An Improved System of Mnemonics/Chapter 4

AS it may be frequently necessary to commit to memory a series of figures, we shall now explain the mnemonical mode to facilitate this purpose. Various methods may be adopted, but we shall commence with the simplest, and for most purposes of a similar nature, perhaps the best.

Here are eighteen figures, that to many persons would require no common application to remember them; and after all their efforts, they would be very easily forgotten; but by using the mnemonical mode, the students can, not only recollect them in a much shorter time than the common method, (for by a little practice, a person could commit them to memory in less than a minute) but gain the more important point of permanently fixing them—their first step towards effecting this, is to divide the figures into pairs, and make them into words, but as the words so made, require to be recollected, they must associate them with the symbols, and proceed regularly on from the first, to as many as they require.

Agreeably to this direction, let them take 65, which they must make into a word; the figure 6 they know has the letters d and v to represent it, as 5 has l and j; by placing a vowel or vowels, between, before, or after a consonant that belongs to 6, and a consonant that belongs to 5, they have a great number of words at their disposal: they have deal, delay, dial, idle, veil, veal, vile, &c. &c. but as their object should be to make choice of a word that may have some relation, or affinity to the symbol, that they ​use as the repository for their word—the last, word vile, will be found as appropriate as any other. They can therefore (looking at their symbol and place), say that Ate, the goddess of revenge must be indeed vile to indulge in the malignant passion of revenge.—By being emphatic on the word vile they can easily mark it.

92 will make the word Pain, it may be said that Ino must be in great Pain of mind to come to the resolution of destroying herself.

49 will make Rope—Aye, Guy having conquered the Cow is going to tie a Rope round her, to keep her from doing further mischief.

76 will make Cave, into which the Roe is going for shelter.

48 Rob. We must beware of Leo, or he will Rob us of life.

15 Quail.—On Mount Ida there is a Quail flying about for food.

26 Navy.—The Oak will, in all probability, be cut down for the British Navy.

01 Soor.—Obi, or Three-fingered Jack's face is as black as Soot.

82 Bone.—The Ape is picking a Bone.

These associations being repeated a few times will be sufficiently impressed, for any purpose that may be required. To reduce the words to figures again, the operation is the reverse of the former.

​Thus the above nine words become again the same figures that we exemplified, Vile is 65, Pain is 92, &c.

If a person had to speak upon any subject which required a certain enumeration of figures, whether in mercantile accounts, finance, revenue, &c. he would find considerable assistance from forming them into words or sentences, and assimilating them with his symbols, as the above examples will shew—for, let him try the effects of them by transposing the words into figures; and suppose that he is addressing an assembly, and detailing the several arithmetical parts of his discourse, instead of referring to notes, which he should be compelled to do without such aids as the above: He has only to think of his symbols in the regular order, which will not fail presenting to his mind, the associations made with them: thus, he might say, the first item in his account is £65; for refering to Ate, the word Vile will directly occur, which a very little practice quickly resolves into the proper figures 65. The second item is £92—for refering to Ino, as his second symbol, the word Pain will be recollected. The third account is £49, the Rope of Guy furnishing it, &c. &c.

When he has completed his general statement, it may be sometimes necessary to direct the attention of the assembly to some one part more particularly than the rest, say the fifth, he has simply to think of his fifth symbol, Leo, which reminds him of the associated word Rob, giving 48. He may wish to contrast the fifth with the ninth, the Bone of the Ape instantly presents the figures 82.

If he have more figures to recollect, let him continue making them into words, and associating them with the symbols on his first, second, third, and fourth walls—if one room be not sufficient, he has fifty symbols in another ​room disengaged, which he may apply—if they are not sufficient, he could use his symbols over again in other apartments.

Useful as the above arrangement certainly is; its ingenuity may be further exemplified, by recollecting the precise position of every figure in the series: thus if asked to name the twelfth figure, the mnemonic students could, directly answer it was 5, and so with all the figures, if they had 200 or more of them. Although a very little practice would discover this, yet it may not be amiss if some trivial assistance were furnished on the present occasion.

By observing the diagram, page 43, in which are the mnemonical words, employed for recollecting the figures; the students will perceive that they are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. to 18; that the uneven numbers of the series uniformly commence each word, as No. 1, is the first consonant in the first compartment, No. 3 is the first in the second, No.5, the first in the third, &c.—the 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 17th, being likewise uneven numbers, are the commencing consonants in their respective squares. The even numbers of the series are, with the same certainty, the last consonants in each compartment, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 are all found in their proper squares, as the last consonants; by noting this, they know where to look for any particular number they may want and by also remarking that they have placed only two figures in each compartment, they can divide any given number by 2, which determines the compartment such figure is in. Thus, if asked, the 10th figure of their series of figures, page 42, they must in their mind divide 10 by 2, leaving the quotient 5, the fifth word; then apply to the fifth symbol for it, when Leo directly presents the word Rob;—now as 10 is an ​even number, they must only direct their attention to the letter B in Ros, which they readily convert into 8, the tenth figure of the series. Knowing the principle that influenced them in dividing by 2, they can omit that mode, and adopt a quicker method, by taking at once the half of any even number, that may be required—thus the half of 10 is readier than dividing by 2.

Which is the 14th figure of the series?—The half of 14 is 7, the seventh symbol furnishes the word Navy—14 being an even number they refer to V. which is 6, the 14th number.

When an uneven number is required; instead of first dividing by 2; they may add 1 to it to make it even, and then proceed as before. Thus the 11th figure is asked.—add 1 to it, which makes 12, the half of 12 is 6.—The sixth word is sought for on Mount Ida (the 6th symbol) we there find a Quail, but as the 11th number is odd, we refer to the first consonant, which is Q, the sign for the figure 1, the 11th figure—see page 42.

If they have several series of figures to commit to memory, and that they are apprehensive they may confuse each other, a story connecting each distinct series might be devised, which would prevent it; thus in the same series, by changing some of the words (that nevertheless are the proper signs of the same figures) they may form a story like the following.

Ate has a Veil on her, which she put on, that she might not be discovered in her design to stick a Pin in the head of Ino; she afterwards struck Guy with a Rope, who jumped upon the back of the Roe, and fled into a Cave for shelter, but there he saw Leo picking the Rib of a Quail, that he caught on Mount Ida, being perched on an Oak, where ​it went to Hide itself from Three-fingered Jack, who sat with an Ape upon an Ebon chair, endeavouring to snare it. This grotesque story repeated a few times will keep that order of figures distinct from any other.

This mode of making a word of two figures will be found the readiest for general purposes, where a long series of figures that follow consecutively are necessary to be committed to memory; but mnemonicians may sometimes find it useful to make a word of three figures or four, or as many as they find convenient; this example will shew how they may proceed in arranging three figures, The same series of figures, page 42, will exemplify.

659 will make the word Vilify, to recollect it, use Ate, who from her malicious disposition is very prone to Vilify people.

249 makes Harp, on which Ino was playing, before she came to the resolution of destroying herself.

764 Cider—which Guy drank after his furious encounter.

815 Beetle—that was perched on the head of the Roe.

260 Hideous.—Leo roars in a very Hideous manner.

182 Town.—Mouut Ida may yet become a Town, or Paris exposed to the Sun must be very Tawny.

In the act of committing figures to memory by the aid of words, associated with symbols, each student will of course follow his own peculiar mode; but the method which the writer of this adopts on such occasions, is, to commit three words to memory first, then three more, and repeat the six; afterwards three more, and repeat the nine, and so on. This plan may appear more tedious than necessary, but he is satisfied, that with him at least, it is the quickest, as it is certainly the surest mode.

​Proper names of men or women may, by a little ingenuity be recollected, by associating them with the symbols. An officer could soon conunit to memory the names of all his men; a number of words of a detached nature could also be assimilated.

It may be serviceable to give a few examples, to shew the manner of applying the system to pounds, shillings, and pence—as,

The word or words for the pounds, must be distinct from the word for shillings, as such word must be seperate from the pence. The consonants representing the above figures, stand as follow—m n d f l = f = m. These, by introducing vowels, can be easily made into a correct sentence, as, Mindful = of = me; and enumerating them in the order of pence, shillings, and pounds, the last word will be pence—the word immediately preceding it, will be shillings—and the word or words before them must be pounds. We may not always find it easy to make one word of the pounds, in which case we can make two or three if we please, but the fewer the better. The above figures, might be very differently worded; it would be equally correct to say—Gain a defile = of = me, or—Mind fool = a foe = I am, ог—I Mean a deep lie = if = I go. The last would be, in many instances, objectionable; for it is desirable, if it can be done easily, that when the pounds make more than one word, the last be not a word that has but one consonant in it, lest it should be in some sentences, confounded with the shillings, as in the following example—£9216..1..0. In the absence of pence there is no occasion for a word to characterize the cypher: we require words only for the pounds and shillings. The above figures will make a good combination, by saying ​Painted = it, or Pointed = it. When we cannot make one word of the pounds, we may perhaps divide them after this manner—A feint idea = too, or I fain outdo = it; but although these two examples correctly express £9216..1..0, yet some difficulty may arise in discriminating the pounds and shillings, as a person might forget where the marks were between them; for the former of these sentences, A feint idea = too, might be divided wrong, and be translated as £921..6..1, by forgetting that idea belonged to the pounds: and the other example, I fain outdo = it, might be called £92..16..1.

But such mistakes can be guarded against, by making the word which precedes the shillings, with so many consonants, that it cannot mislead; as in this example with the same figures—A foe noted = it.

These precautions are only necessary when the two last figures of the pounds are under 20, for any number above 19, cannot be mistaken for shillings. Thus this example £95,520..11..0 may be worded—A full house = i quit; as we cannot correctly say—£955..20..11. These figures will be better expressed by this sentence—A pale alien's = quota. The same observations may be of use when we have pounds only to recollect.

The learners will perceive from these examples, that in their sentences for pounds, shillings, and pence; the pounds may have as many words as they please to represent them; but the shillings and pence must each have one word, distinct from each other, and likewise distinct from the pounds.

When it happens that they have a combination of figures, where there are pounds and pence, without any shillings, they can use any of the monosyllables, as, is, us, so, see, &c. &c. to supply the place of shillings; for, ​as the letter s is always a cipher when preceded by a consonant, when they find it in a technical sentence of this nature, they immediately recognize it as the character designating the absence of shillings, as in these examples—

£5321..0..4	——	Light = as = air.
09259..0..8	——	Philip = is = a Beau.
00526..0..6	——	Lend = us = Aid.
09426..0..1	——${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}}$	Friend = so = I eat.
		Friend = see = I eat.
05615..0..6	——	Leave toil = as = I do.

In this last example we cannot mistake the word Toil, by supposing it 15s. for the word as, is a distinct mark of the cipher that supplies the place of shillings, therefore whatever word or words precede it, must be pounds. The only probability of mistake will be, where the last character of pounds is a cipher, and that there are no pence, as in this example—£32410..3..0. If we use this sentence, which will properly represent it, I am hurt as = I go, we run a risk of making the word as, the character denoting the place of shillings, instead of its. being attached to the pounds, and might be thus written £3241..0..3; but if we make the word which precedes the shillings of sufficient length, or what is the same thing, put a certain number of consonants in it, mistakes will be prevented, as this sentence will shew = A man routs = me.

These examples may serve to guide learners in their early career.

Similar combinations will be serviceable to them where ever words are used for figures; whether employed in. re-collecting the heights of mountains, diameters of planets, distances of places, prices of articles, number of a hackney ​coach, or of a house, &c. &c.; but they are recommended, whenever they can call in the assistance of association, never to neglect it.

The author is aware that it will be sometimes difficult to make as happy assimilations as may be desired; but the most indifferent will assist: indeed, the very act of endeavouring to associate, will tend to fix more permanently our objects in the mind: and he is certain that a very little practice, will render it easy for a person to make an assimilation, that will be for his own purpose, sufficiently apposite. Unless the indolent apply, they cannot expect success in this branch of knowledge, nor in any other. The following example of the number of uninhabited square miles that are on the surface of the earth, may guide in other instances—they are 160,522,026. The consonants placed thus, t d s, l n n, s n d, will, by introducing vowels, become this sentence—a tedious, line on, sand; which sentence is certainly easier to recollect than figures. But if it be observed, that as a great portion of the uninhabited parts of the earth is Sand, to have to travel through the whole, it would be indeed—A tedious line on sand; such association would tend to impress our minds much better than without it. The Decameron of Boccacio lately sold for £2260, making the word Hands: We can observe that an immense sum of money was paid for it, and after all, the work only changed Hands. The height of Bull barrow, in Dorsetshire, is 927 feet; it will make the word PINK: we may here make a ludicrous image of a Bull in a Barrow with a Pink on his forehead. The height of the highest of the Pyramids of Egypt is 693 feet, it makes the word Defame: we can observe, that to say the large Pyramid of Egypt was not one of the greatest wonders in the world, would be to Defame it.

​ There may be sometimes a difficulty in making one suitable word of several figures, such as the height of a mountain, &c. &c. in which case we can use two, or three, or as many as we please. The height of Snowdon mount is 3571 feet; it will make the word Mulct: but a better association may be formed of two, in the words Milk tea, observing, that as snow is white, and milk also being white, some assistance may be derived from the analogy. Still further, it may be said, that as Wales is frequently the resort of valetudinarians, to drink Goat's milk, we can in imagination place some of them on mount Snowdon, drinking Milk tea.

Learners are requested not to study the subsequent chapter, until they know the scale of consonants and figures, and, if possible, have applied them.