Pencillings by the Way: Written During Some Years of Residence and Travel in EuropeWillis, Nathaniel Parker
General
Pencillings by the Way: Written During Some Years of Residence and Travel in Europe
Willis, Nathaniel Parker
Europe -- Description and travel
My new acquaintance called on me the next morning, according to
appointment, and we went together to Dr. Spurzheim's residence. The
passage at the entrance was lined with cases, in which stood plaster
casts of the heads of distinguished men, orators, poets,
musicians--each class on its particular shelf--making altogether a
most ghastly company. The doctor received my companion with great
cordiality, addressing him in French, and changing to very good
German-English when he made any observation to me. He is a tall,
large-boned man, and resembles Harding, the American artist, very
strikingly. His head is finely marked; his features are bold, with
rather a German look; and his voice is particularly winning, and
changes its modulations, in argument, from the deep, earnest tone of a
man, to an almost child-like softness. The conversation soon turned
upon America, and the doctor expressed, in ardent terms, his desire to
visit the United States, and said he had thought of accomplishing it
the coming summer. He spoke of Dr. Channing--said he had read all his
works with avidity and delight, and considered him one of the clearest
and most expansive minds of the age. If Dr. Channing had not strong
developments of the organs of _ideality_ and _benevolence_, he said,
he should doubt his theory more than he had ever found reason to. He
knew Webster and Professor Silliman by reputation, and seemed to be
familiar with our country, as few men in Europe are. One naturally, on
meeting a distinguished phrenologist, wishes to have his own
developments pronounced upon; but I had been warned by my friend that
Dr. Spurzheim refused such examinations as a general principle, not
wishing to deceive people, and unwilling to run the risk of offending
them. After a half hour's conversation, however, he came across the
room, and putting his hands under my thick masses of hair, felt my
head closely all over, and mentioned at once a quality, which, right
or wrong, has given a tendency to all my pursuits in life. As he knew
absolutely nothing of me, and the gentleman who introduced me knew no
more, I was a little startled. The doctor then requested me to submit
to the operation of having a cast taken of my head, an offer which was
too kind and particular to be declined; and, appointing an hour to be
at his rooms the following day, we left him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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