Firmness, is a tendency to _persist_ in conduct, opinion, and purpose: the immediate emotion is termed Resolution. The organ is situated at the posterior part of the coronal region, close upon the middle line. This faculty seems to bear no relation to external objects, its influence adds a particular quality to other manifestations: whatever may be the predominant pursuit it seems to give _perseverance_ in that pursuit; it contributes greatly to the success of an individual in a particular object, as he keeps steadily in one course. A person without the faculty may manifest equal desire, but will, perhaps, try a dozen methods of success without following out any one, thus fortitude and patience are the results of this organization: when duly exercised, it gives stability of character; a person who is not led by the accident of the moment, but one who aims at perfection, and duly keeps to the high road to arrive there: when combined with conscientiousness it gives moral courage, supports the martyr at the stake, and enables a man to go on through evil report and good report without turning to the right hand or the left: without this endowment, the most splendid talents are thrown away, as they never reach the summit of what is good, because like Reuben, "unstable as water they cannot excel."--In ABUSE this faculty leads to obstinacy, stubbornness, infatuation in evil courses, or a constant aim at what is good, without perseverance to arrive at it. 32. IDEALITY. The operation of this faculty is beautifully described by Shakspeare;-- "The poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven, And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name." The organ is situated nearly on the temporal ridge of the frontal bone. Gall called it, _the organ of poetry_, because "in every kind of poetry the sentiments are exalted, the expressions warm; and there must be rapture, inspiration, what is commonly called imagination or fancy." It is this faculty that produces the aspiration after _perfection_, it aims at endowing every object with the highest degree of perfection which it is capable of assuming, and is thus very valuable to man in his progressive changes towards a more virtuous and perfect existence. It gives a peculiar tinge to other faculties, making them aspire to exquisiteness, thus giving an expansion to the mental powers, which carries onwards, forwards, and upwards, makes them aim to be happy and form schemes for its attainment: it gives a keener relish to other faculties, in short, its operation is intellectually ennobling. In ABUSE it produces a finical and sickly refinement, fanciful opinions, love of show more than utility; it leads to novel reading, extravagant notions, and this gives a fictitious and unsteady character, unfitted for the severer walks of life. 33. WONDER.