great deal must depend on the species of memory which he has received from nature, or has acquired in the course of his early education. Some men, as I already remarked, (especially among those who have been habitually exercised in childhood in getting by heart grammar rules,) have an extraordinary facility in acquiring and retaining the most barbarous and the most infignificant verfes; which another perfon would find as difficult to remember, as the geographical and chronological details of which it is the object of this art to relieve the memory. Allowing, therefore, the general utility of the art, no one method, perhaps, is entitled to an exclufive preference; as one contrivance may be beft fuited to the faculties of one perfon, and a very different one to those of another.

One important objection applies to all of them, that they accustom the mind to associate ideas by accidental and arbitrary connexions; and, therefore, how much foever they may contribute, in the courfe of converfation, to an oftentatious display of acquired knowledge, they are, perhaps, of little real fervice to us, when we are seriously engaged in the pursuit of truth. I own, too, I am very doubtful with refpect to the utility of a great part of that information which they are commonly employed to imprefs on the memory, and on which the generality of learned men are disposed to value themselves. It certainly is of no ufe, but in fo far as it is fubfervient to the gratification of their vanity; and the acquifition of it confumes a great deal of time and attention, which might have been employed in extending the boundaries of human knowledge. To thofe, however, who are of a different opinion, fuch contri

at the fame time, from the number of particular details which they involve, are not calculated, of themselves, to make a very lafting impreffion on the mind. Of this fort is the Memoria Technica of Mr. Grey, in which a great deal of historical, chronological, and geographical knowledge is comprised in a fet of verfes, which the ftudent is fuppofed to make as familiar to himself as fchool-boys do the rules of grammar. These verfes are, in general, a mere affemblage of proper names, difpofed in a rude fort of measure; fome flight alterations being occafionally made on the final fyllables of the words, fo as to be fignificant (according to certain principles laid down in the beginning of the work) of important dates, or of other particulars which it appeared to the author useful to affociate with the names.

I have heard very oppofite opinions with refpect to the utility of this ingenious fyftem. The prevailing opinion is, I believe, against it; although it has been mentioned in terms of high approbation by fome writers of eminence. Dr. Priestley, whofe judgment, in matters of this fort, is certainly entitled to refpect, has faid, that it is a method fo eafily learned, and "which may be of fo much ufe in recollecting dates, "when other methods are not at hand, that he thinks

66

all perfons of a liberal education inexcufable, who "will not take the fmall degree of pains that is neceffary to make themfelves mafters of it; or who "think any thing mean, or unworthy of their notice, "which is fo ufeful and convenient *"

In judging of the utility of this, or of any other contrivance of the fame kind, to a particular perfon, a Lectures on Hiftory, p. 157.

great

great deal must depend on the fpecies of memory which he has received from nature, or has acquired in the course of his early education. Some men, as I already remarked, (especially among those who have been habitually exercised in childhood in getting by heart grammar rules,) have an extraordinary facility in acquiring and retaining the moft barbarous and the most. infignificant verfes; which another perfon would find as difficult to remember, as the geographical and chronological details of which it is the object of this art to relieve the memory. Allowing, therefore, the general utility of the art, no one method, perhaps, is entitled to an exclufive preference; as one contrivance may be beft fuited to the faculties of one person, and a very different one to thofe of another.

One important objection applies to all of them, that they accustom the mind to affociate ideas by accidental and arbitrary connexions; and, therefore, how much foever they may contribute, in the courfe of converfation, to an oftentatious difplay of acquired knowledge, they are, perhaps, of little real fervice to us, when we are seriously engaged in the pursuit of truth. I own, too, I am very doubtful with respect to the utility of a great part of that information which they are commonly employed to imprefs on the memory, and on which the generality of learned men are disposed to value themselves. It certainly is of no use, but in fo far as it is fubfervient to the gratification of their vanity; and the acquifition of it confumes a great deal of time and attention, which might have been employed in extending the boundaries of human knowledge. To those, however, who are of a different opinion, fuch contri

vances as Mr. Grey's may be extremely useful: and to all men they may be of fervice, in fixing in the memory those infulated and uninterefting particulars, which it is either neceffary for them to be acquainted with, from their fituation; or which custom has rendered, in the common opinion, effential branches of a liberal education. I would, in particular, recommend this author's method of recollecting dates, by fubftituting letters for the numeral cyphers; and forming these letters into words, and the words into verses. I have found it, at leaft in my own cafe, the most effectual of all fuch contrivances of which I have had experience.

SECTION VII.

Continuation of the fame Subject.—Importance of making a proper Selection among the Objects of our Knowledge, in order to derive Advantage from the Acquifitions of Memory.

HE cultivation of Memory, with all the helps that

THE

we can derive to it from art, will be of little use to us, unless we make a proper selection of the particu lars to be remembered. Such a selection is neceffary to enable us to profit by reading; and still more fo, to enable us to profit by obfervation, to which every man is indebted for by far the most valuable part of his knowledge.

When we first enter on any new literary pursuit, we commonly find our efforts of attention painful and unfatisfactory. We have no difcrimination in our curio fity; and by grafping at every thing, we fail in making

thofe

those moderate acquifitions which are fuited to our limited faculties. As our knowledge extends, we learn to know what particulars are likely to be of use to us; and acquire a habit of directing our examination to these, without distracting the attention with others. It is partly owing to a fimilar circumstance, that most readers complain of a defect of memory, when they first enter on the study of history. They cannot separate important from trifling facts, and find themselves unable to retain any thing, from their anxiety to secure the whole.

In order to give a proper direction to our attention in the course of our studies, it is ufeful, before engaging in particular pursuits, to acquire as familiar an acquaintance as poffible with the great outlines of the different branches of science; with the most important conclufions which have hitherto been formed in them, and with the most important defiderata which remain to be fupplied. In the case too of those parts of knowledge, which are not yet ripe for the formation of philofophical fyftems, it may be of use to study the various hypothetical theories which have been proposed for connecting together and arranging the phenomena. By fuch general views alone we can prevent ourselves from being loft, amidst a labyrinth of particulars, or can engage in a course of extensive and various reading, with an enlightened and difcriminating attention. While they withdraw our notice from barren and infulated facts, they direct it to fuch as tend to illustrate principles which have either been already established, or which, from having that degree of connexion among themselves, which is ne

ceffary