The difference between conception and memory, is not caused by any difference in the retentive power, but in the mode of reception. Secondly, Abstraction, the power by which "we separate facts from the relation in which they are originally presented to us, and contemplate some of them apart from the rest." Thirdly, Imagination, by which, having separated scenes or classes of facts into their constituent elements, we "form these elements into new combinations, so as to represent to ourselves scenes, or combinations of events, which have no real existence." Lastly, Reason or Judgment, by means of which we observe relations and connexions, trace results, and deduce general principles. Under this head the author takes occasion to discuss those states of mind in which the use of reason is for a while suspended-Dreaming, Somnambulism, Insanity, and Spectral Illusion. We esteem his dissertations on these subjects, taken in connexion with his chapter on memory, the most valuable part of his book, His numérons and interesting illustrations, collected in the course of his professional reading or practice, render it as amusing as any novel, while at the same time they are continually suggesting new views of intellect, With a few interesting specimens we conclude this very imperfect attempt to analyze Dr Abercrombie's work :

CONNEXION OF THE BRAIN WITH THE THINKING PRINCIPLE,

rel, which ended in a duel; and, when the parties were supposed to be met, a pistol was put into his hand, which he fired, and was awakened by the report. On another occasion, they found him asleep on the top of a locker, or bunker, in the cabin, when they made him believe he had fallen overboard, and exhorted him to save himself by swimming. They then told him that a shark was pursuing him, and entreated him to dive for his life. He instantly did so, with such force as to throw himself entirely from the locker upon the cabin floor, by which he was much bruised, and awakened of course. After the landing of the army at Louisburg, his friends found him one day asleep in his tent, and evidently much annoyed by the cannonading. They then made him believe that he was engaged, when he expressed great fear, and showed an evident disposition to run away. Against this they remonstrated, but, at the same time, increased his fears, by imitating the groans of the wounded and the dying, and when he asked, as he often did, who was down, they named his particular self in the line had fallen, when he instantly sprung from his At last they told him that the man next himbed, rushed out of the tent, and was roused from his danger and his dream together by falling over the tent ropes. A remarkable circumstance in this case was, that, after these experiments, he had no distinct recollection of his dreams, but only a confused feeling of oppression or fatigue: and used to tell his friend that he was sure that he was playing some trick upon him. A case entirely similar is related in Smellie's Natural History, the subject of which was a medical student at the University of Edinburgh.

friends,

"While we thus review the manner in which the manifestations of mind are affected, in certain cases, by diseases "A singular fact has often been observed in dreams which and injuries of the brain, it is necessary that we should re- are excited by a noise, namely, that the same sound awakens fer briefly to the remarkable instances in which the brain the person, and produces a dream, which appears to him to has been extensively diseased without the phenomena of occupy a considerable time. The following example of this mind being impaired in any sensible degree. This holds has been related to me:-A gentleman dreamt that he had true both in regard to the destruction of each individual enlisted as a soldier, joined his regiment, déserted, was appart of the brain, and likewise to the extent to which the prehended, carried back, tried, condemned to be shot, and cerebral mass may be diseased or destroyed. In another at last led out for execution. After all the usual preparawork I have mentioned various cases which illustrate this tions, a gun was fired; he awoke with the report, and found fact in a very striking manner; particularly the case of a that a noise in an adjoining room had both produced the lady, in whom one-half of the brain was reduced to a mass dream and awaked him. The same want of the notion of of disease, but who retained all her faculties to the last, time is observed in dreams from other causes. De Gregory except that there was an imperfection of vision, and had mentions a gentleman, who, after sleeping in a damp place, been enjoying herself at a convivial party in the house of a was for a long time liable to a feeling of suffocation whenfriend, a few hours before her death. A man, mentioned | ever he slept in a lying posture, and this was always accomby Dr Ferrier, who died of an affection of the brain, retain-panied by a dream of a skeleton, which grasped him vioed all his faculties entire till the very moment of his death, lently by the throat. He could sleep in a sitting posture which was sudden. On examining his head, the whole without any uneasy feeling; and, after trying various exright hemisphere, that is, one-half of his brain, was found periments, he at last had a sentinel placed beside him, with destroyed by suppuration, In a similar case, recorded by orders to awake him whenever he sunk down. On one Diemerbroeck, half a pound of matter was found in the occasion, he was attacked by the skeleton, and a severe and brain; and in one by Dr Heberden, there was half a pound long struggle ensued before he awoke. On finding fault of water. A man mentioned by Mr O'Halloran suffered with his attendant for allowing him to lie so long in such such an injury on the head, that a large portion of the bone a state of suffering, he was assured that he had not lain an was removed on the right side; and extensive suppuration instant, but had been awakened the moment he began to having taken place, there was discharged at each dressing, sink. The gentleman, after a considerable time, recovered through the opening, an immense quantity of matter mixed from the affection."on og á á with large masses of the substance of the brain. This went on for seventeen days, and it appears that nearly one-half of the brain was thrown out mixed with the matter; yet the man retained all his intellectual faculties to the very moment of dissolation; and, through the whole course of the disease, his mind maintained uniform tranquillity, These remarkable histories might be greatly multiplied if it were required, but at present it seems only necessary to add the very interesting one related by Mr Marshall. It is that of a man who died with a pound of water in his brain, after having beeu long in a state of idiocy, but who, a very short time before death, became perfectly rational."

BYSTANDER'S POWER OF REGULATING DREAMS. "To this part of the subject are to be referred some remarkable cases in which, in particular, individuals' dreams can be produced by whispering into their ears when they are asleep. One of the most curious as well as authentic examples of this kind has been referred to by several writers: I find the particulars in a paper by Dr Gregory, and they were related to him by a gentleman who witnessed them. The subject of it was an officer in the expedition to Louisburg in 1758, who had this peculiarity in so remarkable a degree, that his companions in the transport were in the constant habit of amusing themselves at his expense. They could produce in him any kind of dream, by whispering into his ear, especially if this was done by a friend with whose voice he was familiar. At one time they conducted him through the whole progress of a quar

STRANGE COINCIDENCES IN DREAMS.

entirely authentic:-A lady dreamt that an aged female The following anecdotes I am enabled to give as relative had been murdered by a black servant, and the dream occurred more than once,

She was then so im

pressed by it, that she went to the house of the lady to whom it related, and prevailed upon a gentleman to watch in an adjoining room during the night. About three o'clock in the morning, the gentleman, hearing footsteps on the rying up a quantity of coals. Being questioned as to where stair, left his place of concealinent, and met the servant carhe was going, he replied, in a confused and hurried manner, that he was going to mend his mistress's fire-which, at three o'clock in the morning, in the middle of summer, was evidently impossible; and, on farther investigation, a strong knife was found concealed beneath the coals. Anether lady dreamt that a boy, her nephew, had been drowned, along with some young companions, with whom he had engaged to go on a sailing excursion in the Frith of Forth She sent for him in the morning, and, with much difficulty, prevailed upon him to give up hisengagement—his conpanions went, and were all drowned.

"Such coincidences derive their wonderful character from standing alone, and apart from those numerous instances in which such dreams take place without any fulfilment. An instance of a very singular kind is mentioned by Mr Joseph Taylor, and is given by him as an undoubted fact. A young man, who was at an academy a hundred miles from

home, dreamt that he went to his father's house in the night, tried the front door, but found it locked; got in by a back-door, and finding nobody out of bed, went directly to the bed-room of his parents. He then said to his mother, whom he found awake, Mother, I am going a long journey, and am come to bid you good bye.' On this she answered, under much agitation, Oh, dear me, thou art dead!' He instantly awoke, and thought no more of his dream, until, a few days after, he received a letter from his father, enquiring very anxiously after his health, in conse quence of a frightful dream his mother had on the same night in which the dream now mentioned occurred to him. She dreamt that she heard some one attempt to open the front door, then go to the back-door, and at last come into her bed-room. She then saw it was her son, who came to the side of her bed, and said, Mother, I am going a long journey, and am come to bid you good bye:' on which she exclaimed, Oh, dear me, thou art dead! But nothing unusual happened to any of the parties; the singular dream must have arisen from some strong mental impression which had been made on both the individuals about the same time; and to have traced the source of it, would have been a matter of great interest."

6

་་་་

THE PLEASURES OF MADNESS.

with the difference which exists among different individuals in this respect, and even in the same individual at different times, we trace the influence of the principle in the impression which is made by events coming upon us suddenly and unexpectedly; and the manner in which the emotion is gradually brought to its proper bearings, as the mind accommodates itself to the event, by contemplating it in its true relations. In such a mental process as this, we observe the most remarkable diversities among various individuals. In some, the mind rapidly contemplates the event in all its relations, and speedily arrives at the precise impression or emotion which it is in truth fitted to produce. In others, this is done more slowly, perhaps more imperfectly, and probably not without the aid of suggestions from other minds; while, in some, the first impression is so strong and so permanent, and resists in such a manner those considerations which might remove or moderate it, that we find difficulty in drawing the line between it and that kind of false impression which constitutes the lower degree of insanity. Habits of mental application must also exert a great influence; and we certainly remark a striking difference between those who are accustomed merely to works of imagination and taste, and those whose minds have been rigidly exercised to habits of calm and severe enquiry. A fact by farther observation, would lead to some most important is mentioned by Dr Connolly, which, if it shall be confirmed reflections. He states, that it appears, from the registers of the Bicetre, that maniacs of the more educated classes consist almost entirely of priests, artists, painters, sculptors, poets, and musicians; while no instance, it is said, occurs of the disease in naturalists, physicians, geometricians, or chemists."

The uniform good sense, the sound and well-regulated moral feeling, and the amiable character, evinced in this work, must tend to diffuse, if possible, yet more widely, the confidence reposed by the public in Dr Abercrombie, as a physician.

The History of France. By Eyre Evans Crowe, Three volumes. Vol. I. (Being volume XII. of Dr Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia.) London. 1830.

"A remarkable peculiarity in many cases of insanity, is a great rapidity of mind and activity of conception,-a tendency to seize rapidly upon incidental or practical relations of things, and often a fertility of imagination, which changes the character of the mind, sometimes without remarkably distorting it. The memory, in such cases, is entire, and even appears more ready than in health; and old associations are called up with a rapidity quite unknown to the individual in his sound state of mind. A gentleman, mentioned by Dr Willis, who was liable to periodical attacks of insanity, said that he expected the paroxysms with im patience, because he enjoyed, during them, a high degree of pleasure, Every thing appeared easy to me-no obstacles presented themselves, either in theory or practice. My memory acquired all of a sudden a singular degree of perfection. Long passages of Latin authors occurred to my mind. In general, I have great difficulty in finding rhyth mical terminations, but then I could write verses with as great facility as prose I have often,' says Penil, stopt at the chamber door of a literary gentleman, who, during his paroxysms, appeared to soar above the mediocrity No literature is more rich in historical memoirs than of intellect that was peculiar to him, solely to admire his the French, and yet a first-rate history of France has not newly-acquired powers of eloquent the force, the dignity, He declaimed upon hitherto appeared from the pen either of native or of the subject of the revolution with all and the purity of language, that this very interesting sub-foreigner. To what cause this may be ascribed, other ject could admit of At other times, he was a man of very than mere accident, it is perhaps unnecessary to enquire. erdinary abilities," 3złowa si acha bones are The common solution appears to be sufficiently satisfac211 PERSONS MOST LIABLE TO INSANITY. #tory: that the many works of merit on separate portions "Insanity is in a large proportion of cases, to be traced of that history, by making the existence of one connected to hereditary predisposition, and this is often so strong, comprehensive work less absolutely necessary, have acted that no prominent moral cause is necessary for the produc as a discouragement to men of genius undertaking to tion of the disease, and probably no moral treatment would supply a deficiency so little felt as to entitle their labours have any effect in preventing it. We must, however, sup-to a very slight share of gratitude. An additional reason, pose, that where a tendency to insanity exists, there may be, in many cases, circumstances in mental habits, or mental discipline, calculated either to favour, or to counteract the tendency. Insanity frequently commences with a state, in which particular impressions fix themselves upon the mind, in a manner entirely disproportioned to their true relations, and in which these false impressions fail to be corrected by the judgment comparing them with other impressions, or with external things. In so far as mental habits may be supposed to favour or promote such a condition, this may be likely to result from allowing the mind to wander away from the proper duties of life, or to uriate amid scenes of the imagination, and permitting to be

mental emotions, of whatever

and, we think, a strong one, for the non-existence of a complete work such as we desiderate, will be found in the circumstance, that it was only at a comparatively late period of her history that France began to assume a very important station among the kingdoms of Europe. For a long time, she was a kingdom only in name: her external relations were extremely limited; internally, she was a prey to disunion and disorder each of the petty states into which the country was divided acting of and for itself, without regard to the rest. Indeed, for nearly seven hundred years, from the commencement of the Merovingian dynasty in the person of Clovis, down to the manner disproportioned to the relacited in a hects which give rise to them; in short, from allow time of Philip Augustus, with one solitary exception in the mind to ramble among imaginary events, or to the splendid reign of Charlemagne, the history of France beled away, by slight and casual relations, instead of is rather that of a number of independent provinces, than teadily exercising the judgment in the investigation of of a powerful and consolidated monarchy. Even long ruth. We might refer to the same head, habits of dis- after this latter period, the crown, limited in its real orting events, and of founding upon them conclusions prerogative less by the constitution of the monarchy than which they do not warrant. These, and other propensi- by the actual and enormous power of its greater vassals, ties and habits of a similar kind, constitute what is called could confer little more than nominal superiority upon an ill-regulated mind. Opposed to it is that habit of cobl its possessor. Louis XI. was the first King of France and sound exercise of the understanding, by which events who can be said to have transmitted to his successor tre contemplated in their true relations and consequences; and mental emotions arise out of them such as they are the proper authority of a sovereign. To consolidate really calculated to produce. Every one must be familiar the power of the crown, and to exalt the political im

of the

portance of France, by converting nominal suzerainship into absolute sovereignty, was the great object of that crafty monarch's reign. The opportune death of Charles the Bold of Burgundy happily enabled Louis to complete this scheme by the acquisition of that important duchy, which he wrested, partly by force of arms, partly by treaty, out of the feeble hands of Charles's daughter, and annexed inseparably to the monarchy.

We certainly do not affect to consider the work now presented to the public under the auspices of Dr Lardner, as supplying the desideratum to which we have just been alluding. Elegant correctness, general views, and a popular style, rather than depth of observation or profound research, seem proper to such publications as the Cabinet Cyclopædia. This, at least, judging by the portion of it now before us, is the character of Mr Crowe's work; and we take it for granted, that the author communicated to his volume that character on system. It is properly a synopsis of French history, more than a regular history of France. The author has added little to what was already generally known: his work throws no new light upon the more interesting events of history, or upon the political springs by which they were secretly influenced; and Mr Crowe seems not to have availed himself of any save the more common authorities which are accessible to the general reader. Notwithstanding all this, however, which, after all, regards rather the author's claim to originality, than the real value of his book, we have little hesitation in saying, that this is the best history of France, within a moderate compass, with which we are acquainted. We cannot at this present moment recollect, nor do we believe that there exists, any work upon France which presents a clearer view of the original institutions of that country-of the progress of society--and the various changes which affected its government in the course of a civilisation, which appears to have proceeded with great rapidity, in spite of foreign invasion and the still greater evils of internal disunion.

With some it will be an objection to this work, that it partakes more of the nature of an historical essay than of a history. Its narrative of facts is meagre in proportion to its general disquisitions. It contains, perhaps, rather too much of the philosophy of history, and too little of its gossip, for the taste of those who take pleasure in detail, while this very circumstance will make the work more acceptable to those who either are already acquainted with the facts, or who, without knowing the facts, limit their curiosity to the obtaining a general connected philosophical and just view of French history. In short, the author has here done what every intelligent reader of a history more strictly narrative would have done for himself, but which common readers are not, perhaps, always qualified to do, viz. extracted from the details of history, that for which principally history is valuable.

A short extract will serve to give relief to our remarks, and, at the same time, will afford the reader a specimen of Mr Crowe's sketchy, but spirited, style of narrative:

BATTLE OF MORAT.

gether with the best knights of Burgundy, perished; and victory was completely in the hands of the Swiss: they were inerciless in their triumph; they took no prisoners, vanquishers being now provided with cavalry, the flight and spared not an enemy. All were massacred; and the was more destructive than the action. Many sought refuge in the lake; and even thither they were pursued by their merciless enemies. The Swiss were resolved that the Burgundians should not rally a second time, to attempt a third invasion. Cruel as at Morat,' was for a long while a Swiss proverb. When time had decomposed the bodies of the of Morat, which for ages remained as a trophy to Swiss slain, the bones were collected in a chapel, called the Ossuary valour and independence. The French revolutionary army destroyed it in 1798."

Mr Crowe will have produced a very excellent work, if his two succeeding volumes are executed with the same judgment and elegance which distinguish that now before

us.

The Amulet: A Christian and Literary Remembrancer. Edited by S. C. Hall. London. Westley and Davis. 1831.

THE Amulet ranks deservedly high among the Annuals. The four best are the Keepsake, the Souvenir, the Friendship's Offering, and the Amulet. We might also mention the Landscape Annual, but it is a work on a different plan, and cannot be properly compared with the others. After these come the Forget-Me-Not, and a good many more. We are not quite sure that the embellishments of the Amulet are so splendid this season as they were last, but the literary contents are fully superior.

The engravings are as follows :—1st. The Countess Gower and her Child, painted by Lawrence, and engraved by W. Finden; a very beautiful work of art, and a fine companion to the Lady Georgiana Agar Ellis in the Souvenir. 2d. The Resurrection, engraved by Wallis, from a drawing by Martin. This has all the usual faults of Martin's style. The figures in the foreground are so disproportioned to the rest of the picture, that their introduction seems only to mar the general effect. If the drawing represents any thing, it is a view of Jerusalem, though the predominating architecture of the buildings appears to be Gothic, and consequently is not exactly the architecture of Jerusalem. The story of the resurrection is

told in one corner of the picture, and has only the effect of distracting the attention, and destroying the unity of the production. 3d. The Orphans, painted by J. Wood, engraved by C. Rolls; a well-told story of youthful misery and desolation, which it maketh the heart sad to look upon. 4th. Cromwell at MarstonMoor, painted by A. Cooper, engraved by W. Greatbatch; a very spirited battle-piece, the grouping admirable, and the drawing no less so. 5th. The Florentine, painted by Pickersgill, engraved by E. Finden—a youthful mother, with her happy child riding on her shoulder; one of the most successful and pleasing embellishments in the volume. 6th. Sweet Anne Page, paint"The captains of Burgundy counselled Charles to send ed by Smirke, engraved by Portbury. This is not, one his force into the plain, where his cavalry might act; but of Smirke's best things. It wants animation; it is too he was now impatient of dictation. Near the lake of Morat much like a picture, and too little like reality. The attihe stationed his left, chiefly composed of Italian mercena- tudes of the figures are stiff and laboured, and the exries; the centre was commanded by Crève-cour; he him- pression of their faces are not decided enough. 7th. The self kept the right, with a body of English, under the Duke Village Queen, painted by J. Boaden, engraved by C. of Somerset, and his archers on horseback. The Swiss, as was customary with them, knelt down in line, uttered a Marr. Why call that sweet and gentle creature, full of short prayer, and then rushed against their enemies. On all delicate feminity, the "Village Queen ?" The Queen, this occasion, the redoubtable infantry of the mountains even of a village, must have more confidence in herself, were kept in check by the Burgundian knights, fighting and a greater thirst for popularity, than ever belonged to under cover of their artillery and camp intrenchments. that fair and fragile flower. We love her much, because The action was for a time doubtful; but the cavaliers of we are certain that, in the soft modesty of her nature, Burgundy having all dismounted to defend their intrench-she could love deeply in return. ments, the Lorraine horse swept the right wing; and a body however, but her neck is a little too long, 8th. Sunset, We are not quite sure, of Swiss, being thus enabled to turn it, attacked the camp in flank and rear, whilst it was vigorously assaulted in front. engraved by J. Pye, from a drawing by G. Barrett; a Cannon and intrenchments here became useless; the very Claude-like picture, 9th. Florence, drawn by struggle was hand to hand. Somerset and his English, to- Turner, engraved by E. Goodall; as fair a scene as one