity of the laws established by the all-wise Creator.

It will be observed, that the development of Self-Esteem is considerably below that of the moral feelings above mentioned, as well as below that of Love of Approbation; which is in beautiful harmony with the unselfish liberality I have above described, and which I have personally experienced on many occasions. The great development of Firmness equally agrees with his uncommon perseverance in the pursuit of his researches. That his conclusions, on practical points, have rarely been altered, or required alteration, has arisen, no doubt, partly from the very prominent Cautiousness.

Coming now to the propensities, we find Destructiveness very large; and that this corresponds with the character, must be admitted by all who have ever read any of his critical writings, which are often fearfully severe, even although just. Combativeness is much less developed; and all who know Liebig personally, will allow that he is not a combative man. It is true, that, as a journalist, he is frequently engaged in controversies; but it is certain that he hates controversy, and often endures a great deal rather than engage in it. I have had many opportunities of knowing the truth of what I have just stated. Once engaged in a dispute, he is severe enough, but this arises from Destructiveness; and I may say, that he would never voluntarily enter on a controversial discussion.

The domestic group of faculties is well developed, and form the character of an excellent son, husband, father, and friend. Concentrativeness is also powerful; and it may be mentioned, in illustration of this, that once, when engaged in some interesting researches, he dropt some oil of vitriol on his hand, and did not notice the accident, which occurred in the morning, till he had finished his experiments towards evening. The instant he withdrew his mind from his studies, he felt a most severe pain, and, on looking, found his hand corroded to the bone, without his having noticed the pain during the whole time his mind was occupied.

Of the warmth and steadiness of his friendship, I could give many examples, but this one may suffice. At the death of Professor Geiger, his very intimate friend, Liebig, finding that the family of Geiger was but ill provided for, undertook to complete the chemical part of the fifth edition of Geiger's Manual of Pharmacy, which its author had just commenced before his death. In the execution of this gratuitous labour, he rewrote the whole work, and enormously increased it both in extent and in value. In this he was occupied almost exclusively for several years, and had the satisfaction of saving a valuable property for his friend's family, and even rendering it much more valuable.

It may, perhaps, be interesting to many to know, that, owing to his moderate organ of Language, Liebig was distinguished at school as booby,-the only talent then cultivated in German schools being verbal memory. On one occasion, being sneeringly asked by the master what he proposed to become, since he was so bad a scholar, and answering that he would be a chemist, the whole school burst into a laugh of derision. Not long ago, Liebig saw his old schoolmaster, who feelingly lamented his own former blindness. The only boy in the same school, who ever disputed with Liebig the station of booby, was one who never could learn his lesson by heart, but was continually composing music, and writing it down by stealth, in school. This same individual Liebig lately found at Vienna, distinguished as a composer, and conductor of the Imperial Opera House. I think his name is Reuling. It is to be hoped, that a more rational system of school instruction is now gaining ground. Can anything be more absurd or detestable, than a system which made Walter Scott and Justus Liebig boobies at school; and so effectually concealed their natural talents, that, for example, Liebig was often lectured before the whole school, on his being sure to cause misery and broken hearts to his parents, while he was all the time conscious, as the

This

above anecdote proves, of the possession of talents similar in kind to those he has since displayed, and while he felt entirely unable, from a natural defect, to perform the allotted tasks of verbal memory, even when trying his utmost? defect of verbal memory has adhered to him ever since; and is now frequently a cause of great annoyance. I may add, that he suffers also considerable inconvenience from his deficient Number, which leads to frequent errors in the details of his numerical calculations.

I may seem to some to have spoken too highly of the subject of these remarks; but I am sure that two classes of persons will not think so, namely, those who know Liebig well, and have had opportunities of judging of his character; and those who are sufficiently acquainted with Phrenology to appreciate the full meaning and value of such a development as I have laid before them.

Finally, I beg to repeat my conviction, that it is of great interest to record the carefully observed development of a man occupying the position in science that Liebig does; and that the lapse of time will only serve to deepen and strengthen the impression which his intellect has produced on the science to which he has devoted his life.

III. NOTICES OF BOOKS.

I. Zeitschrift für Phrenologie, No. V. Heidleberg: Karl Groos, 1844.

The German Phrenological Journal, No. V., March 1844. Edited by GUSTAV VON STRUVE and EDWARD HIRSCHFELD, M.D.

The first article in this Number of our German contemporary is on the Physiology of the Nervous System in relation to Phrenology, by Dr Hirschfeld. The author gives an able and interesting sketch of the most important facts concerning the nervous system, from the works of Burdach, Longet, Serres, Tiedemann, and other authorities. He traces the condition of the nerves from the embryo to the mature state; describes the advance of development of both brain and nerves from the lowest of the animated tribes up to man; and shews that an increase of motive, sensitive, or mental power, accompanies each increase of size in these parts in the different races.

The second article, entitled "Geheimerath Mittermaier and Phrenology," consists of a criticism by Mr Gustav Von

Struve, on Professor Mittermaier's opinions regarding criminal legislation, and especially the punishment of death. In his Letter to Mr George Combe (see ante, vol. xvi. p. 1), Professor Mittermaier had said that "a punishment is then only right and appropriate, when it operates favourably on the individual offender, and when it is calculated to promote his improvement, and bring forth in him a reformed character." Mr Von Struve accuses the Professor of inconsistency, in subsequently writing as follows:-" So long as a majority of the people continue to recognise in the punishment of death the only means of just retribution (ausgleichungsmittel) for certain of the heavier crimes, and at the same time the means of calming the public sentiment; and so long as those who are called on to give advice, and who know the people's opinions, represent the punishment of death as one which, in many instances, deters from crime, it is impossible to set these popular convictions at defiance."

"According to this doctrine," says Mr Von Struve, "a punishment, recognised by Professor Mittermaier himself as unjust and inappropriate, should be retained out of deference to the opinions of the people. In a purely democratic government, this principle would, unquestionably, be of weight, but not at all in a constitutional monarchy. In the latter, the majority of the voices of the whole people does not decide. What! shall we retain the punishment of death and brutalising prisons, out of respect to democratic principles, while so many other institutions and arrangements are denied to us because they are democratic? If we retain unjust and inappropriate punishments out of deference to democracy, on the one hand, and, on the other, out of regard to the monarchical principle, reject institutions that are peculiarly popular, we shall choose only the worst parts of both."—" According to the principle here maintained, we never could advance a step. The majority are always, at first, hostile to every improvement; they are capable of recognising its true character only by degrees. It is the duty of the higher classes to enlighten and elevate the masses of the people."

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In No. VII. of the Zoist there is a sound and able article on the punishment of death, which we recommend to Mr Von Struve's attention it is well worthy of being transferred into his own journal. "Year after year," says the author of the article, "rolls on, and each succeeding year adds fresh victims to our catalogue of executions. Judges and juries assemble at stated intervals, and pass through the usual monotonous routine, commencing their proceedings with prayer and thanksgiving, and terminating them by hang

ing one or more of their brethren. Senators and moralists sanction the course pursued; and the people still rush in thousands to witness the display of legalized destructiveness, with as much, if not more, avidity, than they formerly manifested to behold a bull-fight, or the struggles of the boxingring. In the middle of the nineteenth century, after the promulgation for 1844 years of a moral code which forbids the practice of retaliation, we perceive the recognised and paid expounders of this code sanctioning the existence of a law directly at variance with their own doctrines. Say what we will, it is the principle of revenge which prompts men to take the life of a criminal. It is doing that which they profess not to do, returning evil for evil. · Let not the sun go down upon thy wrath: Have mercy and not sacrifice:' Forgive one another.' These precepts are uttered day after day by ten thousand priests throughout civilized England, and re-echoed by the millions who with their lip-service lisp what they are told, without for one moment considering that the moral precept is broken, and that at every execution for murder, a second murder is committed."

Article III., likewise from the pen of Mr Von Struve, treats of "The Influence of Legislation on the Intellectual and Moral Condition of the People." The author observes :-"The object of the legislation of every state is to place on a firm basis the opinions of the people on the subject of law and justice; because only by means of the people and their ideas can the laws come into practical operation. The eternal principles of justice, embodied in the laws of human nature, should ever coincide with the ideas of justice taught by the legislature of a country-in other words, only such principles as correspond with the dictates of everlasting truth, should be invested with the authority of positive laws."

"In Germany, a thousand laws stand side by side, each at variance with the others. What in one state of the Confederacy is right, in another is wrong. The cause which in one state would be unconditionally gained, would in another be unconditionally lost. Amidst this diversity of laws, uniformity in our notions of justice cannot be attained. Every individual who has reached to a perception of these inconsistencies must necessarily waver in his conceptions of what is right, and such wavering places him in a ticklish condition for venerating the laws. Nothing, after their inherent appropriateness, conduces so much to the due reverence of laws as their firm endurance and wide-spread authority. The Prussian Government, therefore, could not resort to any means more effectual for destroying the solidity and durabi