See No. 15586. Grey and Thomson, wearing gowns, sit back to back in upright arm-chairs. A phrenologist stands by each, touching his subject's forehead. Grey (left) sits at his ease, and has his habitual smile; his phrenologist says: 'Your organ of Wit is so small that I cannot feel it. On that account if I may advise; I would recommend that you do not in future attempt it in your writings, nor allow any person else [i.e. Mrs. Grey] to add it; because you are no judge of it: and it is dangerous to meddle with'. Thomson's phrenologist says to him: 'Judging from the smallness of your organ of Cautiousness, I should think, your organ of Combativeness, would lead you into frequent quarrels which you will afterwards repent of'. Thomson is grave and thoughtful, less at ease than his enemy. The respective diagnoses of the two phrenologists are displayed at length; pinned on, the wall (left): 'Developement of Anglicanus—Amativeness, large. Philoprogenitiveness, small [cf. No. 15575]. Combativeness, extremely small. Destructiveness, very large. Constructiveness, moderate. Acquisitiveness, Very large. Secretiveness, Tremendous. Self-esteem, immense. Love of appreciation, very large. Cautiousness, moderate. Benevolence, Very Very Small. Veneration, imperceptible. Hope, excessively large. Ideality, full, Conscientiousness, a hollow Firmness, a plane. Colouring, Very large. Not taken in the limited sense, as applied only to the fine arts. Time, small. Number, large. Tune moderate Language, moderate Comparison, small Causality, very small Wit, excessively small Imitation, large. NB. He was brought up in the family of a back biter. Wonder, prodigious'.
<p><br>Thomson's phrenologist holds his report: 'Developement of Christian Instructor—Amativeness, moderate. Philoprogenitiveness, large, Adhesiveness, large. Combativeness, very large. Destructiveness, full. Constructiveness, very large. Acquisitiveness, full, Secretiveness, small. Self esteem, large. Love of approbation, large. Cautiousness, small. Benevolence, moderate. Veneration, full. Hope, moderate. Ideality, large. Conscientiousness, rather large. Firmness, extremely large. Order, full. Number, large. Tune, very large. Language, Do. Comparison, full. Causality, large. Wit, Very large. Imitation small'. Brownie (left) as usual is the amused observer: 'My conscience! Could oney Phrenologist, have supposed that twa Craniums, sae very different, wad hae chosen the same profession. This is certainly an anomaly in their Science'.  1828
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<br>Hand-coloured lithograph
1828<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1828-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
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