Aids to Memory/Section V

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So far as we have already elucidated the subject of memory, it has become evident that we can recal to mind easily any one of two ideas associated together, provided the other idea be mentioned. Thus, if we be asked the date of accession of Henry VIII., we think of the hive and the lazy bee in it, and promptly reply, "1509." But if we should be desired to state what king preceded or followed Henry VIII., or to recite the entire succession from the Conquest, the instructions already laid down would not assist us in the task. Another modus operandi must therefore be given, which is embodied in the practice of Localization. This is the third principle of the Science of Memory, Association and Assimilation being the other two. It is, moreover, the oldest of the three, and formed the basis of the various mnemonic systems of the ancients, referred to in classical literature.

Simonides, a Grecian poet, who flourished about 500 years before Christ, was the earliest mnemonist of whom there is any record, although his claim to be the original discoverer of the science is about as valid as that of Mesmer with regard to the psychological influence erroneously called mesmerism. The following is Cicero's account of the great discovery:—

"There was a man named Scopas, at Cranan, in Thessalia, who once gave a grand feast in honour of a certain victorious gladiator. Among the great guests was the poet Simonides, who, in the course of the repast, recited a poem he had composed in honour of the brave hero. After his recitation was ended, he ​was called out of the building, and had scarcely left the room when the ceiling fell in with a crash, crushing Scopas with all his guests. When the relatives of the killed came to identify and bury the bodies, they found them so completely bruised and disfigured, that they could not distinguish one corpse from another. It happened, however, that Simonides had observed the place which each person had occupied at table; and by looking at the several places, he was able to identify all the bodies. This led him to believe that nothing could better assist the memory than to retain in the mind certain fixed places, and to deposit therein, with the assistance of the imagination, anything we might desire to keep in the memory."

No manuscripts have been found which reveal the exact method of local memory which Simonides practised and taught, but it is probable that the Roman systems were framed on Grecian models, and differed little from them. The following passage extracted from Quintilian's "Treatise on Oratory," Book xi., chapter 2, may, therefore, be considered as giving a fair idea of the mnemonics used by the ancients.

"You choose a very spacious and diversely arranged building—a large house, for instance, divided into several apartments. You impress on the mind carefully whatever is remarkable in it, so that the mind may run through all the parts without hesitation or confusion; as remembrances intended to help other remembrances should be more than sure. Moreover, for recalling to mind what you have written or simply thought of, you help yourself with any sign borrowed from the matter you have to treat of, if the object should be one of war, navigation, or the like; or with some striking word, for a word suffices to refresh the memory, as soon as it begins to fail. If the object be navigation, the sign will be an anchor; if it be war, it will be a weapon. Then you proceed as follows:—You place the first idea in the hall, the second in the parlour, and so on with ​the rest, going over the windows and chambers to the statues and familiar objects. This being done, if the object is to apply that proceeding to the memory, you look over every apartment, beginning with the first, and recalling at every picture the idea which was confided to it; so that, however numerous the things may be which are to be kept in mind, they are put into a row, and form a sort of chain, which prevents the confusion to which you are exposed when bound to learn by heart."

We are not informed whether the number of objects in each apartment were uniform, and, if so, how many objects were allotted to each; but we strongly suspect that the ancients were more logical in this respect than modern professors, who, by adopting absurd local arrangements, have made mnemonics an object of ridicule. Take, for instance, the system of Feinagle, published in 1812, in every respect superior to Dr. Grey's "Memoria Technica" before noticed. He uses two imaginary rooms, each divided into forty-five compartments: nine on each wall, and nine on the floor. The multiplicity and unnatural position of these objects must be confusing rather than otherwise, and the effort to pick out a solitary idea very annoying. Others, proceeding further in a wrong direction, make a single room the repository of from fifty to a hundred ideas, and even crowd their ideal objects on the ceiling itself. The student, we are told by a writer in Chambers' Journal, is to fancy himself "standing with his back to the fire-place," while his eye travels over the imaginary repositories in his mnemonical apartment. Unfortunately, he has to turn round when he comes to the wall behind him, which was evidently forgotten by the ingenious author of the essay.

The old mnemonists had, probably, a great number of rooms with a few familiar objects in each, which they remembered as easily as a person does the principal articles of furniture in his own house. Their ​powers of oratory were thus remarkably assisted, and, to this very day, we have inherited from them the practice of dividing sermons and speeches into heads or topics, from topos, a place. Our modern speakers say, "in the first place," "in the second place," and so on; but refer to written notes instead of the mental repositories from which such expressions are derived. Yet the retention of any number of familiar or assimilated ideas, so that they can be repeated forwards, backwards, or in any desired order, is a matter of easy accomplishment. In fact, the ungifted mnemonist will be able, by our system, to surpass the cleverest individual who remembers by sheer force of repetition.

No surprise is felt when a shopkeeper contrives to put his hand, without hesitation, on the article we have just asked for. Yet he has, has, probably, some hundreds of different articles in stock. How, then, is he able to pick out instantly the required thing? Simply by means of the systematic arrangement of goods in his shop or warehouse. When he receives a parcel of goods from the wholesale dealer, it is carefully sorted, and each article allotted to its proper compartment. If the method which is commonly adopted for storing the mind with ideas were imitated by the trader in storing his warehouse with goods, the warehouse would soon become a useless lumber-room. And yet the mental storehouse can be as methodically furnished as the material one, and an idea entrusted to the one as readily reproduced as a substance confided to the other.

It was shown in the first section that natural objects often suggested things apparently forgotten with which they had been associated at the time. If, then, this principle can be reduced to an art by learning a series of familiar objects, and connecting with this anything we wish to remember, it is evident that the faculty of memory will become subservient, and perfectly under control. Now, the arrangement of our houses is as familiar to us as the goods in the warehouse are to the ​merchant, and are identified with the actions of daily life. No wonder, therefore, that the ancients were accustomed to locate ideas on articles of furniture. But, as the practical details of their systems have not been communicated, modern mnemonists have invented a variety of local aids, possessing more or less ingenuity. Some have used the actual furniture of their own apartments, others, purely imaginary objects; but nearly all, forgetting that "remembrances intended to help other remembrances should be more than sure," have made an illogical selection of localities, and crowded too many objects into one compartment.

Three things have to be considered in the construction of a system of local memory, viz.:—

1. The Localities themselves.
2. The number and position of Local Places
3. The nature of Local Objects.

1. The Localities themselves.—Why should they be confined to the rooms of a house? Our life is partly an out-door and partly an in-door existence; and many striking and suggestive objects must be excluded from use if we ignore that fact.

2. The Number of the Objects in each Locality.—The decimal system of calculation is the easiest, and therefore there should be ten objects in each locality, the units always being in the same position. These objects should be located on the floor of an in-door locality, and on the ground of an out-door locality, in some uniform order.

3. The Nature of the Objects.—The use of a locality, with its accessories, in or near your own house, is decidedly objectionable, although it has been urged that a series of objects with which we are personally acquainted, must make a deeper impression on the mind. The theory is good, but cannot be supported by practice. The change of a person's residence will introduce a succession of the same objects in different order, and confuse his located knowledge; or the intro​duction of new furniture, or a tasteful alteration in the position of the old, will effect the same result. Any arbitrary experiments, such as learning a series of words or figures for the amusement of friends, and which we only wish to retain temporarily, may be located in actual rooms; but for real and permanent knowledge, imaginary localities, furnished with powerfully suggestive objects, should be chosen. These ideal repositories of thought must never be changed, either in their nature or position, but will be to the mnemonist as "the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not."

One hundred places of Memory are sufficient for all practical purposes. Ten localities, with ten places in each, are therefore required. Each locality should be in the form of a square, and the unit numbers should run throughout in the order already given with the Alphabet of Figures.

Exercise 17.—localities.
LOCALITY.	TENTH OВЈЕСТ.
1. Garden.	Tree.
2. Lake.	Boat.
3. Parlour.	Table.
4. Field.	Horse.
5. Study.	Student.
6. Model Room.	Church.
7. Music Room.	Pianoforte.
8. Dining Room.	Loaf.
9. Play Room.	Ninepins.
10. Recreation Ground.	Target.

Before filling up these localities with the required number of objects, their order should be learned, with the tenth object of each locality, corresponding with 0 in the figure diagram. Notice first of all that the latter serves as a key to the number of the locality in ​which it is found. A tree has many branches, all springing from one trunk, and the initial letter both of "tree" and "trunk" also stands for 1. The boat has two oars. The parlour table has three feet, and the horse four. The student's hand is resting on his little desk, with five fingers extended. The church so prettily designed in cardboard has six windows, three on each side, and the initial sound of church is 6. The pianoforte reminds us that music has seven different notes and keys, and the word "key" is also suggestive of 7. The loaf at the bottom end of the dining-table is in the shape of the figure 8, and, moreover, was certainly made to be eight [ate]! The number of the ninepins is of course 9. Lastly, an arrow sticking in the target presents a forcible picture of ten, the "arrow" representing 1, the "target" 0, and their combination 10. Repeat the exercise from memory forwards and backwards until the localities and tenth objects are recalled "as easily as A B C." You will, in point of fact, know them more perfectly than your letters, for those you cannot rapidly repeat backwards. Try the latter experiment, and it may convince you that Art is in some respects superior to Nature, and that Mnemonics is a beautiful embodiment of both. The Lord's Prayer is, perhaps, the most familiar piece of English composition we are acquainted with, yet few can repeat its sentences backwards without hesitation. By Mnemonics, the most difficult pieces of composition may be recited, beginning at the last word, and ending at the first, or proceeding either way from any particular word indicated.

The ten objects which make up the first locality, occupy the places allotted to them in the following diagram. The bee-hive, at the outset, must be a strong incentive to industry in mastering the system. A vivid picture of each object in its proper position must be realised—a realisation most easily effected, perhaps, by drawing the objects indicated. The student will then be able to name the number of any object instantaneously, and ​to repeat the whole in the same way as the ten localities.

	Bee-hive.	Bee-hive.	Arbour.
Fountain.		Dial.		Pump.
Rabbit Hutch.		Tree.		Garden Chair.
	Flower Bed.		Rain-water Tub.

A complete list of one hundred local objects is now given, every tenth or key object being printed in capitals. The names of the ten objects in each locality should be written down on a card after the model on the last diagram, and then firmly impressed on the memory by such mental conceptions as the imagination creates.

Exercise 18.—Local System.
	LOCALITY I. GARDEN.
1. Bee-hive.		6. Flower Bed.
2. Arbour.		7. Rabbit Hutch.
3. Pump.		8. Fountain.
4 Garden Chair.		9. Dial.
5. Rain-water Tub		10. Tree. ​
	LOCALITY II. LAKE.
1. Windmill.		6. Photographer.
2. Hut.		7. Bather.
3. Angler.		8. Tomb.
4. Nest.		9. Life-buoy.
5. Sportsman.		10. Вoat.
	LOCALITY III. PARLOUR.
1. Clock.		6. Cheffonier.
2. Lamp.		7. Couch.
3. Footstool.		8. Mirror.
4. Sewing Machine.		9. Parrot.
5. Easy Chair.		10. Table.
	LOCALITY IV. FIELD.
1. Haystack.		6. Hen-house.
2. Shed.		7. Kennel.
3. Roller.		8. Well.
4. Velocipede.		9. Cow.
5. Fagots.		10. Horse.
	LOCALITY V. STUDY.
1. Bust.		6. Stove.
2. Gold-fish.		7. Microscope.
3. Chemicals.		8. Galvanic Battery.
4. Bookshelves.		9. Globes.
5. Printing Press.		10. Student.
	LOCALITY VI. MODEL ROOM.
1. Wax Flowers.		6. Omnibus.
2. Ship.		7. Stereoscope.
3. Cannon.		8. Cottage.
4. Artificial Fruit.		9. Theatre.
5. Steam Engine.		10. Church. ​
	LOCALITY VII. MUSIC ROOM.
1. Drum.		6. Harmonium.
2. Harp.		7. Concertina.
3. Wind Instruments.		8. Blackboard.
4. Violin.		9. Music Stand.
5. Organ.		10. Pianoforte.
	LOCALITY VIII. DINING ROOM.
1. Coalscuttle.		6. Knife Cleaner.
2. Umbrella Stand.		7. Filter.
3. Bell.		8. Plate Basket.
4. Cheese.		9. Joint.
5. Sideboard.		10. Loaf.
	LOCALITY IX. PLAY ROOM.
1. Bagatelle.		6. Magic Lantern.
2. Boxing Gloves.		7. Toy-chest.
3. Noah's Ark.		8. Rocking-horse.
4. Cradle.		9. Chess Table.
5. Bath.		10. Ninepins.
	LOCALITY X. RECREATION GROUND.
1. Swing.		6. Wheel of Fortune.
2. Weighing Machine.		7. Parallel Bars.
3. Refreshment Table.		8. Balloon.
4. Aunt Sally.		9. Swing Pole.
5. Telescope.		10. Target.

Now submit the knowledge of the whole to a severe test. Repeat the hundred objects consecutively, beginning at bee-hive, and then begin with target and end with the first object. Recall with ease the first places of every locality, then the second, and so on through all the unit figures. In the latter experiment, the mind travels from locality to locality, and singles out every object in the same position; and thus a wonderful mnemonic power is acquired. Finally, ask yourself, or let some one else ask you, some independent ​ questions, such as, "Name the 29th, 64th, or 78th place?" Suppose the 29th place is required. We know that it is in the same locality as the 30th, or parlour table, and the next place above it. So 64 is in the 7th locality, 4th place, and 78 in the 8th locality, 8th place.

The practical applications of this interesting and useful branch of the science are reserved for another section.