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gart very naturally wished to get out of prison, and Mr Morrin stood in the way. What then did he do? He concealed himself, with his characteristic benevolence and firmness, behind a door, with a large stone in a bag, and on Mr Morrin making his appearance with a plateful of potatoes in his hand, for a gentleman of the name of O'Gorman, who was to be hanged before the dinner-hour on the day following, he knocked the unsuspecting Morrin full on the temples with this ingenious sling-fractured his skull-and then, by repeatedly bobbing it against the stone floor, smashed it in upon the brain, knocked the eyes out of the sockets-and then made his escape. Mr Combe gives us a slight description of a murder committed upon a poor half-witted pedlar boy, in a solitary moor, by a ruffian named Gordon, and then reverting with calm and philosophic satisfaction to the murder by Haggart, also slightly described above, observes, "the most benighted intellect must perceive a difference in the motives of the murders for which these men suffered." The difference is indeed great, and exhibits the benevolence of Haggart in the most pleasing light.

We have left ourselves room only to inform the philosophical world, that Mr Haggart's cerebral organization exhibited in great fulness the organs of Form, Locality, Order, Tune, Language, Causality, Wit, and Imitation; so that, had his life been spared, he would probably have distinguished himself as a sculptor, a geographer, a musician, a linguist, a philosopher, an Addison, and a Mathews. Never before have so many faculties been found united in one individual; and melancholy it is to reflect that that individual should have been hanged.

From the slight and imperfect sketch which we have now given of the conduct of this interesting young man, as furnished to us by Mr Combe, the world will perceive the high character of that philosophy of which he is the ablest expounder. For our own parts, we think that Gall, and Spurzheim, and Combe, have thrown greater light on the nature of man, than all the other philosophers put together since the world began. Indeed there is now little or nothing to discover. The moral and intellectual geography

of the head of man, and, we understand, of all other animals, is laid down with a minuteness of accuracy that must be very galling to the feelings of an Arrowsmith or a Morrison. Aristotle, Lord Bacon, and Locke, are mere impotent ninnies, in comparison with Gall, Spurzheim, and Combe; and indeed, any one page of Combe's great work on Phrenology is worth "all that Bactrian, Samian sage e'er writ." We propose that a colossal and equestrian statue be erected to Him on the Calton Hill, instead of that absurd national monument the Parthenon; and that a subscription be forthwith set a-going, under the auspices of Sir John Sinclair, who will soon make Michael Linning hide his diminished head.

The world will rejoice to hear that a Phrenological Society has been established in this city. Their "Report" is now lying before us; and as it is quoted in Waugh, we presume that, without offence, we may quote it also.

The

"The existence of this Society implies a belief in the Members, that the Brain is the organ of the Mind, and that particular parts of it are the organs of particular mental faculties; and that these facts afford a key to the true Philosophy of Man. the doctrines have met with, and of the riSociety is aware of the opposition which dicule which has been cast upon them; but they know also, that in all ages a similar reception has been given to the most important discoveries; which, nevertheless, have in time prevailed. The Pope imprisoned Galileo for teaching that the earth turned on its axis; but the earth continued it had done before it, and carried him round to revolve after the Pope's denunciation as

lileo's assertion or not.

on its surface, whether he believed in GaAs the evidence was examined, the fact itself was believed; and now Galileo is an object of respect, and the Pope of compassion or contempt. The result, it is believed, will be the same with Phrenology."

This is finely put. Nothing can be more simply sublime than the statement of the earth continuing not only to revolve after the Pope's denunciation, but also to carry the misbeliever round on its surface, instead of chucking him overboard. In like manner, if a louse were to get drunk in the head of a phrenologist, he would indisputably be of opinion that the said head, with all its organs, was whirling round; but in this the louse would be most grossly mistaken; and the head would continue to remain unrevolving after

the louse's denunciation as it had done before it, and keep him on its surface notwithstanding his astronomical heresy. If, instead of a louse on the head of a phrenologist, the phrenologist himself were to get drunk, and the louse to remain sober, then the phrenologist would opine that the head revolved, and would denounce, if he knew it, the opinion of the louse; but the head would continue stationary after the phrenologist's denunciation, and would not carry round the louse

on its surface just as it had done before, whether the phrenologist agreed with the opinion of the louse or not.

The Phrenological Society, we hope, will publish their Transactions, as well as the Royal Society, and the Dilettanti. We shall have an eye on their proceedings; and, in a future number, we mean to give a list of the members, which, as it might be expected, contains many of the most illustrious names in literature and science.

VOYAGES AND TRAVELS OF COLUMBUS SECUNDUS. CHAPTER XVIII.

Christmas.

THE Christmas holidays in Edinburgh have long furnished the working classes with an intermission from labour,-the lovers of good eating with excuses for gratifying their propensities,-andhave annually suspended the administration of justice in our courts of law, by a three weeks' recess from business. The Church of Scotland, having wisely discarded from her polity set times, appointed feasts, and unprofitable fastings, the approach of Christmas brings with it no idea connected with religion, except what may be gathered from festive hilarity, and the practical gratitude of family meetings. For some time previous to this day, all is bustle and preparation among the manufacturers of confectionary; currants and almonds, raisins and orangepeel, and all the necessary ingredients for forming shortbread and buns, are laid out in tempting variety in the shop windows of the grocers; and British and foreign spirits, of every variety and price, are also exposed, with the price per gill in conspicuous characters, to attract purchasers who wish to get merry at a trifling expense. The Christmas holidays to which I allude, it is necessary to mention, are those of some twenty years back, before the morals of the humbler citizens were broken down by a change of manners;-when the poor man could easily procure labour, have his amorie filled with wholesome provisions at a cheap rate, and was able to get desirably tipsy upon penny whip for twopence. The distillers were then allowed to poison the lieges without check; the brewers had not adopted the mo

dern plans of tanning the stomachs of their customers; the grocers were conscientious, and ash-leaves and burnt horse-beans were totally unknown in the manufacture of tea and coffee ; ale was drunk in quaighs without measure, and reaming stoups of genuine claret superseded the necessity of paying five shillings a bottle for sloe juice.

One of the first demonstrations of the approach of Christmas in Edinburgh was the annual appearance of large tables of anchor-stocks at the head of the Old Fish-market Close. These anchor-stocks, the only species of bread made from rye that I have ever observed offered for sale in the city, were exhibited in every variety of size and price, from a halfpenny to a half crown; and the manufacture, as far as may be judged from a hereditary resemblance of feature, has been continued to the present time by the same family, I believe from Musselburgh. Anchor-stocks, at this period, had, from their novelty, an uncommon sale; and even among the higher ranks many were purchased, as an agreeable varie ty in the accustomed food; for they were sweet-tasted, and baked with caraway seeds and orange-peel. I have been particular in mentioning the composition of anchor-stocks, as, without some such explanation, many who read my travels might proclaim to the world, that the citizens of Edinburgh were so ill off in point of provisions, as in winter to eat the very stocks of their ship anchors, and thus class the inhabitants of the Northern Athens with the saw-dust and fish-bone eaters of Lapland and Norway.

Christmas was also preceded in Edinburgh, and all over the country, by the appearance of guisards or guiserts, young men and boys, who, in antic ha biliments and masks (called in Edinburgh fause-faces), went round the houses in the evenings performing fragments of those legendary romances or religious moralities, which were once the only dramatic representations of Britain. Of the former, the general subject was Alexander the Great, accompanied by two other kings, and several knights, who "said their say," fought their battle, and received their reward in the hospitalities of the season. The subject of the latter, I believe, was the well known one of the Abbot of Unreason, which the reader, curious in such matters, will find lively pictured in the romance of the Monastery. One of the masquers in this last, represented the Devil, with a formidable pair of horns; another personated Judas, designated by carrying the bag; and there was likewise a dialogue, fighting and restoring the slain to life at the conclusion of the piece. The opening of the scene commenced by the recital of a rhyme beginning thus:

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Redd up stocks, redd up stools, Here comes in a pack of fools, &c. But the guising is now on the decline, and the older masquers have given place to young boys, who now carol the most common songs at the doors of the citizens for halfpence.

Another prelude to the approach of Christmas, was the appearance of flocks of geese, driven from the south to be massacred and eaten on this day. These, however, were chiefly destined for the solace of gentle stomachs, the prevailing Christmas dish among the common people and peasantry, being the national one of fat brose, otherwise denominated Yule brose. The large pot, in almost every family of this description, well provided with butcher meat, (if bullocks' heads or knee bones may be so called,) was put on the fire the previous evening, to withdraw the nutritive juices and animal oil from the said ingredients. Next day after breakfast, or at dinner, the brose was made, generally in a large punch-bowl, the mistress of the ceremonies dropping a gold ring among the oatmeal upon which the oily soup was poured. The family, or party, (for on these occasions there was generally a party of young people assembled) provided with spoons

and seated round the bowl, now began to partake of the half-boiling brose, on the understanding that the person who 2 was so fortunate as to get the ring in their spoon, was to be first married.Reader, if you were ever young and unmarried, you must have felt what it would have been to be assured of not always living in unprofitable and unrespected celibacy; of moving through the world as unserviceable to its continuance, as half a pair of scissars, or the single lever of a pair of snuffers, which, according to the proverb, can neither clip nor cut. But I am tired of description; let the parties who enjoyed these scenes speak for themselves.

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"Is a' the young folk come?" said old Mr Callimanky to his wife, as he entered his house, having left his shop in the Luckenbooths for the purpose of enjoying the brose in the persons of his children and their friends: "there's no muckle doing in the shop the day. Except three spats o' prins, and a remnant o' duffle for big-coats to the Laird o' Mosshag's dochters, I haena measured an ell o' claith sin' I gaed down."'-"Ye're ne'er content wi' your selling," answered Mrs Callimanky; an ye were as gude at getting in, as ye are at gi'en out, we might hae been at the Citadel bathing this year, as weel as our neighbour the button-maker, and his yellow-faced dochters. Ye might hae been writing your accounts for half-an-hour langer, had ye liket; for Sandy's playing at the shinty wi' Geordy Bogle in the Krames, and the M'Guffies winna be here till twall, they're sae thrang cleaning currants.”. "Weel, I see I'm ower soon, sae I'll just gang down the length o' Gillespie's and hear the news till they a' gather," said Mr Callimanky.

"Ye had better gang ben to the parlour and see what the weans are about," rejoined the lady; " Mr Columbus's auldest son's been there this good while, rampin wi' Jean and Margaret, and cuttin paper leddies to the young anes:-ye see I'm thrang wi' the pye that I promised them—them that eats, little kens the trouble aforehand." "Od, I'm glad ye've gotten young Mr Christopher wi' ye; I'll gang nae farther, he has sae muckle to say about auld-farrant things that happened lang ago."

Mr Callimanky saying this, immediately proceeded to the parlour, and

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made his entrée, while his eldest daughter, a girl of about eighteen, was enacting the part of Blind Harry, and I myself was perched upon the top of a table to avoid being caught. He came in with so little noise, or we were making so much, that his arrival was not perceived; and Miss Callimanky, passing the door at the time, she seized the old gentleman round the neck, and with a clap or two on his head, or rather on his powdered wig, cried out, pulling the bandage from her eyes, "Ye're hit-ye're hit

-I've catched you at last!"

The surprise of the young lady, when she found that she had catched her father instead of me, Christopher, in her arms, is, to use a common expression, more easily conceived than described. The old gentleman, however, was perfectly good-humoured, and conveyed no reproach on our conduct, further than by saying, as I leaped from the table, “ Kit, Kit, if ye hae spoilt my table, I'll gar your father send me a new ane. The convenience of the old houses of Edinburgh for games of this kind, is only known to the last generation. When Mr Callimanky came into the room, the only persons visible were Miss Callimanky and myself. The numerous presses and concealed cupboards included the remainder of the party, to the amount of half a do

zen.

One little fellow was laid along under the piano-forte; Miss Margaret had, by the help of a chair, attained the upper and unoccupied shelf of a press; one had stowed itself under a sofa, and another little imp had rolled under the large leathercovered chair, which stood by the side of the fire. Two others had found concealment, the one behind a large tea-tray, and the other behind a butter-kit, in what was denominated the store-closet. "What's come o' a' the bairns?" said the old gentleman, as he looked round the apartment. "Dear me, are you twa playing at Blind Harry your ain sells !"-"Eh, that's my father," said Geordy, as he peeped from under the piano." Help me down, papa," cried Miss Margaret, as she looked from her elevation, like an angel on the inferior world.-"Eh, we'll get the brose now-that's papa frae the shop!" sung out the one from under the sofa; and in a short time, Mr Callimanky, though no sorcerer, had eight people about him, where a minute before only two were visible. VOL. X.

We had scarcely arranged ourselves in becoming order after this interruption, before old Miss Callimanky, a maiden sister of my friend, appeared, leading in Sandy with a bloody nose. He had been engaged in single combat with a boy in the street, who had unnecessarily interrupted his sport at the shinty. This was resented by Mr Alexander in a becoming manner, and a battle "ower the bannets" was the consequence, which, on the testimony of Geordy Bogle, I beg to say, was nothing discreditable to young Callimanky's courage, though claret, according to the modern phrase, was drawn on both sides. "Pit the muckle key down his back," said the old lady, "and that'll stop the bleeding. Ma wee man, I hope ye gied the little Heritor as gude as he's gien you." The house key was procured and put next his neck; the bleeding ceased, as Miss Callimanky the elder had predicted and a piece of shortbread, and a bawbee to buy snaps, soon effaced all remembrance of the battle.

The two Misses M'Guffie now appeared; "three muckle buns, which had to gang to the carrier's in the morning," being their apology for not appearing earlier at the fishing of the ring in the kail-brose. Mrs Callimanky having, it would seem, finished her apple-pye, " ready to send to the baker's," now made her entrance, followed by a girl with the meal-can. The punch-bowl was placed on the table; a sufficient quantity of oatmeal was deposited in it; a gold ring dropped among the meal; and the bowl was taken away to have the necessary liquid supplied from the muckle pat. The bowl was placed on the table, and all hands grasped their spoons. "Tak care, and no burn yoursells, bairns," said Mrs Callimanky, as she endeavoured to repress an eagerness which might have been followed by a scalded mouth; "just take time-some o' you maun get the ring." "See, aunty Betty, Meg's takin twa soups for my ane," said Miss Callimanky.-" Ye maun just sup faster, Jean," was the reply." I've gottin't," cried Miss Susan M'Guffie, as she was blowing a hardened piece of meal between her teeth.-The supping was suspended for a moment." Eh no, it's just a knot o' meal."

The search commenced with greater eagerness. "Aunty, will ye no try't?" said Sandy to old Miss Callimanky; 4 S

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"Ye're no married yet, ye ken.""Me married, my dear! trowth na; after refusing Mr M'Scrankie the writer, and Deacon Fell, besides entering into a correspondence wi' Dominie Boyd, that was afterwards a minister, and mony a ane mae that I could name, it wadna set me to houk men out o' à brose-bicker at this time o' day." Tuts, Betty," answered Mr Callimanky, the bairn's but jokin; tak a spoon and be like the rest. There's nae saying where a blessing may light. Sandy M'Scrankie's neither dead nor married yet; and mony a ane aulder than you gangs afore the minister."- -" Aulder than me, brither! what do ye mean? It'ill no be the better for either you or yours suld I change my condition."

Miss Betty, however, allowed herself to be persuaded, and began to dig in the mine for husbands with the eagerness of one who had not yet lost hope. She had not emptied many spoonfuls, before her teeth arrested something of a harder texture than oatmeal; and in the act of chewing to ascertain its quality, the said body stuck fast in the hollow of an old tooth. "Gude preserve me, what's this!" mumbled out Mrs Betty, in an agony of pain, the tears starting from her eyes as she hastened to apply a handkerchief to her mouth.-"Our aunty's gotten the ring," roared out a little fellow who observed the incident, " our aunty's gotten the ring, and she has it in her mouth-spit it out, aunty!"

The appearance of the old lady, and the assertions of the boy, put a stop to further search. "Wae worth your ring and your brose too, they've gien me a rheumatism in my chafts," continued aunty Betty; for she would have counted it a heresy had any one hinted that her teeth were failing; "I wish I had your ring out o' my mouth.""Can ye no get it out, Betty? let me see where it is sticking," said Mr Callimanky." Miss Betty will haud a good grip, I warrant ye, when it's in her power," remarked Mrs Callimanky, with a laugh; "she'll no tyne the haud, gie her't wha will." Aunty Betty, at the risk of exposing her deficiencies in mark of mouth, was glad, however, to allow an examination which should rid her of the incumbrance and pain. "I see it now," said her brother, as with spectacles to assist his vision he was searching the round of

her open mouth; "it's a yellow thing, but it's no a ring-gape wider and I'll pu'd out till ye." The article, which proved to be a small button, was now extracted, amidst the laughter of the younger part of the company, who were not sorry that Mrs Betty had failed in securing a help-mate upon the present occasion. "How's the button gotten among the meal?" said Mrs Callimanky, who now got possession of the brass article, The thing was unaccountable, till Sandy cried out-"Eh, mother, as sure as ony thing the button's mine, see it's come aff the sleeve o' my jacket."

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Miss Betty retired from the contest, and the youthful candidates again began, with unwearied application, to the double task of searching and eating. The large bowl was pretty well emptied of its contents, and conjecture was at work in supposing that some of the company, with sufficient plenitude of throat, might have unconsciously swallowed the landlady's ring, when Miss Callimanky was fortunate enough to secure the actual prize. "Weel done, Jean," said her papa, as she held the ring in triumph between her fingers; "that's just as it should be-the auld-' est aye first.' "Jeanie, gie's a kiss, my dear," said her mamma; ye deserve a man, and I hope ye'll get a good one." Aunty Betty, in spite of her defeat, also congratulated her favourite niece; and "Jean's gaun to be married!" was sung out by the younger branches in full chorus, "and we'll a' get gloves and new frocks, and sweet-things, and the piano to oursells." The Misses M'Guffie, however, were not over much pleased at the result." She ken't weel where to find it," whispered the one. "It's a' nonsense to think that finding a ring's to gar ony body be married," said the other. "Deed, it's perfect nonsense,' said Mr Callimanky, in a tone of consolation; "howsomever, I've often seen the thing happen for a' that."

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Conjecture was now at work to find out who was to be the happy man. "They'll no be ill to please," whispered the elder Miss M'Guffie to her sister. "They'll ne'er rue their bargain but ance, and that's aye," replied the other. "Div ye no think that Mr Christopher there and our Jean wad make a very good match, my dear?” said Mrs Callimanky to her spouse. "Stand up, Jean, and measure wi'

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