Mr James Shaw, subsequently Sir James Shaw, and chamberlain of London, took upon himself the whole trouble connected with the subscription in the metropolis. He purchased L.400 of the 3 per cent. Reduced Stock in June 1797 at L.50g, and L.100 of the same stock in October 1799 at L.59; and this L.500 of stock was transferred in May 1800 to the magistrates of Ayr for the benefit of the poet's family. 'Mr Alderman Shaw, of London, an Ayrshire gentleman, some time after the death of our admired poet, patronised a subscription for the benefit of his widow and children. The sum so raised was vested in the 3 per cent. annuities, and amounted to L.500 of that stock. Last week, the alderman being in company with Sir Francis Baring, the conversation turned on Burns and the circumstances of his family. The worthy baronet, who is a warm admirer of our poet, requested that he also might have the honour of being a contributor, and immediately put into his hands L.100, which was also bought into the same stock, and the receipts sent to the magistrates; and with the L.500 makes L.676, 19s. 10d. 3 per cents., standing in the name of the provost and bailies of the town of Ayr, for the benefit of the widow and children of Robert Burns.'Newspaper Paragraph, 1804. Another paragraph, of apparently little later date, is as follows:"It had lately come to the knowledge of Mr Alderman Shaw, London, that Burns had left two daughters, natural children, who have not hitherto benefited by the liberality of the public to their father's family; which induced that gentleman, whose active benevolence in behalf of this family is well known, to renew a subscription among a few friends for making a small provision for the destitute girls. The subscriptions have amounted to L.310, 11s., at the head of which is fifty guineas from William Fairlie, Esq., Calcutta. With this sum, L.523 have been purchased in the reduced 3 per cents., which, added to that already purchased in the same fund, and together standing in the name of the provost and bailies of the town of Ayr, makes a total of L.1200, of which L.800 is to be appropriated to the use of Mrs Burns and her three sons, and L.400 to the use of the two girls; one moiety payable to each on marriage, or on attaining the age of twenty-one; and in the event of either of them dying under these periods, the moiety due to her to go to the survivor.' The two girls here referred to were: Elizabeth Burns, the daughter of Elizabeth Paton (i., 87)—born in 1784-who became the wife of Mr John Bishop, overseer at Polkemmet, and died in December 1816, aged thirty-two; and Elizabeth Burns, the daughter of Anne Park, born 31st March 1791 (iii., 260), and who became the wife of Thomson, weaver, Pollockshaws. No. 15.-THE CRANIUM OF BURNS. At the opening of the Mausoleum, March 1834, for the interment of Mrs Burns, it was resolved by some citizens of Dumfries, with the concurrence of the nearest relative of the widow, to raise the cranium of the poet from the grave, and have a cast moulded from it, with a view to gratifying the interest likely to be felt by the students of phrenology respecting its peculiar development. This purpose was carried into effect during the night between the 31st March and the 1st April, and the following is the description of the cranium, drawn up at the time by Mr A. Blacklock, surgeon, one of the individuals present: The cranial bones were perfect in every respect, if we except a little erosion of their external table, and firmly held together by their sutures; even the delicate bones of the orbits, with the trifling exception of the os unguis in the left, were sound, and uninjured by death and the grave. The superior maxillary bones still retained the four most posterior teeth on each side, including the dentes sapientiæ, and all without spot or blemish; the incisores, cuspidati, &c., had in all probability recently dropped from the jaw, for the alveoli were but little decayed. The bones of the face and palate were also sound. Some small portions of black hair, with a very few gray hairs intermixed, were observed while detaching some extraneous matter from the occiput. Indeed, nothing could exceed the high state of preservation in which we found the bones of the cranium, or offer a fairer opportunity of supplying what has so long been desiderated by phrenologists-a correct model of our immortal poet's head: and in order to accomplish this in the most accurate and satisfactory manner, every particle of sand, or other foreign body, was carefully washed off, and the plaster of Paris applied with all the tact and accuracy of an experienced artist. The cast is admirably taken, and cannot fail to prove highly interesting to phrenologists and others. 'Having completed our intention, the skull, securely enclosed in a leaden case, was again committed to the earth, precisely where we found it. ARCHD. BLACKLOCK.' A cast from the skull having been transmitted to the Phrenological Society of Edinburgh, the following view of the cerebral development of Burns was drawn up by Mr George Combe, and published in connection with four views of the cranium (W. and A. K. Johnston, Edinburgh): 'I.-DIMENSIONS OF THE Skull. Greatest circumference, From Occipital Spine to Individuality, over the top of the head, Philoprogenitiveness to Individuality (greatest length), Ear to Philoprogenitiveness, Individuality, Benevolence, Firmness, Destructiveness to Destructiveness, Cautiousness to Cautiousness, Ideality to Ideality, Constructiveness to Constructiveness, Mastoid Process to Mastoid Process, "The scale of the organs indicates their relative proportions to each other: 2 is idiocy; 10, moderate; 14, full; 18, large; and 20, very large. 'The cast of a skull does not shew the temperament of the individual, but the portraits of Burns indicate the bilious and nervous temperaments, the sources of strength, activity, and susceptibility; and the descriptions given by his contemporaries of his beaming and energetic eye, and the rapidity and impetuosity of his manifestations, establish the inference that his brain was active and susceptible. The The 'Size in the brain, other conditions being equal, is the measure of mental power. The skull of Burns indicates a large brain. length is eight, and the greatest breadth nearly six inches. circumference is 22 inches. These measurements exceed the average of Scotch living heads, including the integuments, for which four-eighths of an inch may be allowed. 'The brain of Burns, therefore, possessed the two elements of power and activity. The portions of the brain which manifest the animal propensities, are uncommonly large, indicating strong passions, and great energy in action under their influence. The group of organs manifesting the domestic affections (Amativeness, Philoprogenitiveness, and Adhesiveness), is large; Philoprogenitiveness uncommonly so for a male head. The organs of Combativeness and Destructiveness are large, bespeaking great heat of temper, impatience, and liability to irritation. 'Secretiveness and Cautiousness are both large, and would confer considerable power of restraint, where he felt restraint to be necessary. |