all the purposes, professions, and well-matured views of a dramatic revival, which Mr. Murdoch was well-known to entertain, that they hailed his triumph. Since Mr. M.'s return to the stage, his career has been a most triumphant one. In Philadelphia, his native city, Col. Page, in behalf of his friends and old schoolfellows, presented him an elegantly-bound copy of Shakspeare; in Boston, he was presented with a beautiful sword; in New Orleans, a splendid dinner, with the governor of the state, and many other distinguished men, present and now, with an untiring ambition, a nature plastic in its elements, in the heyday of life, with hosts of friends and ardent admirers, Mr. M. has a bright prospect before him. May he realize it, and be happy in the result.

The person of Mr. Murdoch is admirably adapted to the requirements of the stage. Of the medium build, both in height and form; in voice, feature, and motion, pliant and variable; he seems happily constituted for the performance of both comedy and tragedy. His style of acting answers-for, in a welldeveloped character, all parts are in harmony with each other-to these endowments. It hits a middle line, below the severe and terrible graces of tragedy, and above the broad effects of comedy. This combination, adapted to a style entirely his own, free from mannerism and imitation, places Mr. M. side by side with the great artists of the day.

In his personal character, and professional aims, Mr. M. is not only above reproach, but entitled to the best regards of the community, for the zeal with which he espouses the reform and elevation of the theatre, which he desires to see purged of all that can offend the strictest judgment, and the purest morality. He also would have the theatre to promote, and confirm the best national feeling, by placing upon the stage plays growing out of our own history, and addressed to our home sympathies. In furtherance of these views, he has already brought before the public two plays, by an American author, which have been favorably received, and highly lauded by the press. We hope Mr. M. will be careful, as he has been heretofore, to secure the respect of the community in his professional and personal course. It is men like Mr. M. who will gain, for the theatre, the esteem and friendship of large and powerful classes, who have stood forth against it, from the low character of the pieces produced, and the unworthy circumstances and connections under which they have been presented. Mr. M. was religiously educated, and early embraced Christianity, from which he has not departed. He is a strictly temperate and moral man in his every-day life.

We understand he intends to visit his friends in the South and West this winter, and next summer he purposes a visit to Europe.

PHRENOLOGY IN ILLINOIS.

In no part of our country is Phrenology progressing with greater rapidity, than in this rich "prairie land." This year, the demand for our Journal and other publications, has more than doubled that of any former year. Mr. A. R GARDNER, of Farmington, has supplied himself with a complete stock of all of our publications, which he will sell at wholesale or retail. Our friends in that region will do well to give him a call.

ARTICLE XLVI.

AMATIVENESS-ITS LOCATION, ADAPTATION, RIGHT EXERCISE, AND PERVERSION.

WITHIN the last three or four years, the Journal has contained the analysis of all the faculties except one, and that one the most important to human happiness. That one is AMATIVENESS. Shall this faculty, then, be omitted? Shall it be cast out of the pages of the American Phrenological Journal as unclean and impure? Would this accord with the spirit of true philosophy, or with correct taste? Would not such an omission bear upon its face an implication of its inherent unfitness for public inspection, and is this so? Has nature committed so great an impropriety? Such a supposition virtually accuses God of indelicacy. But as such a charge is blasphemous, and thereby reacts upon its Maker, it pronounces those who thus condemn this subject, themselves unclean and impure; because "evil is to him who evil THINKS," while "to the pure all things are pure." When the Phrenological Journal becomes so exquisitely delicate and refined, that it must pass in silence one important phrenological faculty, it will be a little too exquisite for earth or heaven, and should blush to BE.

This neglected faculty we shall therefore proceed to analyze. Nor shall it be treated squeamishly, but in that plain, explicit manner with which high-toned philosophy ought always to treat this vitally important subject.

That a knowledge of its true office is as much required as, at least, any other species of information, is evident, from the fact of its so universal and so gross perversion; for nothing can as effectually redeem it from such perversion as this knowledge. The diffusion of a knowledge of its primitive function, and the conditions of its right exercise, will do more to restrain its excesses, and correct its abuses, than all other instrumentalities combined. Nor does any mode of imparting this knowledge at all compare with the analysis of this faculty, and those inferences which depend upon it. To this great work we shall address ourselves in this series of articles; for the subject is too important, and too widely ramified throughout all the interests of society, to be treated in a single article.

PROPAGATION

nature. Every thing that For such reproduction, the every department of life.

Is the paramount function of universal grows is ordained to REPRODUCE ITS KIND. most ample provision is made throughout Indeed, many of the lower forms of vegetable and animal life, perform but two principal functions; that of mere vegetative life, and that of

multiplying their species. The floral kingdom, with all its variety of organs, all its divinity of coloring, all its glowing beauty and perfection,` exists for the sole purpose of fructifying seed, that each variety may propagate its kind. The impregnation of seeds is the exclusive rationale and adaptation of every floral beauty and contrivance. True, many of these blossoms bear fruit, but why? That they may furnish delicious fruit for man or beast? No; but that they may bear SEED. And this pulp which encases these seeds, at the same time that it keeps the seed moist, and supplies it with manure to promote its germination, is rendered delicious that it may be eaten by man and beast, in order that this seed, uncrushed in eating, may be spread far and near by animals and man, and voided in conjunction with those enriching materials which shall promote its germination and early growth.

Were the nutritious grains created primarily to feed man or brute? No; but to perpetuate and increase their kind. Of all weeds, of all bulbous roots, of all grasses and vegetables, this same law holds equally

true.

What is the end of the creation of the silk worm? That it may enrobe us in silks and satins? No; but that it may become a miller. And what one function does this miller exercise, but breeding, and those things incident thereto? Of all bugs, worms, millers, moths, flies, etc., this is correspondingly true.

It is, indeed, true, that the lower the order of vegetable or animal, the more exclusively are its functions restricted to mere existence and reproduction; and the higher they are, the more collateral functions are introduced. But mark, moreover, that the higher the being, the more power. ful and complicated the reproductive function, and the more aid it requires from these collateral organs.

We might continue these illustrations so as to embrace all forms of life, but is not our point too clear to require it?

Apply this law to man. What was God's FIRST, and, of course, greatest command? "MULTIPLY AND REPLENISH THE EARTH.' And what command is engraven upon the inner tablet of his being, in burning flames, as fierce and perpetual as this? What human being escapes these fires? and oh, how many does it consume, soul and body, in its red-hot coals! What other passion consumes a tithe as many victims? Oh, what ruin' of health, what wreck of morals, what devouring of humanity, does it effect! From the days of lust-consumed Sodom, all along through the Venus-worshipping ancients, to the licentious victims self-immolated on this live-coal altar, war, intemperance, and ambition, have only slain their thousands, while lust has consumed its millions. And I put the home question to every reader-Have its flames not scathed your health, and blistered your morals, if not consumed some one portion, and some another, of your nature?

But why the imperiousness and power of this passion? That, whatever else nature might do or leave undone, she might at least CONTINUE And behold how effectually she accomplishes

AND MULTIPLY THE RACE.

this paramount end.

And by what MEANS? First, by "male and female created he them." And how inimitably beautiful, and perfect, these means and their adaptation to each other!

But to have created these organs merely, without the accompanying element of LOVE, would have been to have allowed death soon to have extinguished the race. This otherwise dead letter is vivified and quickened by the life-begetting power of that love which mutually and powerfully attracts each sex to the other!

A world full of books has been written, descriptive of this element of mind, but what one of them all has given its specific adaptation, and consequent analysis? Not that that analysis is so difficult, but that so few ever inspect this matter with a philosophical eye. The sole end, and all the tendencies of love-all those delicate attentions which matrimonial candidates manifest toward each other-all those tender sentiments and intense yearnings which this passion creates-all that purity and exaltation with which each party contemplates the other-centre and terminate in propagation. This is their rationale. For this were they expressly created, AND FOR NOTHING ELSE. Refine and sentimentalize about love as you will; to multiply and replenish the earth, alone, was it created. No other normal purpose does it subserve.

Nor is this true of love alone, but equally so of the entire circle of the domestic ties and faculties. What is the rationale of love of children? Propagation-not the production of human beings, but their REARING— and what use the former without the latter? And to how many of the delightful feelings, and relations of life, does this faculty give rise? We must have a home-a roof over our heads, a fire at our feet, and many household articles and implements. Why? More for our CHILDREN than ourselves. Marriage, with every thing which appertains to it; children, with all the ties they create; home, with all its comforts; centre and terminate in the continuance of the race-in that grand function performed by the amatory instinct—and these embrace no small part of the nature, cares, joys, and ends of life. Blot propagation, and all that appertains thereto, from the human soul, and how great the aching void!

Does it not become us, then, to know something specific concerning this corner-stone of the human soul, imbedded thus deeply in its foundation, and sustaining so great a portion of its superstructure? Is ignorance of it bliss? To enjoy its bliss, must we not know its CONDITIONS ? How can we perfect our nature, without perfecting as important a portion of it as this, or perfect it without understanding its laws ?

ARTICLE XLVII.

WOMAN: HER CHARACTER, SPHERE, Talents, influence, and CONSEQUENT DUTIES, EDUCATION, AND IMPROVEMENT.-NUMBER I.

A FORMER number promised in this a specific analysis of the feminine. This promise we now proceed to redeem.

What is the one constituent element of female perfection? Fitness or capability to fulfill her natural office. As that house, horse, implement, every thing, is the most perfect, which is best calculated to subserve the specific end for which it was created, so she is the most perfect woman who is best capacitated to fulfill the specific end or destiny of her sex. What, then, is that destiny? What is the primary, paramount function she was created to subserve? Not what subordinate offices she can attain, and good effect, but what is the GREAT, the specific, the ONE cardinal end she was created to fulfill? Every thing in nature has one paraMOUNT function, and but one. The heart accomplishes one PRIMARY end, the lungs another, the eyes, ears, and other organs, each another. And thus of every genera, every species, every individual-every part of every thing in nature, and is more and more perfect the more perfectly it fulfills its specific office. Then what is woman's one great destiny— her primitive end-her paramount office-her controlling function? What the rationale of her being? In short, why was she created woman, instead of any thing else? The question is not now why she was created a human being, but why she was created a human FEMALE? She was constructed a female simply to bear OFFSPRING, and rendered a HUMAN female solely to bear human beings. MATERNITY is the one destiny and function of woman-that alone for which she was created. All the other ends she is fitted and required to subserve, are secondary to this. Ali the female beauties and perfections centre here, and consist in perfection as a child-bearer. And she is the most beautiful and perfect woman, who is fitted by nature to bear the best children; while those who are the least fitted for this end are, THEREFORE, the most homely.

Of course, woman will raise one general hue and cry against this doctrine. She will affirm that this detracts from her high ends and exalted capacities. But consider a little. Let not mere prejudice determine so important a question. Let your natural ADAPTATION decide it. This umpire is final, and its decision too palpable to be mistaken.

What answer do woman's anatomical conformation and physiological constitution give to this question? I speak not of her anatomy as a human being, but as a WOMAN PER se. She has bones, muscles, limbs, eyes, and other organs, like those of men; but these are common to both sexes; whereas, our ordeal has exclusive reference to her SEXUAL anatomy and