lations, is controlled by uncounted influences, and is susceptible of unlimited developement.

So far, therefore, from saying with Mr. Locke, that consciousness is the only source of internal knowledge, (if such be truly his doctrine, as it is generally understood to be,) we should not only add the sources of primitive and relative suggestion, but should increase the number with every inward susceptibility, and with every specific diversity of interior mental action, the memory, reasoning, imagination, &c. These are all sources of new ideas. But in proceeding to consider them, it is proper to remark, that our attention will be more taken up with the faculties themselves and their action, than with their immediate results on the increase of knowledge. And accordingly, in next proceeding to investigate the memory, we wish to know what the memory is, its diversified character in different individuals, the causes of this diversity, the means of improving it. &c.

§. 291. Explanations in respect to the faculty of memory.

MEMORY is that power or susceptibility of the mind, from which arise those conceptions, which are modified by the relation of past time. It is not a simple, but complex state of the intellectual principle, implying (1) a conception of the object, (2) the relation of priority in its existence. That is, we not only have a conception of the object, but this conception is attended with the conviction, that it underwent the examination of our senses, or was perceived by us at some former period.

When we imagine, that we stand in the midst of a forest, or on the top of a mountain, but remain safe all the while at our own fireside, these pleasing ideas of woods," and of skies painted over us, and of plains under our feet, are mere conceptions. But when with these insulated conceptions, we connect the relation of time; and they gleam upon our souls, as the woods, plains, and mountains of our youthful days; then those intellectual states, which were before mere conceptions, become REMEMBRANCES. And the susceptibility, which the mind possesses of these latter complex states, is what usually goes under the name of the power or faculty of MEMORY.

§. 292. Of the differences in the strength of memory.

The susceptibility of remembrances is the common privilege of all, and generally speaking, it is possessed in nearly equal degrees. To each one there is given a sufficient readiness in this respect; his ability to remember is such as to answer all the ordinary purposes of life. But, although there is in general a nearly equal distribution of this power, we find a few instances of great weakness, and other instances of great strength of memory.

It is related of the Roman orator, Hortensius, by Seneca, that after sitting a whole day at a public sale, he gave an account from memory, in the evening, of all things sold, with the prices and the names of the purchasers, and that this account, when compared with what had been taken in writing by a notary, was found to be exact in every particular.

The following is an instance of strength of memory somewhat remarkable. An Englishman, at a certain time, came to Frederic the Great of Prussia, for the express purpose of giving him an exhibition of his power of recollection. Frederic sent for Voltaire, who read to his majesty a pretty long poem, which he had just finished. The Englishman was present, and was in such a position, that he could hear every word of the poem; but was concealed from Voltaire's notice. After the reading of the poem was finished, Frederic observed to the author, that the production could not be an original one; as there was a foreign gentleman present, who could recite every word of it.

Voltaire listened with amazement to the stranger, as he repeated, word for word, the poem, which he had been at so much pains in composing; and giving way to a momentary freak of passion, he tore the manuscript in pieces. A statement, being made to him of the circumstances, mitigated his anger, and he was very willing to do penance for the suddenness of his passion by copying down the work from a second repetition of it by the stranger, who was able to go through with it, as before.

A great number of instances of this description are found in the records of various individuals, but they must be

considered as exceptions to the general features of the human mind, the existence of which cannot be explained on any known principles. As no one can tell, why one oak on the mountains is tall and large, while its neighbour, on the same soil and of the same description of trees, remains stinted and dwarfish; so we find ourselves unable to give any philosophic explanation of such instances as have been mentioned.

But there are also weak memories, so much so as to be properly considered exceptions to the generally equal distribution of this mental susceptibility. Individuals can be found, from whose memory truths have passed away almost the moment after they have been acquired; and who, in the management of the common concerns of life, discover a forgetfulness extremely unfortunate and perplexing. Instances of this kind are indeed not so frequently found recorded as of an opposite description; because it is more pleasing and satisfactory to the literary annalist to record the excellencies, than the defects of the mind.

§. 293. Of the effects of disease on the memory.

Some writers have attempted to explain the phenomena of memory by supposed changes wrought in the cerebral substance; but without assenting to any such hypothesis, it is proper to remark, that it seems to be well established, that there is a connection of some kind between the mind and body. We rightly and fairly infer, that there is such a connection,because there are a multitude of facts, which can be explained on no other supposition; but in what way, or to what extent it exists, it would be worse than futile to assert with the limited knowledge we at present possess.The general truth, however, that there is a connection of some sort between the mind and body, and consequently, a reciprocal influence, is confirmed, besides other sources of evidence, by some facts in respect to the memory.-I have read, (says Dr. Beattie,) of a person, who falling from the top of a house, forgot all his acquaintances, and even the faces of his own family; and of a learned author, who, on receiving a blow on the

head by a folio dropping from its shelf, lost all his learning, and was obliged to study the alphabet the second time. He further remarks, that he was himself acquainted with a clergyman, who was attacked with a fit of apoplexy. After his recovery, he was found to have forgotten all the transactions of the four years immediately preceding, but remembered as well as ever what had happened before that period. The newspapers, which were printed during the period mentioned, were read with interest, and afforded him a great deal of amusement, being perfectly new.— Thucydides, in his account of the plague of Athens, makes mention of some persons, who survived that disease; but their bodily sufferings had affected their mental constitution, so that they had no recollection of their own former history, had forgotten their friends, and every thing else.

From many instances of this kind, and from others, which go to prove, that the state of the mind, on the other hand, often has a very perceptible effect on the bodily functions, it may justly be inferred, that there is a connection existing between the mind and the body, and that a reciprocal influence is exercised. But what that precise connection is; whether it be limited, on the part of the body, to the brain; on what it depends; in what ways it is modified; are inquiries, which cannot be satisfactorily answered at present, whatever hypothesis may be proposed. Why a fever, or an attack of apoplexy, or a removal of a part of the brain, or an inordinate pressure of it, which are effects on the body, should affect the mind, a spiritual substance, which is supposed to be essentially different from matter, no one is able to say.-The fact, however, that such a reciprocal connection exists, suggests a reason for a due degree of attention to the physical system. The importance of a healthy and vigorous constitution of the body, as being very nearly connected with a corresponding health and vigour of the intellectual principle, should ever be remembered by those in the pursuit of knowledge.

§. 294. Memory of the uneducated.

There is a peculiarity in the memories of uneducated

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= people, of mechanics, farmers, day-labourers, and of all others, who, from the pressure of their particular callings may have had but little means of mental culture. This peculiarity is seen in their great readiness in the recollection of places, times, arrangements in dress and in buildings, local incidents, &c. In their narrations they will be found to specify the time of events; not only the year, but the month, and day, and in their description of persons and places are not less particular. This trait in the mental character of this class of people seems to have arrested the notice of Shakspeare.

ces,

Mrs. Quickly in reminding Sir John Falstaff of his promise of marriage, discovers her readiness of recollection in the specification of the great variety of circumstan-, under which the promise was made.- Thou didst swear to me on a parcel-gilt goblet, sitting in my Dolphin chamber, at the round table, by a sea-coa! fire, on Wednesday in Whitsun week, when the prince broke thy head for likening him to a singing man of Windsor, &c.The coachman in Cornelius Scriblerus gives an account of what he had seen in Bear-garden ;-Two men fought a prize; one was a fair man, a sergeant in the guards; the other black, a butcher; the serjeant had red trousers, the butcher blue; they fought upon a stage about four o'clock, and the serjeant wounded the butcher in the leg.

The explanation of this peculiarity of memory in common people is this.It will be kept in mind, that our remembrances are merely conceptions, modified by relations of past time. Removing then the modification of past time, and the remaining element of our remembrances will be conceptions. Our conceptions cannot be called up by a mere voluntary effort, because to will the existence of a conception necessarily implies the actual existence of the conception already in the mind. Our conceptions, therefore, arise in the mind on the principles of association. We come, then, directly to the fact which explains that peculiarity or characteristic of memory, of which we are speaking.

The knowledge, which is possessed by persons of very small education, will be found to be connected together