Duelling is a pretended display of courage, personal prowess, or bravery, in defence of one’s character and honour. But it strikes me that, on phrenological principles, with such an organisation as I have alluded to, a man can be neither truly _brave_ nor _courageous_, natural _fear_ or actual _cowardice_ being the more legitimate result of such a conformation. Hence it would follow, if we are permitted to take the cases alluded to as proper data from which to reason, that the fighting of duels is _no test_ of courage at all; but rather the result of fear, or (as I shall hereafter show) they generally evince a want of _moral_ courage in those who engage in them; and this view, if I mistake not, exactly corresponds with the popular notion upon this subject. But suppose they _did_ display courage; what then? What is this boasted courage, of which we hear so much? Courage may be divided into two kinds—_physical_ and _moral_. The former, when analysed, will be found to consist mainly in the exercise of Combativeness; and this is one of the lower propensities, common to man and brute. Of course, then, physical courage is a low passion; and one that is often displayed in the bull-dog or game-cock far more powerfully than in the most gallant knight that ever shivered a lance, or the most renowned hero that ever waded to the temple of fame through fields of carnage and blood. But moral courage, which is made up of _Combativeness_, _Firmness_, _Self-esteem_, and the _higher sentiments_, and which enables us to go boldly forward in our own integrity and strength, and on all occasions support the _right_, and do whatever Conscientiousness, Benevolence, affection, and the reasoning faculties dictate, is an exalted feeling—a noble sentiment—and none can show too much of it; for, since it cannot be exercised but in a worthy cause, it is incapable of being perverted or abused. The manifestation of physical courage is proper when exerted in defence of our natural rights; but is very liable to be abused, and when misdirected, instead of its being a virtue, it becomes one of the worst of vices. Man is not the natural enemy of man; and we live in a community which professes to be regulated by wholesome laws. Therefore, when one man voluntarily turns this instrument of defence against his fellow-man, or exercises it improperly upon a brute, he tramples upon the laws, and is justly held amenable and punishable. Such a manifestation of Combativeness or courage is a plain _perversion_ of a naturally good faculty, and becomes odious and sinful; and such I cannot but conceive to be the _kind_ of manifestation of this feeling which generally takes place in duelling.