MEMORY

MEMORY, a faculty of the human mind, whereby it retains and recalls the ideas it has once perceived. See METAPHYSICS, n^o 42.

Memory depends very much upon the temper and constitution of the body. In some, it is not so susceptible of impressions; in others, it is not sufficiently retentive: and as the seat of the memory is in the brain, whatever is hurtful to this latter, must prejudice the former. Too much sleep clouds the brain, and too little over-heats it; therefore either of these extremes must of course hurt the memory. All intemperance likewise, and excess of passion, have the same ill effect.

When we would commit any thing to memory, our first concern should be to understand it thoroughly. For we can never retain those things long, of which we have but an imperfect knowledge. Likewise order and method in the discourse itself is a great help to the memory. Where things have a mutual dependence upon each other, and go on in a series, the thoughts pass more readily from one to another, than where they lie confused and without any connection. The mind should also be free at such times, and have nothing else to take off its attention. Nothing is a greater hindrance to the memory than a crowd of ideas, and those of different kinds, flowing in upon the mind at the same time. They juggle out one another, so that but few of them settle; and if they do, it is in such a confused and disorderly manner, that when they come to be surveyed by reflection, little can be made of them.

To write down any thing is likewise a great advantage towards remembering it. For the very action of writing helps very much to imprint it upon the mind, by engaging it to a closer attention, and causing it to dwell longer upon every part than otherwise it would do only in reading. And therefore the Jewish doctors tell us, it was for this reason that the kings of Israel were enjoined always to write out a copy of the law with their own hand. And the fairer a thing is written, it is with greater ease committed to memory. This may possibly at first seem to have little in it; but if we consult experience, we shall generally find, that those things make the deepest impression upon the mind, which affect the senses in the most lively and agreeable manner. As we receive most of our ideas through them, the stronger impulse is made upon the organ, the greater attention it excites in the mind; and what we most attend to,

we retain longest.

A little experience and observation will help a person to discover the strength of his memory. And care should be taken not to over-burden it. A long discourse therefore should be committed to memory by parts, so much at once as the memory can well receive and retain. These parts should not be too many, for fear of confusion. And as it is most likely we may be at a loss in passing from one part to another, it will not be amiss in a more particular manner to impress upon the mind the beginnings of them. One letter often helps us to recover a word; that word a sentence; and the first sentence a whole argument. Some have therefore advised, for the assistance of weaker memories, to write each part of the discourse in a separate paragraph, and the first word in larger characters, which may strike the fancy like a picture when we come to those places. For every one is sensible of the powerful effect of imagery to excite and recall our ideas: and therefore it has been thought a further advantage, if the first letter of each word, written in larger characters, could be joined together in one artificial word; for then the remembrance of that word would give us the first letter of each of those initial words, which letters would help us to recollect the whole words, which was the thing designed by writing them in different characters. We find this method of bringing several ideas together into one artificial word of use in other cases. So the figures of syllogisms being distinguished by technical words, are better known, and more easily remembered; as every one perceives, who is conversant in logic.

As the mind is not at all times equally disposed for the exercise of this faculty, such seasons should be made choice of as are most proper for it. The mind is seldom fit for attention presently after meals; and to call off the spirits at such times from their proper employment in digestion, is apt to cloud the brain, and prejudice the health. Both the mind and body should be easy and undisturbed when we engage in this exercise, and therefore retirement is most fit for it: and the evening, just before we go to rest, is generally recommended as a very convenient season, both for the stillness of the night, and because the impressions will then have a longer time to settle before they come to be disturbed by the accession of others proceeding from external objects; and to call over in the morning what has been committed to the memory over-night, must, for the same reason, be very serviceable. For, to review those ideas while they continue fresh upon the mind, and unmixed with any others, must necessarily imprint them more deeply.

Some ancient writers speak of an artificial memory, and lay down rules for attaining it. Simonides the poet is said first to have discovered this, or at least to have given the occasion for it. The story they tell of him is this: Being once at a feast, he recited a poem which he had made in honour of the person who gave the entertainment. But having (as is usual in poetry) made a large digression in praise of Calfus and Pollux; when he had repeated the whole poem, his patron would give him but half the sum he had promised, telling him he must get the other part from those

Memory. those deities who had an equal share in the honour of his performance. Immediately after, Simonides was told that two young men were without, and must needs speak with him. He had scarce got out of the house, when the room where the company was fell down, killed all the persons in it, and so masted their bodies, that, when the rubbish was thrown off, they could not be known one from another: upon which Simonides recollecting the place where every one had sat, by that means distinguished them. Hence it came to be observed, that to fix a number of places in the mind in a certain order, was a help to the memory: As we find by experience, that, upon returning to places once familiar to us, we not only remember them, but likewise many things we both said and did in them. This action therefore of Simonides was afterwards improved into an art, and the nature of it is this: They bid you form in your mind the idea of some large place or building, which you may divide into a great number of distinct parts, ranged and disposed in a certain order. These you are frequently to revolve in your thoughts, till you are able to run them over one after another without hesitation, beginning at any part. Then you are to impress upon your mind as many images of living creatures, or any other sensible objects which are most likely to affect you, and be soonest revived in your memory. These, like characters in short-hand, or hieroglyphics, must stand to denote an equal number of other words, which cannot so easily be remembered. When therefore you have a number of things to commit to memory in a certain order, all that you have to do is, to place these images regularly in the several parts of your building. And thus they tell you, that, by going over several parts of the building, the images placed in them will be revived in the mind; which of course will give you the things or words themselves in the order you desire to remember them. The advantages of the images seems to be this; that, as they are more like to affect the imagination than the words for which they stand, they will for that reason be more easily remembered. Thus, for instance, if the image of a lion be made to signify strength, and this word strength be one of those I am to remember, and is placed in the porch; when in going over the several parts of the building I come to the porch, I shall sooner be reminded of that image than of the word strength. Some ancient as well as modern writers relate wonderful effects of this artifice. But they all agree it much more assists us to remember any number of separate and unconnected words, than a continued discourse; unless so far as the remembrance of one word may enable us to recollect more. And in this respect it does not much differ from some of those methods above-mentioned as helps to the memory. Quintilian therefore, though he does not wholly pass it over, yet seems to lay no great stress upon it.

And, doubtless, the most effectual way to gain a good memory is, its constant and moderate exercise. — In a word, the memory, like other habits, is strengthened and improved by daily use and practice. Wherefore those who have most occasion for it, as orators, should not suffer it to lie idle, but constantly employ it in treasuring up and frequently reviewing such things as may be of most importance to them. —

For by this means it will be more at their command, Memory. and they may put greater confidence in it upon any emergent occasion.

Another method of assisting the memory, is by forming certain words, the letters of which shall signify the date or era to be remembered. In order to this, the following series of vowels, diphthongs, and consonants, together with their corresponding numbers, must be exactly learned; so as to be able at pleasure to form a technical word that shall stand for any number, or to resolve such a word already formed.

The first five vowels, in order, naturally represent 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; the diphthong au = 6, as being composed of a and u, or 1 + 5 = 6; and for the like reason, ai = 7, and ou = 9. The diphthong ei will easily be remembered for 8, as being the initials of the word. In like manner, where the initial consonants could conveniently be retained, they are made use of to signify the number, as t for 3, f for 4, s for 6, and m for 9. The rest were assigned without any particular reason, unless that possibly p may be more easily remembered for 7 or septem, k for 8 or octo, d for 2 or duo; b for 1, as being the first consonant; and l for 5, being the Roman letter for 50, than any others that could have been put in their places.

It is to be farther observed, that x and y being made use of to represent the cypher, where many cyphers meet together, as 1000, 100000, &c. instead of a repetition of a z y z y z y, &c. let g stand for 100, th for a thousand, and m for a million. Thus ag will be 100, ig 300, oug 900, &c. ath 1000, am 100000, loun 500000, &c.

Fractions may be set down in the following manner: let r signify the line separating the numerator and denominator, the first coming before, the other after it; as iro $\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$, urp $\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$, pourag $\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$, &c. When the numerator is 1 or unit, it need not be expressed, but begin the fraction with r; as re $\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$, ri $\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$, ro $\backslash frac\{1\}\{2\}$, &c. So in decimals, rag $\backslash frac\{1\}\{100\}$, rath $\backslash frac\{1\}\{1000\}$.

This is the principal part of the method which consists in expressing numbers by artificial words. The application to history and chronology is also performed by artificial words. The art herein consists in making such a change in the ending of the name of a place, person, planet, coin, &c. without altering the beginning of it, as shall readily suggest the thing sought, at the same time that the beginning of the word, being preserved, shall be a leading or prompting syllable to the ending of it so changed. Thus, in order to remember the years in which Cyrus, Alexander, and Julius Cesar, founded their respective monarchies, the following words may be formed; for Cyrus, Cyrus; for Alexander, Alexita; for Julius Cesar, Julior. Uti signifies, according to the powers assigned to the letters before-mentioned, 536; ita is 331, and as is 46. Hence it will be easy to remember, that the empire of Cyrus was founded 536 years before Christ, that of Alexander 331, and that of Julius Cesar 46. This account is taken from a treatise, entitled A New Method of Artificial Memory; where the reader will find several

Memphis, an ancient city, and the royal residence of the kings in the Higher Egypt; distant from the Delta to the south 15 miles, according to Pliny. Situate on the west side of the Nile, over-against Babylon. Famous for its pyramids, the burial-places of the kings. In Strabo's time it was flourishing and populous, and second to Alexandria. Called also Meph and Noph, in scripture.

Menander, a celebrated French writer, born at Angers in 1613. He finished his studies in that city, was made advocate, and pleaded for some time at Angers, Paris, and Poitiers; but, becoming at length disgusted with the bar, turned ecclesiastic, and gave himself up entirely to the study of polite literature. He at length entered into the family of the cardinal de Retz; but disagreeing with some persons belonging to his eminence, went to live in the cloyster of Notre Dame, where he held an assembly of learned men every Wednesday. He read a great deal; had a prodigious memory; and was incessantly quoting in his conversation, verses in Greek, Latin, Italian, French, &c. on which account he was often turned into ridicule by the wits, especially towards the end of his days. His great memory he retained even in his old age; and what is very rare, it returned to him after some interruption. The reputation of his works procured him a place in the academy della Crusca at Florence. He might have been a member of the French academy at its first institution, if it had not been for his Requête des Dictionnaires: but when that was forgot, he was proposed in 1684 to fill up a vacant place in that academy, and was excluded only by the superior interest of his competitor Mr. Bergeot; for there was not one member of all those who gave their votes against him, but owned that he deserved the place. He would not suffer his friends to propose him again. He died at Paris in 1692, aged 79. He wrote a great number of books in prose and verse; the principal of which are, 1. Miscellaneous works. 2. The Origin of the French Language. 3. The Origin of the Italian Tongue; the best edition of which is that of Geneva, in 1685, folio. 4. An edition of Malherbe's Poems, with Notes. 5. An edition of Diogenes Laertius, with Observations. 6. Remarks on the French Tongue. 7. Greek, Latin, Italian, and French poems.

Menander, an ancient Greek poet, was born at Athens in the same year with Epicurus, which was the third of the 109th olympiad. His happiness in introducing the new comedy, and refining an art which had been so gross and licentious in former times, quickly spread his name over the world. Pliny informs us, that the kings of Egypt and Macedon gave a noble testimony of his merit, by sending ambassadors to invite him to their courts, and even fleets to bring him over; but that Menander was so much of a philosopher, as to prefer the free enjoyment of his studies to the promised favours of the great. Of his works, which amounted to above 100 comedies, we have had a double loss, the originals being not only vanished, but the greatest part of them, when copied by Terence, having unfortunately perished by shipwreck before they saw Rome. Yet the four plays which Terence borrowed from him before that accident happened, are still preferred in the Roman habit; and it is chiefly from Terence that most people form their judgment of Menander, the fragments that remain of him not being sufficient to enable them to do it. The ancients have said high things of Menander; and we find the old masters of rhetoric recommending his works, as the true patterns of every beauty and every grace of public speaking. Quintilian declares, that a careful imitation of Menander only, will satisfy all the rules he has laid down in his Institutions. It is in Menander that he would have his orator search for a copiousness of invention, for a happy elegance of expression, and especially for that universal genius which is able to accommodate itself to persons, things, and affections.

But Julius Cæsar has left the loftiest as well as the jukest praise of Menander's works, when he calls Terence only a Half-Menander. For while the virtues of the Latin poet are so deservedly admired, it is impossible we should raise a higher notion of excellency, than to conceive the great original still shining with half its lustre unreflected, and preserving an equal part of its graces, above the power of the best copier in the world.

Menander died in the 3d year of the 122d olympiad, as we are taught by the same old inscription from which we learn the time of his birth. His tomb, in Pausanias's age, was to be seen at Athens, in the way from the Piræus to the city, close by the honorary monument of Euripides. Quintilian, in his judgment of Afranius the Roman comedian, who imitated him, censures Menander's morals as much as he commends his writings; and his character, according to Suidas, is, that he was a very "mad fellow after women." Phædrus has given him the gait and dress of a most affected fop:

"Unguento delibutus, vestitu adfluens,
Veniebat gressu delicatulo & languido."

Lib. v. fab. 2.