The Autobiography of John Britton Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 edition. Excerpt: ...of the Scotch Novelist that I might now detail all that was said by him on that memorable morning; as well as the artistic remarks of the mild and amiable President of the Royal Academy; and the then novel theories and language of the German Phrenologist: but, alas I can only venture to relate the simple circumstance of the meeting, the scene, and the tendency of the conversation. The peculiar formation of the Poet's skull, with all its superficial inequalities and curvatures, was pointed out by Dr. Spurzheim, and descanted on with much ingenuity; with inferences from its peculiar developments, as indicating the possession of those talents which are evinced in his Writings; also some personal traits of character, which the ingenious and accomplished man of physiological science only could descry, or venture to comment on. Mr. West said but little; for he was never eloquent, nor even fluent. His remarks on the Bust were confined to individual features--the eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, cheeks, hair, and moustache: all of which, he felt satisfied, were imitations of nature, modelled from the person whilst living, or from a cast after death. There was no appearance of fancy, or of its having been modelled merely from recollection.f The language of Mr. Scott, on the poetry of Shakspere, was fluent and copious; but he scarcely noticed the plaster-cast. He could repeat almost every striking passage in the plays and poems of the Bard, and applied many of them to characterize their author. On being asked to look at and give his opinion of the Bust, he chiefly alluded to the lofty, towering forehead, and conical crown; the simple, boyish lips, and their pleasing expression; but he could not reconcile himself to the extraordinary, and, as he...