preffed hefbandmen and peasants; the high Spirit of the Spaniard broken, and his genius chilled by defpotifin; the rich plains of Italy, laid watte by ecclefiaftic tyranny; the extenfive Empire of Germany remaining till nearly in the state in which it was defcribed by the Roman historian, Silvis horrida, aut Paludibus fada, merely for want of the invigorating spirit of liberty; when he obferves the anarchy and confufion that prevail in Poland, and fees the Ruffian criminal writhing his tortured body under the cruel difcipline of the knout,-I am perfuaded, faid Eugenin, that he will return with plea fure and fatisfaction to a country where liberty fmiles upon us, and, under her protection agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, have been carried to fuch a height as have made us objects of envy and jealousy to every other European State. His heart will glory with genuine patriot ifm when he reflects on what he has feen, and confiders that he has the happiness to be born a fubject of the only ftate in Europe in which no facrifice is made of our natural liberty, but what is abfolutely neceffary to the fecurity of our persons or property, And, with respect to religion, I cannot conceive, faid he, that any man who has lived under the chearful influence of Chriftianity, and observed its tendency to fecure and improve all the advantages and enjoyments of fociety, will be in danger of being converted to Mahometifm or Heathenifm; or one that has been bred a Member of the Church of England, and has experienced how liberal its difcipline is, its worship how ra tional, and how free from all appearance of enthusiastic cant and hypocrify, will be liable to be won by the tinfel frippery of the Church of Rome. And, indeed, that in his opinion, thofe religious principles were of very little value which are founded on ignorance, or which are liable to be destroyed by a knowJedge of the world. Eugenio then begged the company to oblerve, that whilft he wished to justify the ute of travelling in those who are to act in the higher departments of fociety, and to remove those objections which Academicus had railed against it by a fair and candid difquifition; he did not mean to place it in competition with an academical education, which he thought effentia! to the accomplish ment of a gentleman. And that though he recommended it under certain circumstances, yet it ought never to be adopted without preparatory study at an English University. If a father is so abfurd, faid he, as to fend an unlettered and unprincipled boy abroad for his education, under no other restraint but that of a tutor, whofe intereft it is to indulge bum in his vices, he has nothing to expect but that he will return an accomplished liber But if a man is born with common sense and a good heart, and during a regular, academic education, acquires, together with a competent share of leaning, and a knowledge of the English constitution, a fenfe of honour and religion, and a manly firmness of mind, he will find in these endowments a virtue not unlike that imputed to the golden branch of the Sibyl. They will enable him to acquire that useful information which an acquaintance with the world will afford him, without danger to his morals, his patriotiẩm, or his religious principles. ACADEMIE AMICUS. IN On the Freedom of the Prefs. Na country which abounds with spies, there can be no free conversation; every man is fearful of his neighbour, univerfal jealousy and miftroft prevail; and man, who is the most fociable of all animals; man, who feeks fociety, that he may communicate his thoughts, must be condemned to perpetual folitude, even in the midst of company, and, in the capital, feel more lonely than in the wilderness. From the fame prevailing jealouly, the prefs must not be free; because the people having loft their liberty, must be kept ignorant of their privileges, and bound with the chains of darkness. Indeed, this would be a great kindness to them, were it unpoffible for them to gain their liberty, for happiness depends much upon compari fon. The bird that is quiet in his cage, inftantly teftifies his uneasiness when he fees other birds at liberty. As long as the generation lafts, which has enjoyed the fweets of liberty, fo long the remembrance of that liberty will embit ter prefent bondage; the defcription of the father will make a deep impreffion on his fon; but in fucceeding generations this im preffion will wear off, provided no lively defcriptions are left upon record, or come tranfmitted from those who in happier spots enjoy the charms of freedom. It is merci ful, therefore, and politic, in defpotic fove. reigns, to reftrain the freedom of the prefs, Could we give Louis the XIVih. credit for any benevolence of heart, we might imagine it poffible, that his reafon for offering affiftance to the prince of Orange, and James the Second, to make the former abfolute in the United Provinces, and the latter abfolute in England, was partly from a principle of compaffion to all the other empires of the world; that, not seeing any one example of a free government, they might look upon the defcriptions of the ancients as the ficti ons of poets, and the dreams of madmen, But we cannot give him credit for such exalted fentiments of humanity; he meant only to rob these nations of their liberty, that his own flaves night more patientiv endure endure his yoke. Can we think, without abhorrence, of a man who endeavours to put out the eyes of a whole nation, and inAicts the greatest cruelties on thofe who would restore them to their fight: But the fovereign has other thoughts, he perfuades himself that the whole nation is his property, and the inhabitants his flaves; that he does them no injury; he is perfuaded, that, to open their eyes, to fhew them the charms of freedom, and to perfuade them that it is their birth right, the fovereign perfuades himfelf that this would be ftirring up his fubjects to throw off the yoke; he, therefore, will not fuffer any book to be published in his dominions, until it has been examined, and duly licenfed, by perfons receiving authority from himfelf for that purpofe. Extras from Dr. Beattie's Differtation on Memory. Inftances of total and temporary Loffes of Memory. I may be proper to remark, that a found ftate of the brain does, in fact, feem to be neceffary to the right exercife of memory, as well as of our other intellectual powers. Memory is often fufpended during fleep, and is alfo impaired by diffemper, by old age, and by fudden and violent accidents. Thucydides, in his account of the plague at Athens, relates, that fome perlons furvived that dreadful difeafe, with fuch a total lofs of memory, that they forgot their friends, themselves, and every thing else. I have read of a perfon, who, falling from the top of a houfe, forgot all his acquaintance, 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, loft all his learning, and was obliged to ftudy the alphabet a fecond time.There goes a ftory of another great fcholar, who, by a like accident, was deprived, not of all his learning, but only of his Greck. One may question fome of thete facts, but what follows is certainly true. I know a clergyman, who, upon recovering from a fit of apoplexy about fixteen years ago, was found to have forgotten all the tranfactions of the four years immediately preceding; but remembered, as well as ever, what had happened before that period. newspapers of the time were then a great amusement to him, for almost every thing he found in them was matter of surprise; and, during the period I fpeak of, fome very important events had taken place, particularly the acceffion of his prefent Majefty, and many of the victories of the laft war. By N T E. *It was, I think, in the year 1761. It The degrees he recovered what he had loft, partly by the spontaneous revival of his memory, and partly by information. He is fill alive, though old and infirm; and as intelJigent as people of his age cominonly are.I may further mention, that I have several times in my life been in a fwoon: twice, as I remember, by falls from a horfe; and once, on going fuddenly to a great fire, from the damp air of a winter night; and that, on each occafion, I obferved, as others in like cafes have done, that when I recovered, I had utterly forgotten what happened just before the deliquium came on, and was not a little furprited when the perfons prefent told me of the circumstances. A like failure of memory I have once and again been confcious of, when awake and in health, on being ftartled at fome alarming incident.-Thefe facts prove, that our foul and body are closely united, and do mutually affect each other; and that, by disorders in the brain and other contiguous parts, the intellectual powers may be difcompofed.But from thefe facts we are not warranted to infer, either that the brain is the organ of memory, or that impreffions are made on it by what we externally or internally perceive; or that, fuppofing them to be made, they are at all neceflary to remembrance." Memory frengthened by Whipping. "That is likely to be long remembered, which at its first appearance affects the mind with a lively fenfation, or with fome pleafurable or painful feeling. Thus we remember more exactly what we have feen, than what we have only heard of; and that which awakened any powerful emotion, as joy, forrow, wonder, furprife, love, indig. nation, than that which we beheld with indifference. Here we difcern the reason of a cruel piece of policy, which is faid to be practifed in fome communities, and was once, I believe, in this: that of going round the lands once a year, and at every land-mark fcourging one or two boys, who were taken along for that purpofe. For it was prefumed, that thofe boys could never forget the places where they had fuffered pain; and would of course be able, when grown up, or grown old, to give teftimony concerning the boundaries, if any difpute fhould arife on that subject." Attention, the great Art of Memory. "Without this, one reads, and hears, to no purpose. And we shall be more or lefs profited by what we read or hear, as the objects of our attention are more or less important. To read in haste, or without reflecting on what we read, may amufe a vacant hour, but will never improve the undertanding. And therefore, while we pe ru. rufe a good author, let us, from time to time, lay the book aside, and propole to ourfelves the following queries. What is it this author aims at? What is his general plan? How far has he proceeded in his fubject? If I were to give without book a fummary of the laft chapter, how thould I exprefs my felf? Is the author quite clear and fatisfactory in what he has hitherto ad vanced? If he is not, what are his principal defects? How much of his fubje&t is still before him? From what I know of his plan, of the parts he has already gone through, of his principles, and of his method of illuftration, may I not form conjectures in regard to what is to follow?It is this fort of intellectual exercife, that improves both the memory and the judgment, and makes reading equally agreeable and beneficial.And, in like manner, after hearing a difcourfe, or beating a part in converfation, it may be of ufe to recollect the heads of it; taking care to treasure up thofe fentiments that were remarkable for their truth or beauty, or that came recommended by the piety or benevolence of the peak er and overlooking every levity, fophiftry, and ill-natured obfervation, that feemed to betray depravity of principle, or hardness of heart. By cherishing habits of attention, and of recollection, in the various circumftances of life, the mind is continually improved; but idleness, inadvertence, and inaccuracy, extinguish genius, and eradi. cate virtue. "When we are engroffed by a multiplicity of affairs, new objects command but a flight attention, unless they are very ftriking. And therefore, those things are most attended to, and beft remembered, which occur when the mind is at eafe, and unemployed; as in the early part of life, or in the morning. Hence, that is well remembered, of which we have had a previous expectation; for this disengages the mind from other concerns, and prepares us to attend to that which we look for, as foon as it fhall appear. When, therefore, we take up a book with a view to profit by it, we ought to lay all other bufinefs afide, and prevent, as much as poffible, the intrufion of impertinent ideas. This will not only affilt memory, but also give fuch a variety to our thoughts as may prove very falutary to the foul. For the fame train of thinking, too long pursued, is often detrimental to health, and fometimes even to reason. "Great indeed, and many are the advantages of habitual attention. Clearness of understanding, extenfive knowledge, and exact memory, are its natural confequences. It is even beneficial to health, by varying the fucceffion of our ideas and fenfations; and it gives us the command of our thoughts, and enables us at all times to act readily, and with prefence of mind. As they who live retired are difconcerted at the fight of a stranger; as he whole body has never been made pliant by exercile cannot perform new motions either gracefully or eafily; fo the man, who has contracted a habit of ruminating upon a few things and overlooking others, is fluttered, and at a lofs whenever he finds himfelf, as he often does, in unexpected circumftances. He looks round amazed, like one raifed fuddenly from fleep. Not remembering what happened the lalt moment, he knows nothing of the cause of the prefent appearance, nor can form any conjecture with respect to its tendency. If you ask him a queftion, it is fome time before he can recollect himself, fo far as to attend to you; he befitates, and you must repeat your words before he understands them: and when he has with difficulty made himself master of your meaning, he cannot, without an effort, keep out of his ufual track of thinking, fo long as is neceflary for framing an explicit reply. This may look like exaggeration; but nothing is more certain, than that habits of inattention, contracted early, and long perfifted in, will in time form fuch a character. Different appearances of Memory. "The appearances of memory are not the fame in all men, nor in the fame man at all times. Inftances are recorded of extraordinary memory. Themiftocles made himself master of the Perfian language in one year; and could call by their names all the citizens of Athens, whofe number was twenty thoufand. Cyrus knew the name of every foldier in his army; Craffus fpoke every dialect of the Greek tongue; and Julius Cefar could dictate to three fecretaries at once, on three different fubjects. Portius Latro, as we learn from Seneca, his intimate friend, remembered every thing that he committed to writing, though he wrote with the greatest rapidity, and never forgot a word of what he had once remembered. The fame author relates, that Cineas, who had gone to Rome as anibaffador from King Pyrrhus, did, on the day after his arrival, though he had never been there before, falute every fenator, and a great number of the Roman people, by their names: that another perfon, whofe name is not recorded, on hearing a poet read a new poem, claimed it as his own, and, for a proof, rehearsed it from beginning to end, which the real author could not do: and that Hortenfius, after fitting a whole day at a public fale, gave an account from memory, in the evening, of all the things fold, with the prices, and the names of the purchasers ; and that this account, when compared with wha what had been taken in writing by a notary, was found to be exact in every particular. I might alfo mention the noted ftory of the mathematician Wallis, who, in bed, and with his eyes fhut, extracted the cube root from a number confifting of thirty figures. Such force of memory is wonderful; but, as an ingenious author obferves *, we have no more reafon to repine at the want of it, than at our not having the ftrength of Samfon, or the swiftnefs of Achilles. If, in the diftribution of good, our fhare be equal to that of moft other men, it becomes us to be content and thankful. In fact, though fome men have no great capacity for that fort of learning which is found in books, there are few whofe memory is not equal to all the common affairs of life; and there is not perhaps one rational being, whofe memory is unfufceptible of improvement. "Some men of good understanding complain of the weaknels of their memory: perhaps because they forget many things they with to remember; or find themselves deficient in the knowledge of that to which in the early part of life they were inattentive. And sometimes, no doubt, this may be affectation; for there are people in the world, who would have us believe, that their knowledge is derived rather from their own fagacity, than from the information of other men. But, in fact, no perfon of good fente can with reafon complain of any great natural defect in this way. For, without experience and knowledge, it is impoffible, in the common affairs of lite, either to act, or to think aright; and, where memory is preternaturally defective, experience and knowledge will be deficient in proportion; and imprudent conduct and abfurd opinion are the neceffary confequence. "But, though to foundnefs of judgment memory be effential, it does not follow, that they who have great memory have always found judgment. Extraordinary powers of remembrance are fometimes coupled with a childish understanding. I have heard a boy, whofe faculties were in other refpects rather below the ordinary pitch, repeat the greatest part of a fermon after once hearing it. In the early part of youth, and long before judgment is mature, the memory is often very tenacious, even when no pains have been . taken to improve it: and there are inftances of men, who, by reading too much, and overloading their memories, have fallen into a Atate of weakness, little fhort of infanity. "That too much learning may make one mad, is an old opinion; and examples are not wanting to juftify it, even at this day. NOTE. Idler, No. 74.-Other examples of extraordinary memory, fee Piin. Hift. vii. 241 "I can propofe nothing more effectual than frequent exercife, and a habit of strict attention. He, who is ambitious to acquire this talent, will fet apart certain portions of his time, for the purpose of exercising his memory, either by recollecting what was formerly imprinted on it, or by making new attainments. And, that this exercife may be the more amufing, as well as useful, he will be careful not to load his memory with frivolous things, or inelegant compofitions, or with what he does not perfectly understand. Nor is it my advice that he should, on thefe occafions, confine himself to serious matters, though they, no doubt, claim his first regard: humorous writing, and jocular converfation, when friendly to virtue and good manners, are a great relief to the mind; and I once knew a boy, who having been, by the indifcreet zeal of his mother, kept continually poring on fermons, and obliged to commit them to memory, lolt his other faculties, and became stupid. Hitorical narrative, and poetical defcription, are also very proper for exercifing remembrance, and at the fame time for amusing the fancy. I have already recommended habits of attention, and pointed out the method of recollecting, from time to time, what we are reading, or have been hearing. "What we have been doing, is also a matter, on which we cannot too often exercife our memory. Seafons of felf-examination, at which our paft actions, thoughts, and purposes, pass in review before us, to be approved if we find them right, and condemned and rectified where they appear to have been wrong, are recommended by the divine and the philofopher, as indifpentably requifite to moral improvement. They are not lefs fo to intellectual proficiency.They ferve to give us clear ideas of ourfelves and of other men; to methodize our experience, and fix it in the mind; to en→ large and direct our knowledge of human affairs; and fo to prepare us both for butinefs, and for converfation. They are particularly neceffary, when we are engaged in very active scenes; for then ideas pafs thro the mind fo rapidly, that, without habitual recollection, we must forget a great deal of what what it is our interest to remember. Some men keep a record of the most remarkable occurrences of their life. They who fill stations of importance ought certainly to do fo; after the example of Cæfar, and Cicero, and most of the great men of ancient times. And, though I will not affirm that this is equally the duty of others, I beg leave to lay, that of feveral perfons in the middle and lower ranks of life, whom I have known to be punctual in this respect, I never heard one regret the time which he had employed on his journal." Converfation improves Memory. "Both in the retentive power, and in the talent of every recollection. But, for the benefit of fome young perfons, it may be neceffary to fubjoin a caution or two, in regard to this matter. For, at fo great an expence as that of delicacy, we must not feek, either to acquire learning, or to improve re membrance. "Now, in company, it is our duty, to adapt ourselves to the innocent humours and ways of thinking of those with whom we converse; and it is indelicate to obtrude our concerns upon them, or give scope to any of thofe peculiarities of behaviour, that diftinguish our own profeffion, or the small focieties to which we are accustomed. The violation of this rule is called pedantry. It is offenfive to perfons of polite manners, and conveys a mean idea of the man in whom it is become habitual. And for this there is good reafon. The converfation of fuch a man fhews, that he does not deferve the attention of others, because he is always thinking of himself; that he has not en largement of mind for conceiving the circumftances and fentiments of his company, no tenderness and generofity of nature to take part in them, or fympathife with them; and that his cuftomary affociates, among whom he has contracted or confirmed thefe evil habits, must be equally narrowminded with himself.Therefore, unless called upon to do fo, by the company, or by those who have a right to prefide in it, the foldier ought not to expatiate on military affairs, nor the traveller on his adventures, nor the hunter on hounds or foxes, nor the farmer on his advantages, nor the scholar on his authors. Soldiers with foldiers, farmers with farmers, and learned with learn ed men, may talk in their respective trades; because in this way they may please and inBirut one another: but, where people are of different pusfuits and characters, the converfation ought to be general, and fuch as all prefent, especially thofe to whom parti. cular refpect is due, may be fuppofed to understand, and to relish. And, how much Loever one may be impreffed with what we Gent. Mag. March, 1785. have heen reading or meditating, and how ever defirous we may be to digeft and remember it, we are not entitled to make it an object of general attention, untess we have reafon to believe it will be generally agreeable." Memory of Brutes. "Some of the mole fagacious animals, as horfes, dogs, foxes, and elephants, have occafionally displayed a power of contrivance, which would feem to require re flection, and a more perfect use of memory, than I have hitherto allowed that they poffels. When a rider has fallen from his horse in a deep river, there have been inftances of that noble creature taking hold with his teeth, and dragging him alive to land by the skirts of the coat. And let me here, for the honour of another noble creature, mention a fact, which was never before recorded, and which happened not many years ago within a few miles of Aberdeen.-As a gentleman was walking across the Dee, when it was frozen, the ice gave way in the middle of the river, and down he funk ; but kept himself from being carried away in the current, by grafping his gun, which had fallen athwart the opening.A dog, who attended him, after many fruitless attempts to rescue his mafter, ran to a neighbouring village, and took hold of the coat of the firft perfon he met. The man was alarmed and would have difengaged himself: but the dog regarded him with a look fo kind and fo fignificant, and endeavoured to pull him along with fo gentle a violence, that he began to think there might be fomething extraordinary in the cafe, and fuffered himself to be conducted by the animal; who brought him to his master, in time to fave his life Was there not here, both memory and recollection, guided by experience, and by what in a human creature we should not fcruple to call good fenfe? No: let us rather fay, that here was an interpofition of heaven; who, having thought fit to employ the animal as an inftrument in this deliverance, was pleased to qualify him for it by a fupernatural implfe. Here, certainly, was an event fo uncommon, that, from the known qualities of a dog, no perfon would have expected it; and I know not whether this animal ever gave proof of extraordinary fagacity in any other instance. |