ignorance of surgeons with regard to the auditory apparatus; and this ignorance could only be removed by such means as he proposed. The lady to whom this strange request was made, says with grim humour, that she felt "rather amused when she caught herself in a feeling of shame, as it were, at having only one pair of ears,—at having no duplicate for Mr. Toynbee, after having disposed otherwise of her skull." She, however, told him how the matter actually stood; and a meeting took place between the doctor and the legatee, "to ascertain whether one head could, in any way, be made to answer both their objects."
An autopsy of her body was eventually made by Dr. T. M. Greenhow, of Leeds; a full detail of the appearances at wdiich will be found in the British Medical Journal, for April 14th, 1877, p. 449.
Sincere conviction and fearless utterance are of vast benefit to society, even when the former is erroneous, and the latter unpopular. Nothing is more remarkable in the character of Miss Martineau than the decision with which she formed opinions, and the courage with which she expressed them. At her day, this was a matter of greater singularity and difficulty than at the present one ; and the amount of suspicion, ridicule, misconception, and dislike which it engendered was correspondingly greater. The sketch of Maclise is, of course, a caricature; but an innocent one. Croker's article in the Quarterly, bearing on Miss Martineau's adoption of the principles oflvlalthus, is coarse and ungenerous. Tom Moore addressed her in a parody, "Come live with me and be my Blue." Maginn ungallantly hints that no one who inspects her portrait can wonder at her celibate proclivities, or is likely to attempt the seduction of the "fair philosopher" from her doctrines on the population question. He further adds with reference to MacUse's caricature:— "There she sits cooking—
'rows
Of chubby duodecimos';
certain of applause from those whose praise is ruin, and of the regret of all who feel respect for the female sex, and sorrow for perverted talent, or, at least, industry." Of the personal appearance of the strong-minded lady, William Howitt enables us to form an amusing conception by giving us the words of an old woman who met her at Ambleside:—"Is it a woman, or a man, or what sort of an animal is it? said I to myself; there she came, stride, stride, stride,—great heavy shoes, stout leather leggings on, and a knapsack on her back!—they say she mows her own grass, and digs her own cabbages and taturs!" There is no harm in any of this; nor will there be thought to be, I hope, in the verses with which I round off these notes, — notes, which so far as my own judgment is concerned, are intended to be entirely respectful, and appreciative of the character and abilities of one of the most remarkable and admirable women whom this country and century have produced.
"AN ODE TO MISS HARRIET MARTINEAU.
Come, let us touch the string,
And try a song to sing,
Though this is somewhat difficult at Starting, O!
And in our case more than ever,
When a desperate endeavour,
Is made to sing the praise of Harry Martineau!
