An Improved System of Mnemonics/Chapter 1

​

AS the object of the author of this work is to convey & clear, ample, and complete knowledge of the system of Mnemonics; to be understood by the humblest capacity; he is apprehensive that by some people his explanations will be considered, in many instances, unnecessarily diffuse; but although disposed to give general satisfaction, he would rather incur the reproach of being tedious, than be censured for failing in communicating the system, by rendering it too concise: he fully estimates the importance of brevity, but too much may be sacrificed to it. His experience in lecturing has taught him to adopt the plan he intends to pursue—convinced that if his readers be like the majority of those whom he instructed in the art, that they will not be displeased with his resolution. At the same time, that he deems it necessary to state the manner he proposes to treat his subject, he must also declare that he will endeavour to avoid all useless repetition and irrelevant matter.

​The general outline of the plan having been glanced at in the introduction, prepares the mind for the developement of the primary part of the system, which is essential to be well understood by learners, before they attempt to apply it in their studies. They are therefore requested to proceed gradually, step by step, or nothing but confusion will ensue; for although the system is sufficiently simple and comprehensible, it requires an adherence to the whole of the minutiæ to profit by it effectually—indeed its very simplicity may be injurious to it, by causing the ardent student to pass on too rapidly, to reap, prematurely, the harvest he is desirous to obtain.

As it has been observed that places and symbols form the prominent features of the Mnemonic art, the former being the depositories of the latter, must be first noticed; it being desirable that both of these should be either actually or mentally present to the Mnemonician's view. A room properly arranged, appears the most eligible to effect the purpose, because students are generally seated in an apartment when they study; if not so situated, a little exercise of a faculty, which the system calls into action, will ideally present the several parts of their chamber before them.

As the floor, walls, and ceiling are to be regularly divided into a certain number of parts, learners must commence with the floor, and proceed in the regular order of the figures.

This diagram exhibits the imaginary division of the floor ​into nine parts, which they must always number according to the following plan: placing their backs against the centre of any of the walls they chuse to select, the most remote part of the floor to their left hand, they must call number one; and proceeding from their left hand to their right, in the order of their division; they will then have numbers one, two, and three in the first stripe; in the second; they will have four, five, and six; and in the third stripe, seven, eight, and nine, as this exhibits:

1	2	3
4	5	6
7	8	9

The familiar example of writing a letter, will fix the scale of division, by always proceeding in like manner, from the left hand to the right. When the floor is arranged, they must make a similar disposition of the walls, first establishing the order or numbers of them, beginning with the one which is to their left hand, and proceeding from left to right with them; they will thus have the second wall before them, the third at their right hand, and the fourth behind them. Then removing from their first position, and placing themselves in the centre of the floor, directly facing the first wall, they must divide it exactly on the plan of their floor, into nine parts, from left to right; the second, third, and fourth walls are to be arranged in the same manner, observing that they place themselves opposite each wall that they divide:—this last direction the author should not have considered necessary, were it not, that a gentleman in applying the system, conceiving that he ought not to stir from his first position, very ruefully told him, that he should be obliged to abandon the art, as he could ​not by any possibility divide the wall that was behind him, unless he were allowed to turn round to look at it.

By this division there will be forty-five places—but, as the entire number in a room must be fifty; to make the respective numbers on the floor and walls harmonize, we call in the aid of a portion of the cieling to effect it. The students are therefore to suppose a compartment on it, corresponding in size with any of those they have already arranged on the walls, directly conjoined to the second place of their first wall; similar compartiments must be imagined as appendages to the second, third, and fourth walls, always in a line with the area or space of the second part on each wall:—these compartments are to be the receptacles for the decimals or tens. They must then proceed to number the whole, following the regular order of the figures on the floor; the last division of which is number 9: they must call the compartment of the ceiling that belongs to the first wall, number 10, and then descending to the wall, the first place on it, is number 11, the second, number 12, and so on to 19, the terminating number the place on the ceiling part, that is appended to the second wall, is for number 20, and the wall numbered in the same manner as the first, down to 29. The ceiling part of the third wall has 30 for its number, the wall having the figures to 39. The ceiling part of the fourth wall, has 40 on it, and the wall, the remaining figures to 49, then let the centre of the ceiling be for number 50.

Floor.	1	2	3
	4	5	6
	7	8	9

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	Ceiling.
		10
First Wall.	11	12	13
	14	15	16
	17	18	19

	Ceiling.
		20
Second Wall.	21	22	23
	24	25	26
	27	28	29

	Ceiling.
		30
Third Wall.	31	32	33
	34	35	36
	37	38	39

Center of		50	the Ceiling.
		40	Ceiling.
Fourth Wall.	41	42	43
	44	45	46
	47	48	49

The learners will perceive, that by this disposition of the compartments, they can have no difficulty in determining the situation of any figure in the series, as they are all numbered like the floor, from 1 to 9; for by observing the above diagrams, they will find that the Ones are all placed in the first parts of their respective walls or floor; as No. 1 commences the floor, No. 11 the first wall, No. 21 the second wall, Nos. 31 and 41 in the same situations, on the third and fourth walls: the figures 2, 12, 22, 32, and 42, occupy the second places, and thus with all the figures; the cyphers being always upon the ceiling, the fives are uniformly in the centre; by observing which, they can have no hesitation in directing their eye to any compartment that may be required, for it will be easy to impress on their minds, that the numbers after 5, must proceed regularly towards the bottom of the wall, as the numbers above 5, ascend towards the ceiling.

The learners are desired also to note, that the floor is the seat of the units; that they are therefore, sure to find any of the figures from 1 to 9 on it; that the first wall (including the ceiling part) commences with 10, and ends ​with 19; that is to say, the preceding or left-hand figure throughout the first wall is 1; the second wall has the preceding figure two; from 20 to 29; the third and fourth walls have the same simplicity of arrangement.

The students ought imaginarily to divide their floor and walls, not to be satisfied with reading the manner in which they are to be done; and then they may exercise themselves in questions of the following nature. On what wall shall they find No. 25?—Here the answer is at once apparent, for the first or left hand figure, denotes the wall, and the second, or right hand figure, the compartment or place; thus the answer will be, that it is on the second wall, fifth place. Where is 49?—Fourth wall, ninth place. Where is 30?—On the ceiling part of the third wall, &c.

					Ceiling.
						20
			Second Wall.		21	22	23
					24	25	26
					27	28	29	Third Wall.
Ceiling.		13	16	19	1	2	3	37	34	31		Ceiling.
	10	12	15	18	4	Floor5	6	38	35	32	30
		11	14	17	7	8	9	39	36	33
		First Wall.			49	48	47	Fourth Wall.
					46	45	44
					43	42	41
			Ceiling.			40
			the Ceiling.			50	Center of

​This last diagram presents a united view of the floor, the four walls, and the parts that are occupied belonging to the ceiling. It is evident that a shorter mode might be adopted than the one already given for the division of them; By merely observing the manner in which the lines are drawn:^[1] For the two parallel lines that mark the first division of the floor might be continued up the wall on the right hand of the learners, in their first position, then across the ceiling, and down the wall to their left hand, meeting the points from whence they commenced; which would divide the floor, two of the walls, and the cieling, into three parts; then shifting their position, by leaning their backs against the wall that was to their right or to their left hand; and drawing two transverse parallel lines on the floor, and continuing them up the wall to their right hand across the ceiling, down the wall to their left, they likewise meet the parts they proceeded from. Thus, the floor and cieling will each be divided into nine parts, but the four walls, will as yet have but three divisions on each, produced by the two perpendicular lines that have been already formed; but as the number of places on the walls, must agree with those on the floor, they can effect them, by drawing two horizontal and parallel lines upon one wall, equi-distant from the ceiling and floor. which they must continue round the other three: the termination of the horizontal lines, on the fourth wall, meeting the beginnings of the first. By this mode of dividing, there will be fifty-four places, nine on each wall, floor, and ceiling: to reduce them to fifty, they have only to reject the corner parts of the ceiling, leaving five as before arranged. ​

Ceiling.
	40
10	50	30
	20

The author in teaching this system occasionally uses both methods, but he prefers the former, being less liable to confuse; as only one part of a room is presented to the view at once.

After the general detail that has been given, it is scarcely requisite to offer any other helps to learn the positions of the respective compartments; but, as the most trivial matter may be sometimes useful, the following observations on the distribution of the figures may not be wholly unnecessary.

This diagram exhibits either a floor or a wall: the diagonal lines observe, always cross the uneven numbers, the vertical and horizontal lines (with the exception of the central 5), intersect the even numbers: thus, the figures 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, are crossed by the diagonal lines—2, 4, 6, 8, the reverse.

The learners are supposed to be quite familiar with the plan of one room, they can now with ease proceed to the division of a second; as for various mnemonical purposes, one may not be sufficient for them. In the ​second room they can experience no difficulty of arrangement, for their division must be exactly as the former, beginning with the floor, which like the first room must have nine places, each wall ten, including the compartment on the cieling, the walls numbered one, two, three, four, &c. from left to right.

					Ceiling
						70
			2d Wall.		71	72	73
					74	75	76
					77	78	79	3d Wall
Ceiling		63	66	69	51	52	53	87	84	81		Ceiling
	60	62	65	68	54	Floor55	56	88	85	82	80
		61	64	67	57	58	59	89	86	83
		1st Wall.			99	98	97	4th Wall.
					96	95	94
					93	92	91
						90
			Ceiling			100	Center of

The only difference between this room and the first, is, that we here commence with 51, and proceed to 100, which is placed on the cieling. And here a similar mode assists the learners, in ascertaining the situation of every figure; for recollecting, that they placed five tens or fifty, ​in the first room; they will have simply to deduct that number, from any given number in the second; which immediately determines the wall and place. Thus, if asked, on what wall was number 65; by taking 50 from it, leaves 15, being the first wall, fifth place; it is unnecessary to add second room to it, as every number beyond fifty, and under one hundred, must be in the second.

Having perceived the principle that directs the subtraction of fifty, it will be easier to deduct Five from the left-hand figure of any number presented; thus number 73, by subtracting 5 from 7, leaves 2, being the second wall; the three of 73 being the third place—where is 90? Take 5 from 9 and 4 remains, the fourth wall, the cypher directs to the ceiling part. Where is 56—taking 5 from 5, nought remains; which evinces that it cannot be upon a wall, but upon the floor.

Lest any anxiety should arise in the minds of some persons, from the number of lines and figures that are required on the walls of the respective rooms; the author hopes he shall allay their apprehensions, when he informs them, that imaginary lines, answer all the purposes of real ones.